Barcelona Transfer News: The Catalans Complete the Signing of Oriol Romeu from Girona

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Barcelona Transfer News: Oriol Romeu joins Barcelona from Girona, making him Barcelona’s third signing of the season

Barcelona has announced the signing of midfielder Oriol Romeu on a three-year deal from Girona. The 31-year-old returns to Camp Nou, 12 years after departing for Chelsea in 2011. During his first spell at Barcelona, Romeu came through the renowned La Masia academy but only made two senior appearances before moving to England.

Romeu has put pen to paper on a contract that will keep him at Barcelona until 2026, and the deal includes an impressive €400 million (£346.2 million) release clause. He becomes Barcelona’s third signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez.

Last season, Romeu played in La Liga with Girona, featuring in 33 top-flight appearances and helping the Catalan rivals secure their joint-highest finish in their first season since gaining promotion.

Before his stint at Girona, Romeu spent seven years at Premier League side Southampton, where he made a notable 256 appearances across all competitions. The Spanish midfielder also has experience with Chelsea, where he contributed to their Champions League and FA Cup victories in the 2011-12 season.

Romeu’s signing comes after the departure of long-time defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets, who left the club at the end of his contract and joined MLS side Inter Miami. Barcelona has also parted ways with Jordi Alba and Samuel Umtiti this summer, and coach Xavi reportedly intends to further trim the squad ahead of the new season.

The La Liga champions have a challenging pre-season schedule, facing notable teams such as Juventus, Arsenal, AC Milan, Tottenham Hotspur, and arch-rivals Real Madrid. Romeu may make his competitive second debut for Barcelona when they begin their title defense against Getafe on August 13.

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