Deco has doubts about €8 million-rated Barcelona target, but Xavi wants player

Barcelona have been contemplating signing former youth player Oriol Romeu for quite some time now, as part of the club’s plans to replace Sergio Busquets.

Romeu has not been Barcelona’s first choice by any measure this summer. But having been priced out of moves for Joshua Kimmich and Martin Zubimendi, the club believe Romeu is the best-suited alternative at the moment.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Barcelona technical board has reached a consensus about the same. It appears coach Xavi is a huge admirer of the Girona midfielder, even though Deco had doubts about the Spaniard’s abilities and overall quality.

But Xavi insists Romeu has what it takes to shine at Barcelona. He is well-versed in the Juego de posicion system, which he learnt during his time at La Masia. At 31, he has also established himself as an experienced and competent midfielder, who can bring balance to the team.

Barcelona’s coaching staff believes Romeu can be an ideal replacement for Busquets, because of his defensive work ethic. They want to deploy the Girona star in the number six position, in order to offer more freedom to new signing Ilkay Gundogan.

Barça are aware of the fact that the German can be extremely useful in the attacking third of the pitch, whereas dynamic players such as Pedri and Gavi can be utilised well in the second line of press. With Romeu providing defensive support, Barcelona can hope to gain proper balance in midfield next season.

However, the Catalans have their task cut out, as they look to reach an agreement with Girona. Recent reports suggest the midfielder could cost around €8 million this summer, which could prove to be quite significant for a midfielder currently in the final phase of his career.

Barcelona are expected to try and lower the cost of the operation, so it will be interesting to see how things transpire in the coming weeks.

Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.