Barcelona confirm Oriol Romeu has left club by mutual agreement | OneFootball

Barcelona have confirmed that Oriol Romeu has left the club following the termination of his contract during the summer transfer window.

The 33-year-old midfielder, who came through La Masia before making his senior debut under Pep Guardiola, had rejoined Barcelona last summer after a successful spell at Girona.

His second stint at Camp Nou, however, was short-lived, with the club now opting to cancel his deal by mutual agreement.

Romeu initially left Barcelona in 2011 to join Chelsea, where he struggled for regular minutes and was loaned out to Valencia and Stuttgart.

In 2015 he moved to Southampton, becoming a mainstay in midfield across seven seasons and amassing more than 250 appearances for the Premier League side.

He returned to Spain in 2022 to play for Girona, impressing enough in his single campaign there to convince Barcelona to bring him back in 2023.

Injuries disrupted his first season back at Camp Nou, although he still made 39 appearances in all competitions, including 28 in La Liga.

Last season he returned to Girona on loan, featuring in 31 matches and starting 21 of them. That spell effectively marked the end of his Barcelona comeback, with the club and player now parting ways.

The Catalan giants acknowledged Romeu’s professionalism and thanked him for his commitment before confirming his departure. The move also carries financial implications, as Barcelona continue to work within La Liga’s strict salary limits.

The termination of Romeu’s contract frees up space on the wage bill, allowing the club to register new signings.

Romeu’s exit is viewed as a small but useful step in Barcelona’s ongoing financial restructuring. La Liga’s 1:1 rule, which requires clubs to balance spending with income, has presented challenges for the Catalans in recent years.

While the savings from Romeu’s departure are modest, they contributed to ensuring the squad registration process was completed on time.

For Romeu, the termination closes the chapter on his return to his boyhood club. Across two spells with Barcelona, he made 39 senior appearances, while his broader career has spanned some of Europe’s top leagues.

Where the veteran midfielder goes next remains uncertain, but he leaves Camp Nou with over a decade of top-level experience behind him.