Oriol Romeu came through the ranks at the Spanish giant, and has been in superb form this season.
Oriol Romeu looks dejected after the EFL Cup final, where his mistakes proved costly
Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu is a transfer target for his former club Barcelona, according to a report.
The Sun claim that he is seen as a long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets, perhaps a surprising choice given that, at 25, he is only three years younger.
Romeu has impressed for the Saints this season, starting all but one Premier League game and taking on a more prominent role in the side since the departure of Victor Wanyama.
He has won the club’s player of the month award three times and, like most players who cover a lot of ground and make crunching tackles, is a favourite among supporters.
He joined Southampton from Chelsea, for whom he was an unused substitute when they won the Champions League, in the summer of 2015.
Romeu made just a solitary league appearance for Barcelona
Before joining the Blues he came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy.
Romeu is not the first Southampton player to be linked with a move to the Catalan giants, with right-back Cedric Soares also a target according to The Telegraph.
From Southampton’s actions in recent transfer windows it’s clear they would sell both players if the right bid comes in.
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