Barcelona have sealed their third signing of the summer, after confirming a deal to sign Oriol Romeu from Girona.
The veteran midfielder, who turns 32 in September, returns to the club which saw him come through the academy 12 years after moving to Chelsea in 2011. Coming off the back of a stellar season at Girona, helping them to a 10th-place finish after promotion, Romeu caught the eye last year, and has ended up as the cut-price option to come in for Sergio Busquets at the base of midfield.
Welcome back, Oriol! 👋 pic.twitter.com/tp26WX2E85
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 19, 2023
Barcelona have confirmed that Romeu has agreed to a three-year deal with the club, and has a €400m release clause. While the Blaugrana did not reveal how much he cost, it is thought that Girona will receive €5m plus the loan of Pablo Torre without cost.
𝗕𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗗𝗢 a casa, @OriolRomeu 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/neyvxEDPim
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 19, 2023
Barcelona had been linked with a number of players in midfield once Busquets confirmed he would be leaving, but with finances tight, have opted for an assured short-term option in Romeu, who will be well-educated in the methods Xavi Hernandez wants to play.
Even if he is the most natural replacement in terms of fit, it remains to be seen whether he will be a regular in a midfield featuring Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong.
Football España spoke to Oriol Romeu last season, read his thoughts about how he sees the game here.
