First step ‘has already taken place’ towards €15m Southampton transfer, contact with player initiated

 

Southampton fans will likely remember the recent Oriol Romeu to Barcelona rumours, pretty much because they refuse to go away.

It started in March when Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo had an idea. It was explained that Sergio Busquets is ‘stroking his thirties’ and could do with a long term successor and someone to help carry the load.

The article was even presented as such, with no claims of a genuine will for the transfer to happen. Despite that. Romeu to Barcelona articles multiplied like wet Gremlins and it became a thing.

Busquets, at 28 years of age, won’t be collecting his Blaugrana pension soon, and Romeu himself is only 3 years younger. There’s not a great deal of sense in the plan, unless the Southampton player would like to sit on the bench and admire Busquets until the elder statesman has decided he’s had enough.

Thursday sees Spanish newspaper Marca drag it all up again. They say contact has already been made with the player’s environment to let him know Barcelona are keen, so the first step to a potential transfer ‘has already taken place’.

Marca believe Southampton would ask for at least €15m to sell Romeu this summer, but they don’t say which limb that would be for.

Oriol Romeu, 25 years of age, signed a renewal with Southampton in January, which takes him all the way to 2021.