Barcelona are reportedly keeping an eye on former Chelsea and current Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu.
According to Xavi Hernandez and Mari Carmen Torres of Spanish media outlet Marca, Barcelona are interested in bring former midfielder Oriol Romeu back to the Camp Nou in the summer.
The Spaniard began his career at the La Liga outfit, but as he failed to break into the first team, he opted to switch boats and moved to England, where he joined Chelsea. And, after spending six seasons at the London outfit, he moved to Southampton for regular first-team football.
In the Saints setup, Romeu has finally found his mold and has become an integral cog of Claude Puel’s machine at the St. Mary’s. The 25-year-old has made the central midfield position his own at the club, and is performing beyond expectations.
Romeu has been one of the best ball winners in the Premier League this season, and has done an exceptional job at shielding the Southampton back four. His performance against Manchester City come the end of last year, showed just how pivotal he is to the Saints’ fortunes.
After parting ways with Victor Wanyama, who left Southampton for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, the fans began to think that the club needed to have signed a replacement, as they were looking to continue their quest to secure European football for next season.
That did not happen as Puel trusted in the abilities of Romeu, and the former Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder has duly repaid his manager’s faith. And having impressing for two seasons with the Saints, the La Liga giants are now interested in bringing the player back to the club.
Barcelona signed Andre Gomes in the summer, hoping that he could slot into the first team and play the role of Andres Iniesta – whose career is reaching its final corner. However, that did not happen and Gomes has struggled in his first season at Barcelona.
While Romeu is a defensive midfielder – currently played by Sergio Busquets, he can also be useful in a slightly advanced position. There is no doubt that the Spaniard would find it hard to adapt in a dressing room full of superstars, but he could be a vital signing for the Catalans.
In late December, the 25-year-old stated that he may consider moving back to the Camp Nou if there was a sufficient amount of interest from the club. Now with them understood to be keen on signing the player, Romeu could part ways with Southampton after being there for two years.
Marca understands that the Spaniard will cost Barcelona €15 million, and Southampton are unlikely to make too much of a fuss as they will have made a considerable profit on the sale of Romeu.
