Celta Vigo are on the hunt for a defensive midfielder this month, and Southampton’s Oriol Romeu is on their list of potential targets.
Yesterday we covered two reports from Spain that Celta had identified Romeu as a target as they look for a replacement for Stanislav Lobotka.
The midfielder was thought to be keen on the idea of a return to La Liga and was ‘seduced’ by the idea of playing under Óscar García.
Southampton are open to selling the midfielder because this may be their last chance to make money, but the finances made things difficult for Celta.
Atlántico back up the reports today and explain that Celta are indeed on the hunt for a defensive midfielder in this window.
Southampton’s Romeu is on their list, but, at this moment in time, they are only interested in a loan deal with a purchase option at the end of it.
Nothing is done at this moment in time, with club chief Felipe Miñambres, insisting getting a deal done is no simple task.
“It is not easy. Some things have fallen,” he said.
“There are more than one, more than two and more than three. We have different options.
“They are not easy, but we hope to specify. If not, with what we have we must push forward. We are trying to move forward but there is nothing close, really.
“For the moment, our idea is to bring a player, assigned to have him here and see if he adapts.
“It is much easier that way. It is a different window. It’s more about what the market offers you than what you want.”
While Romeu remains on the table, one man who Celta are not looking is his Southampton teammate Sofiane Boufal.
The forward spent last season on loan at Celta, and the same reports that linked Romeu with a move had suggested negotiations were underway for Boufal too.
Atlántico claim that isn’t the case, though, instead insisting that the ‘Boufal option is not on the table’.
