Barcelona have completed the transfer of Oriol Romeu from fellow Spanish side Girona. The Barca academy graduate has returned to the club and will be featuring in the first team this season. He has signed a contract until June 2026 and has joined training with the first team.
The release clause inserted into his contract is worth €400 million, rendering him untransferable. He is expected to be the replacement for Sergio Busquets after the former club captain left to sign for Inter Miami at the end of the 22/23 season.
Oriol Romeu signs for Barcelona until 2026
A number of defensive midfielders were linked with Barcelona as the replacement for Busquets. Names like Ruben Neves of Wolves (now Al Hilal) and Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad were rumoured as potential options for months, but no deal materialised out of their interest.
Now, Barca have their new defensive midfielder in the form of their former academy player. They have already signed Ilkay Gundogan as a free agent from Manchester City, and have also signed Vitor Roque as their new young striker.
The club has also recruited Inigo Martinez as a free agent after his contract with Athletic Club expired. And now, they look set for the new season with a reinforced squad to challenge for the Champions League alongside the domestic competitions.