Oriol Romeu may be the forgotten man at the Stamford Bridge but the Blues midfielder is reported to be close to joining Southampton on a permanent deal.
EXCLUSIVE: Oriol Romeu closing in on Southampton move, reports @JackPittBrooke http://t.co/Up9y06v4A4 pic.twitter.com/VITNfvS7Xa
— Indy Football (@IndyFootball) August 12, 2015
The 23-year-old midfielder was the first signing by Andre Villas-Boas back in 2011 but has made just 22 league appearances for the Blues so far. His only decent run at the club was under Roberto di Matteo’s spell but an injury early in 2012 ruled him out.
This followed by a spell at Valencia where he impressed and bagged an extension with the club till 2017. But, immediately after signing the extension he was loaned to Stuttgart.
Romeu looked to be thriving in Germany after featuring in 16 of the club’s first 17 games for the season. The club also looked interested and it seemed that the midfielder will make a permanent move. But, the arrival of Serey Die changed things and the interest in Romeu died down.
Early in this transfer window, he was linked with a loan move away to Leicester City under Claudio Ranieri. However, that move never materialized for Romeu. If this anticipated move to Southampton happens, it could be a blessing in disguise for the midfielder.
For someone who rose through the ranks at Barcelona and was touted to be the next big thing from their academy, it is a big fall down. But, he is still young and Romeu should be looking at capitalizing on playing regularly; even if it means a move away from Stamford Bridge.
