New Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has already made the call to keep hold of a heavily transfer-linked member of his new squad.
That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who highlight Oriol Romeu as the player question.
Spaniard Romeu is of course fresh off something of an underwhelming first season back in the colours of Barcelona.
Brought in as a cut-price replacement for the departing Sergio Busquets, the 32-year-old enjoyed a productive start to life in Xavi’s squad.
However, as the months passed, Romeu fell heavily out of favour, to the point that defender Andreas Christensen was pushed into a role in the middle of the park in his place.
The widespread assumption, in turn, has long been that Romeu is set to be moved on this summer.
It will therefore no doubt mark a major surprise to those of a Barcelona persuasion to hear that, instead, the former Southampton man is now increasingly likely to stay put.
In fact, as much is all but certain.
As per MD, owing to the fact that his sale would raise little in terms of funds, as well as the player’s contrasting characteristics to the rest of the Blaugrana’s engine room options:
‘The decision has been made. Oriol Romeu will start a second season at Barca. The midfielder has the approval of Hansi Flick.’
Conor Laird | GSFN
