How much money Oriol Romeu used to earn at Southampton - midfielder set for £0 St Mary's return | OneFootball

Oriel Romeu is set for a return to Southampton after his 2022 departure

Southampton are attempting to complete the signing of Oriol Romeu following the decision to part ways with manager Will Still.

According to journalist Alex Crook, the Saints are eyeing a deal to bring the midfielder back to St. Mary’s in a bid to help the team’s poor form.

The Hampshire outfit opted for a change in manager on Sunday evening following a 2-0 loss to Preston North End at the weekend, which has left the side sitting 21st in the Championship table.

Romeu initially joined Southampton from Chelsea in 2015, but departed in the 2022 summer transfer window after the club came 15th in the Premier League.

Here we use estimated figures from Capology to see what his wages were during his first stint with the Saints…

Oriol Romeu’s Southampton salary

Romeu made the move to Southampton after loan stints with Valencia and Stuttgart, arriving at St. Mary’s as a 23-year-old.

The midfielder became a regular in the first team squad under Ronald Koeman, making 29 appearances in the Premier League in his first season with the club, including 17 starts, with the Saints coming an impressive sixth in the table.

His importance to the team grew and grew over the years, leading to him making a total of 217 appearances in the top flight before his switch to Girona in 2022.

By the time he made that move, the Spaniard was receiving £65,000 per week from the Hampshire outfit.

This made him the fourth highest earner in Ralph Hassenhuttl’s side during his final year with Southampton.

The highest paid earner was James Ward-Prowse, who was earning £100,000 per week at the time, the only player to reach the six-figure mark in the entire squad.

Fraser Forster and Theo Walcott were also paid more than Romeu, with the pair receiving £90,000 and £75,000-a-week respectively.

Southampton’s highest earners in 2025/26

The highest paid player in the current, managerless, Southampton squad is Joe Aribo, with the defender earning £70,000 per week.

Romeu wasn’t receiving a figure above that during his final season with Girona, with the midfielder on a weekly salary of £58,031 before being made a free agent last summer.

So it’s unlikely he’ll be looking to go straight to the top of the Saints’ salary bill, but he could still be within the top three or four.

Only Adam Armstrong joins Aribo in earning more than the Spaniard’s wages from his time in La Liga, with the forward receiving £60,000 per week.

So if he returns to St. Mary’s on a contract worth what he was paid by Girona, then he will go ahead of Finn Azaz’s £50,000-a-week to be the third highest earner at the club.

However, it remains to be seen what kind of agreement will be struck in order to bring him back to the team.

The next Southampton manager will be hoping he can perform to a high level in order to turn things around, with the side sitting just above the relegation zone at the moment.