Barcelona and Girona have reportedly sealed the agreement over a deal for Oriol Romeu, with Pablo Torre moving in the other direction on loan.
According to reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Oriol Romeu will soon rejoin Barcelona. The Blaugrana and Girona have agreed to a deal for the cultured Spanish midfielder. And the arrangement will also see Pablo Torre moving to Estadio Montilivi on loan for the 2023/24 season. The experienced midfielder will replace Sergio Busquets at Spotify Camp Nou.
Oriol Romeu has had a weird career trajectory thus far. The 31-year-old graduated from one of the world’s most famous academies, La Masia. But he could not establish a foothold in the Barcelona first team before moving to England, where he joined Chelsea. But the stint with the West London club did not work out either.
The cultured Spanish midfielder finally found a stable footing after moving to Southampton. And he spent seven fruitful years at St. Mary’s before returning to his homeland last summer. Girona secured Romeu’s services, and he immediately became a pivotal figure for the Catalan outfit. And he has turned out 34 times thus far for Girona while chipping in with two goals.
But the Spaniard had a gentlemen’s agreement with Girona to let him leave if a high-profile club presented an offer for him. And once Barcelona showed interest in securing Romeu’s services, his head turned. But Girona did not appreciate the way Barcelona attempted to sign the player this summer.
Barcelona are set to seal Oriol Romeu deal, here we go! 🔵🔴🇪🇸 #FCB
Agreement reached with Girona — it will include Pablo Torres’ loan until 2024.
Medical done as @JijantesFC called and it’s now time to prepare documents in order to get it signed.
Oriol joins Barça this week. pic.twitter.com/lTpuBNOWYg
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 17, 2023
So negotiations between Barcelona and Girona dragged on for a few days. But with the 31-year-old keen on rejoining the Blaugrana, the White and Reds had to wilt and give in to his wishes. However, it soon emerged that the agreement between the two clubs contained an intriguing detail.
Pablo Torre would join Girona on loan for the 2023/24 season, with Barcelona paying a derisory sum to secure Romeu’s services. And Fabrizio Romano has corroborated such claims, revealing Torre’s temporary destination to be Girona. Meanwhile, Romeu has already undergone his medical at his former club.
All that now remains is for Barcelona to prepare the official documents to finalise the deal. The cultured Spanish midfielder will rejoin the Catalan club this week as he gets ready to embark on a new adventure. And with that, the reigning La Liga champions have their replacement for Sergio Busquets, albeit temporarily.
