July 19, (THEWILL) – Barcelona has successfully completed the re-signing of Oriol Romeu, a former Academy player, from Girona, according to an official statement by the La Liga champions.
The 31-year-old midfielder, who began his career with Barcelona’s Youth Academy and made his senior team debut in 2010, has inked a three-year contract. After his initial stint at Barcelona, Romeu went on to join Chelsea in 2011 and subsequently enjoyed loan spells at Valencia and Stuttgart before spending seven fruitful years at Southampton.
“Romeu has great experience and knows the club from his previous spell as a Blaugrana and the style of play Xavi Hernandez wants to impress on his team,” Barca stated in their announcement. Having played a pivotal role in Girona’s 10th-place finish, accumulating over 3,000 minutes on the field, Romeu will be eager to make an immediate impact upon his return to Barcelona.
Included in Romeu’s contract is a significant buyout clause worth €400 million. This clause ensures that Barcelona retain control over the player’s future and acts as a deterrent to potential suitors enticed by Romeu’s skillset.
Barcelona’s acquisition of Romeu marks their fourth signing in the current transfer window, following the arrivals of Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez, with Vitor Roque set to join the club next year.
These moves demonstrate Barcelona’s commitment to strengthening their squad ahead of the upcoming season, as they intend to defend their La Liga title and attempt to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy again.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
