La Liga manager tips Barcelona midfielder to stay put for a long time amid transfer rumours | OneFootball

When Oriol Romeu left Girona in favour of a move to Barcelona in the summer, very few expected the club to do well in La Liga this season.

But even without the midfielder, the Catalan outfit have been punching above their weight and have emerged as one of the contenders for the league title this term.

Girona’s management, though, continues to rate Romeu quite highly, which had led to speculation about his potential return to the club sometime in the future.

Michel on Oriol Romeu’s future

Speaking at a presser, Girona’s coach Michel talked about the future of Romeu amid these speculations.

Unsurprisingly, the Spaniard heaped praise on Romeu but suggested that the former La Masia starlet is a Barça player and it won’t change anytime soon.

“Oriol is a great player and I miss him, but he is a Barça player,” Michel said (h/t Diario SPORT). “He will continue to defend the Barça colours in the coming years. I’m sure.”

Not going through the best of phases (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

It is clear that Michel rates the Spaniard quite highly, but it appears highly unlikely that the player will return to Girona anytime soon.

Concerning form at Barcelona

A bigger problem for Barcelona, though, is Oriol Romeu’s current form. After a relatively fine start to the season, the midfielder has witnessed a dip in performances.

Romeu has appeared very inconsistent, which has affected his game time, especially at a time when the club are reeling from a lack of depth in the middle of the park.

A poor state of mind is attributed to Romeu’s poor form, but the player must soon regain his confidence if he is to prolong his stay at Camp Nou.

Romeu’s current deal at Barça expires in 2026, but there is a possibility he could be offloaded sooner if he struggles to perform at the highest level.