Barcelona midfielder Oriol Romeu will be in the spotlight this weekend, as the Blaugrana head north to face Girona on Saturday. The hosts will have the chance to leapfrog Barcelona into second next season. Romeu, who moved from Girona to Barcelona last summer, has also been linked with a return to Montilivi.
Romeu came through the academy system at Barcelona, and after leaving for Chelsea at the age of 20, signed again for the club 12 years down the line, having been on the fringes of the first team as a youngster.
“For a ‘Cule’, playing for Barca is a dream come true, besides doing something that you really like, which is playing football, if you do it with the team that you have identified with since you were little, it has a place in your heart and is an added bonus,” he told La Liga.
🚨 Barça is looking at two players for the pivot position: Kimmich and Onana. Xavi wants Kimmich the most, but Onana's high price of €70m is making his option less favorable. @alexpintanel pic.twitter.com/PaEOoxTuEM
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) May 2, 2024
“I arrived here when I was 12-years-old and I lived on site at La Masia in my first year, it was the old residence. I remember playing in Barca vs Madrid games when I was little, it was a special, beautiful game, it’s a game that since you were little, you look at with a different enthusiasm.”
The veteran midfielder has had tricky time of it at Montjuic, performing well in the opening stages of the season, before later dropping out of the team. He has no issues with how it’s been handled though.
“I knew that I had done well at Girona, but coming to Barcelona was a huge challenge. I couldn’t have asked for more, being here and learning from my teammates and the coaching staff, it’s a very nice experience and one that I want to continue soaking up as I keep growing every day. Busquets has been the player who has best interpreted how to play in that position in midfield in recent years. The challenge is a big, beautiful one and that’s what we are here for, to try to rise to it and do it in the best way possible.”
The uncertainty over his future this summer has been fuelled by constant speculation that Barcelona will try to bring in another player in his position. On the other hand, Girona Sporting Director Quique Carcel has commented publicly on three to four occasions that the Blanc-i-Vermells would be delighted to have him back if it was an option.
Watch Girona FC vs FC Barcelona this Saturday 4th May with coverage starting from 5:00pm BST on Premier Sports 1 and ITV4.
