Xavi identifies former Barcelona midfielder as Plan B in pursuit of Busquets’ replacement

It is no secret that Barcelona are in the market for a new defensive midfielder this summer, as they look to find a long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets.

Joshua Kimmich and Martin Zubimendi were identified as two of the main options for the club. But both options have been ruled out as they are likely to be too expensive for the Catalans right now. The club had identified Sofyan Amrabat as Plan B, but have abandoned their pursuit of the Moroccan international.

With that in mind, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has set his sights on Oriol Romeu as their new Plan B, in the bid to replace Busquets. This has been reported by OnzeTV3, which suggests the former Southampton midfielder is rated highly by the coach.

The Spanish tactician considers Romeu as the ideal alternative for Kimmmich and Zubimendi, at least momentarily.

Currently plying his trade for Girona, Romeu is a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy. He had even featured in two competitive matches for Barça before leaving the club permanently in 2011, for a fee of around €4.6 million.

Romeu has since garnered ample experience at the highest level of football, including his 239 matches in the Premier League. He is now back in Spain, making quite an impression during his first season at Girona. The midfielder was indeed a lynchpin for the Catalan side, featuring in almost 3,000 minutes of league action.

The 31-year-old, therefore, has become a real option for Barcelona, who are already on the verge of signing Ilkay Gundogan. The German is likely to join the club on a free transfer after leading Manchester City to a historic treble this past season.

The potential combination between Gundogan and Romeu should give Barcelona some temporary relief in the midfield department before the club eventually look to invest in a younger option next summer.