Oriol Romeu returns to Barcelona

«Finding a replacement for Busquets is key to continue competing. He must be a decisive player, strong to win duels, technical, intelligent and a natural player for that position,” Xavi said in May. By then he started working at the technical secretariat on a crucial signing for the project. That work, after many comings and goings, came to an end this Wednesday with the announcement of the signing of Oriol Romeu, an old acquaintance for the Barca fans.

Oriol Romeu arrives at Barça for an amount close to 4.5 million euros, a figure that the culé club has not wanted to reveal through its statement, signing for the next three seasons and will have a termination clause of 400 million euros. The 31-year-old midfielder returns to what was his home at the height of his career and after having an exceptional year at Girona. Led by Míchel, he had become a fundamental piece of the Catalan team, with whom he played 33 league games last year, all as a starter, and contributed two goals.

The signing of Oriol Romeu was an express request from Xavi. The Tarrasa coach welcomed the arrival of a player who had gone through all the training stages of the culé club and who knows perfectly the model that Barça intends to carry out on the pitch. Xavi convinced Laporta and Mateu Alemany about hiring him and even spoke to the footballer to guarantee him a few minutes that the former Girona player doubted he could get. Oriol Romeu signs for Barça to be an important piece in a midfield in which he will live with Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Gündogan and Gavi, one of the most complete midfielders in memory of the Barça team.

A ‘low cost’ option

Despite Xavi’s good references, the fact that most convinced the Barça board was the starting price that Girona was asking for Oriol Romeu. Barça’s first options in this market were players like Sofyan Amrabat, Ruben Neves, Zubimendi, Brozovic or Joshua Kimmich, midfielders who fit well into the profile demanded by the Tarrasa coach but who represented a much higher amount for the entity chaired by Joan Laporta. Romeu meets all the characteristics to replace Busquets with guarantees and also does not mean a hole in the battered Barca economy. Well, nice and cheap, that’s how the new Barça signs up.