Barcelona terminate Oriol Romeu’s contract; midfielder expected to rejoin Girona

Barcelona have officially agreed to terminate the contract of Oriol Romeu, the 33-year-old midfielder who was on loan at Girona last season. The decision comes as part of the Catalan club’s financial restructuring, with Romeu now free to sign with another team and his most likely destination is Girona, where he enjoyed regular minutes in 2023/24.

Barça clear space in squad and finances

The mutual termination benefits both sides. Barcelona reduce their wage bill to comply with financial fair play, while Romeu secures the chance to play regularly in Spain’s top flight. His departure will also allow Barça to register Gerard Martín, a 23-year-old full-back from the academy who has aged out of the youth categories.

From Chelsea success to Barça struggles

Romeu began his career at Barcelona B (2009–2011) but never broke into the senior squad. He later moved to Chelsea, where he was part of the squads that lifted the Champions League and FA Cup, though he never established himself as a starter.

After loan spells with Valencia (2013) and Stuttgart (2014), Romeu joined Southampton in 2015. He became a cornerstone of the English side, playing over 250 matches across seven seasons. In 2022, he signed for Girona, impressing enough for Barcelona to bring him back in 2023.

However, his second stint at Camp Nou did not go as planned. Romeu made just 37 appearances before returning to Girona on loan last season, where he rediscovered form.

Barcelona’s next match

The reigning La Liga champions have started the season with two wins in two games, scoring six goals and conceding two. Their next challenge is against Rayo Vallecano, away from home, on Sunday (31), at 4:30 pm (Brasília time).