Having left FC Barcelona twelve years ago in 2011, Oriol Romeu is back at the club. The 31-year-old midfielder was signed by the Blaugrana earlier this week, arriving in a deal worth around €4.5 million from Girona.
Romeu has signed a three-year contract until 2026 with Barcelona with the deal consisting of a release clause worth €400 million. The midfield enforcer’s signing was officially announced this past Wednesday, soon after which the Blaugrana were on the flight to the USA for the pre-season camp.
As such, Romeu could not be presented as a new signing in Catalonia, with the proceedings taking place today in Los Angeles.
After signing his contract along with club president Joan Laporta, Romeu spoke to the media and revealed what it meant for him to be back at Barcelona after all these years.
“I want to emphasise how excited I am. This is one of the most exciting challenges of my career. I want to achieve the objectives and help the team, both technically and personally. Força Barça,” he said.
“The emotions and sensations are very nice. After many years of going round and round, to have the opportunity to return home is an incredible feeling,” Romeu added.
Expressing his gratitude to Girona for sanctioning his departure, the 31-year-old said: “It was a difficult situation… Girona didn’t want me to leave but they understood my position. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. The season we have had has been very good. I’m sure Girona will continue to grow and personally, I’m eternally grateful.”
Romeu has forged a reputation for himself as a tough-tackling, robust defensive midfielder and the midfielder admitted that it is what he will bring to the table while trying to improve on other aspects of his game such as ball distribution.
“I think I can be a positional pivot and make the players in front of me feel safe. My strong suit is my physical side, but I’m still learning how to get the ball out and how to move the ball around. I’m sure that with the help of the coach, I will take a step forward.
“I’ve learned a lot since I left. I feel ready for the challenge and to perform at a high level. Now, when the season starts, I’ll prove it on the pitch.”
Romeu comes into the team as a replacement for former club captain Sergio Busquets. And talking about him filling the void left by the veteran star, the midfielder said:
“Busquets has marked an era, perhaps the best ‘5’ we have seen. To come in after him is a nice challenge, but to fill his shoes is a big step.”
On his conversations with manager Xavi Hernandez, Romeu added: “Talking to Xavi has been positive. We have had contact and he was always hopeful that I could be here.”
When asked about his goals and objectives for the upcoming season, the former Chelsea and Southampton midfielder replied: “The objectives will always be to win everything we compete in, to play as many minutes as possible, and to grow with my teammates.
“We want to be as successful as possible. In the few days I’ve been here I’ve seen what a great group of people we have.”
On his first exchange with Xavi, Romeu said: “Xavi is a reference for me and for anyone who loves football. The call came during my holidays and he told me that he spoke to the board about me being the one to occupy this position.
“The excitement of Xavi calling me and thinking about me… there’s not much more you can ask for.”
On the pressure that comes with the task of replacing Busquets, he stated: “There is always pressure. When you’re at a club like this you have to perform and we live it day by day.
“Busi has been the best and you try to have his composure on the ball, to be able to pass, to be able to direct the ball…. There are many things you try to learn without losing your essence.”
Talking about the ambitions in his career, Romeu insisted that the aim was to move to a big club after his time in England and with Girona, which he has now achieved.
“I’m an optimist and a couple of years ago I was doing very well in England and I knew I wanted to take a step forward. Going to Girona has been about returning to play the football I like. I wanted to go to a big club and I got it thanks to that great season,” he said.
Reflecting on his time at Girona, he reminisced: “The season we had at Girona helped me to show that I could play at this level, to dominate games. The impact Michel had on me helped me and gave me the opportunity for Xavi to take notice and bring me back.”
