Premier League veteran Oriol Romeu is in talks to leave Southampton with La Liga newcomers Girona keen to bring the former Barcelona youngster back to Spain, as reported by Cadena Ser and AS.
This time last year, the prospect of Romeu leaving St Mary’s would have felt like a massive blow to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s plans.
And while the importance of one of Southampton’s longest-serving players should not be understated – he was actually one of their most reliable performers during another turbulent campaign – these days the South Coast club do appear to be in a position where they can start planning for life without Romeu.
Especially with Romeo Lavia, the 18-year-old midfield whizzkid, already showing why Southampton were willing to invest £14 million in a teenager who had never before played a Premier League game.
Could Oriol Romeu swap Southampton for Spain?
Romeu was left out of Hasenhuttl’s XI for the 2-2 draw with Leeds United on Saturday, Lavia starting in his usual ‘number six’ role. He featured in a more box-to-box role the week earlier vs Tottenham Hotspur.
And, according to AS, Girona are now in talks with Romeu, offering the 30-year-old a route back home. A ‘formal offer’ will reportedly be sent to Southampton in the near future. Girona coach Michel, meanwhile, is a fan of Romeu’s versatility and wealth of top-level experience.
Romeu, as AS point out, would ‘welcome’ the opportunity to come full circle. It is over a decade now since he left Barcelona for Chelsea, after all.
Girona, thanks to their Manchester City connections, now have access to players that would otherwise be out of their reach. Real Madrid wonderkid Miguel Gutierrez has already joined this summer. As has MLS Golden Boot winner Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos and the once-coveted Yangel Herrera.
AS do add, however, that Romeu’s £65,000-a-week wages would be a problem for Girona. La Liga’s restrictive salary limit means he may have to take a pay cut in order to join (Spotrac).
‘I’ll always be grateful’
“With Barca and in the youth teams with Spain, I had good times,” Romeu tells Marca.
“But Southampton have allowed me to fulfil my dream of settling in a league as demanding as the Premier League; Showing that I could perform at a very high level for so long.
“It’s where all the pieces ended up fitting together and I’ll always be grateful to them. It’s my eighth year here. And, although there have been ups and downs, the relationship with fans and team-mates has been unbeatable.”
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