Player who left Southampton last summer about to join Barcelona

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Former Chelsea and Southampton midfielder, Oriol Romeu, is set to sign for Barcelona after the Spanish side agreed a fee with Girona for the transfer of the combative defensive midfielder.

That’s according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who claims that a fee between the two clubs has been agreed, with Pablo Torre set to join Girona as part of the deal.

According to Jijantes, Romeu has already passed a medical with Barcelona and the relevant paperwork needs to be completed, and then the deal will be official.

It really is an extraordinary move for Romeu.

After failing to establish in the Chelsea first team, Romeu spent two seasons out on loan at Valencia and Stuttgart, before making the move to the South Coast to play for Southampton.

During his time at Southampton, he reached a Carabao Cup final and was a consistent performer for the Saints for the best part of seven years.

Former Chelsea and Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu to join Barcelona 

He moved permanently to Girona in the summer of 2022 and now, incredibly, Romeu is on his way to the Camp Nou.

Romeu was on the books of Barcelona from 2004 until 2011 when he joined Chelsea.

The 31-year-old defensive midfielder failed to establish himself in the Barcelona first team.

But he now has the chance to play again for Barcelona.

The Spaniard is set to see his move to Barcelona confirmed this week, and it’s easy to see why a consistent Premier League performer like Romeu has made the move.

Ruben Neves was reportedly a target for Barcelona, according to The Athletic, as was Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, but the fee required for the pair made any deal hard to achieve for the Blaugrana, as their financial issues seem to worsen (The Telegraph).

Despite the surprise that the signing of Romeu is bound to bring, the 31-year-old represents a smart option for Barcelona and one that could bring experience to a rather young midfield that comprises of Gavi and Pedri.

With the departure of Sergio Busquets to Inter Miami, Romeu represents a player that could replace him, but it will be difficult for the 31-year-old to fill the huge shoes left by the iconic midfielder.