Oriol Romeu to stay at FC Barcelona despite Italian interest

According to a report by Mundo Deportivo, it took only a handful of training sessions for the German tactician to give his nod to the midfielder staying. Romeu has impressed Flick with his positional play, physical strength, and wealth of experience.

He exuded more confidence than the youth players and other potential candidates for his position. Only a substantial offer could change this decision, and while one such proposal has reportedly come from Italy, it has been dismissed for now.

Barcelona have a clear set of priorities in this transfer market, with the pursuit of a central midfielder following attempts to sign Nico Williams and Dani Olmo. Flick is said to view this position as crucial for the team's stability.

Currently, Flick's options are limited to Oriol Romeu, young prospects Marc Bernal and Marc Casado, and the versatility of players like Frenkie de Jong and Ilkay Gundogan.

In recent days, a Serie A club made an approach to Barcelona's offices with an offer for Romeu. According to Mundo Deportivo, Romeu did not entertain the proposal as the club in question was not participating in any of the European competitions.

Sources suggest that Napoli might have been the club making the bid. Romeu, who will turn 33 in September, has a keen desire to continue playing in Europe.

In July 2023, he signed a three-year contract with Barcelona, which included a hefty 400 million euro release clause. His transfer from Girona was finalised at 3.4 million euro.

Barcelona's midfield issues are compounded by injuries to key players Frenkie de Jong, Gavi and Pedri, along with Fermin Lopez's absence due to the Olympics.

This situation makes it difficult for the club to part ways with Romeu. His importance to the team has grown, and with a solid contract in place, Romeu remains committed to contributing to Barcelona's campaign in the upcoming season.

READ MORE: Bayern Munich to hold on to Matthijs de Ligt as Jonathan Tah negotiations stall