The Sun journalist Tom Barclay has admitted that he would ‘be surprised’ but ‘not shocked’ to see Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu depart the St. Mary’s Stadium this summer.
The Lowdown: Romeu wants to stay
The Spaniard first joined the Saints from Chelsea in a £5m move back in 2015, since establishing himself as a regular in the starting XI, going on to make 251 club appearances and creating 14 goal contributions during that time, via Transfermarkt.
The 30-year-old recently admitted that he would love to remain a Southampton player beyond the end of the season, but with only one year remaining on his current contract, it still remains to be seen whether or not the hierarchy will offer the tenacious midfield maestro a new deal.
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The Latest: Barclay can’t rule it out
When asked about Romeu’s future at the club, Barclay told GiveMeSport:
“The age he’s at, with a year left (on his contract), they don’t like losing players on free transfers. So, I’d be surprised if he left but not shocked.
“And I hope he stays because I think he’s become a pivotal player, who Ralph loves, and I think he said he’s the most professional player he’s ever coached.”
Romeu is not the only midfielder linked with an exit, as James Ward-Prowse is expected to draw major interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
The Verdict: Must keep
If the £59k-per-week star was to leave the top-flight outfit, this would come as a huge loss to Ralph Hasenhuttl because he’s such a valuable player in this Saints side, having made 33 Premier League starts this campaign, forming a great partnership alongside James Ward-Prowse.
Romeu has been an absolute rock in the middle of the park this term, averaging 2.3 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, and 1.3 dribbles per 90 minutes across all competitions, as per WhoScored, displaying the effects he can have at both ends of the pitch.
Once dubbed as being “one of the best” by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, there’s no doubt that the Austrian boss will do everything he can to retain his engine room operator in a bid to secure a top ten finish next term.
In other news… Southampton have reportedly joined the race to sign one of their transfer targets.