Reports: FC Barcelona gets in an Agreement With New Midfielder
According to SPORT, FC Barcelona has reportedly reached an agreement with Oriol Romeu and is in advanced negotiations with his club Girona to purchase the player.
The departure of Sergio Busquets, who will join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, has left Xavi Hernandez struggling to replace a pivot-sized hole in the first team squad.
There has been interest in players like Joshua Kimmich and Martin Zubimendi, who are Xavi’s top candidates, but their high price tags exceeding €60 million ($66 million) and Barca’s financial situation have forced the club to consider less expensive alternatives.
Last week, at the launch of his soccer school, Xavi admitted, “We need to strengthen the base of the midfield, but we are in a precarious financial situation.”
“We do not have the luxury of signing whoever we want, so we must adapt.”
This is where Romeu comes in, with SPORT reporting on Wednesday that Barcelona have already reached an agreement with the 32-year-old, who joined La Masia in 2004 from Espanyol.
According to the daily newspaper, Barca are also in advanced negotiations with the veteran’s club, but the ultimate fee could be a sticking point.
ESPN reported that Barca have no intention of paying Romeu’s €8 million ($8.7 million) release clause, which will compel them to negotiate a lower fee or possibly include their own players in a potential part exchange deal.
In any case, SPORT expects Barca to finalize the deal within the “next few hours” with the club hopeful that Romeu can join the preseason tour to the United States and become acquainted with his new locker room and the Barca playing style.
Romeu should be familiar with at least one of these aspects, given that he spent four years at La Masia and graduated from the renowned juvenile academy in 2008.
Romeu made only two appearances in the first team before departing due to Busquets’ prominence in Pep Guardiola’s extremely talented squad.
Romeu was sold to Chelsea in 2011 and ultimately settled in England with a seven-year stint at Southampton, where he made 217 Premier League appearances between 2015 and 2022 before returning to Catalonia.
Romeu’s performances, including a memorable 4-2 victory over Real Madrid in late April, obviously caught the attention of Xavi and his coaching staff during Girona’s return to La Liga last season.
Barca’s signing of Romeu on the cheap is a shrewd move, as he could provide them with a pair of solid seasons before they launch a new bid for Zubimendi if their financial situation has improved.
Romeu, 32, would become Barca’s second midfielder acquisition of the summer, joining Ilkay Gundogan, 32, who arrived on a free transfer less than two weeks ago. Gundogan is the former Manchester City captain.
Reports: FC Barcelona gets in an Agreement With New Midfielder