England goalkeeper Roebuck set for shock move to Barcelona

Roebuck has fallen down the pecking order with both club and country and is desperate for game time

England goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck is in advanced talks with Barcelona over a proposed move to the reigning Europeans champions from Manchester City.
The Manchester City shot-stopper could join the Catalan giants on a free transfer this summer at the end of her contract and, according to Telegraph Sport sources, an agreement is relatively close.
No deal has been signed yet but, as first reported by Spanish website Sport.es, there is now a very real prospect of the 24-year-old moving to the club where her England team-mates Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh won the Women’s Champions League last season.
It’s also understood it is not currently out of the question that Roebuck could even switch to Barcelona this month instead, but only if one of the Spanish domestic league champions’ existing goalkeepers were to leave in this January window and it remains unclear how likely that prospect is. A summer switch is the more probable scenario.
Barcelona’s strong interest in the Sheffield-born shot-stopper could give her England career a major lift. The 11-times-capped Lioness, who made her senior international debut in 2018, has seen her starts under Sarina Wiegman limited amidst the form of Mary Earps, who has been Wiegman’s established number one.
But Roebuck is interested in a move away from Manchester City because her playing-time there has already been very low this season since her club team-mate Khiara Keating became head coach Gareth Taylor’s first choice.
Nonetheless, Roebuck has extensive experience for her age and was part of the England squads that won Euro 2022 and the squad that reached last summer’s Women’s World Cup final in Sydney.
She began her career at Sheffield United before joining Manchester City at the age of 15. She helped City win the FA Cup and the League Cup in 2019 and in 2019-20 she won the Women’s Super League’s Golden Glove with 10 clean sheets across the season.