at the end of the month would like his contract to be terminated according to AS, which cited anonymous sources.Less
UEFA via Getty Images
An FC Barcelona star who will return to the club at the end of the month would like his contract to be terminated according to AS, which cited anonymous sources.
After an impressive season in Girona’s reintroduction to the Spanish top flight, Oriol Romeu started a second stint at his boyhood club Barca in the summer of 2023.
It was no secret that the defensive midfielder was way down then-head coach Xavi Hernandez’s shortlist, however, with the former number 6 and Camp Nou legend instead preferring the likes of Joshua Kimmich or Martin Zubimendi to replace Sergio Busquets once he headed off to Inter Miami for a reunion with Lionel Messi.
At the time, however, Barca’s financial hamstrings meant that a pursuit of either man was out of the question, and Xavi instead had to settle for Oriol who cost a few million euros.
Unfortunately for the Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2012, he wasn’t able to replicate his Girona form and even admitted to suffering ‘mental issues’ derived from the high-pressure demands of donning the iconic Blaugrana shirt.
A return to Girona in 2024 was the best solution for all parties, but with the loan that took Romeu back to Montilivi expiring on June 30, the 33-year-old will become a Barca player once more in under a fortnight.
With the likes of Marc Casado, Frenkie de Jong and Marc Bernal all above him in the pecking order, Romeu isn’t tipped to have prominence under Xavi’s successor Hansi Flick amid being unable to replicate his best form at Girona where he suffered knee problems and wasn’t always a regular starter.
Considering he’ll soon have just 12 months left on his contract, it makes little sense to renew Romeu to avoid losing him for free in 2026 given his age and probable lack of suitors.
Romeu wants a clean break from FC Barcelona
To get a clean slate, Romeu prefers that his terms are terminated according to AS, which would help FC Barcelona get his salary off the books and have more room to operate in terms of Financial Fair Play. If this does come to pass, however, the club will probably have to part with a compensation fee in Romeu’s direction.
