Report: Hansi Flick insisted on keeping out-of-favour midfielder this summer | OneFootball

According to a report by Sergi de Juan in AS, it has come to light that Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was initially against allowing Oriol Romeu to leave the club.

Romeu, who was signed by Barça in 2023, struggled to settle in, largely because he was seen as the successor to Sergio Busquets.

This was a heavy expectation for Romeu to carry, especially considering that he wasn’t even Barcelona’s first choice. After Barcelona exhausted all their options, his relatively low release clause of €3.4 million played a part in his signing.

Romeu began his Barcelona career as an important player under Xavi, but his performances soon started to decline. As time went on, he lost his place in the starting line-up and faded into the background. Andreas Christensen eventually took over his role as the team’s defensive pivot.

Hansi Flick liked what he saw

Hansi Flick wanted Oriol Romeu to stay. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)

However, when Hansi Flick took over as Barcelona’s manager, Romeu’s situation shifted. After observing him in the first few training sessions, Flick decided to keep him, recognising the need for a physically strong presence in midfield.

Flick believed that Romeu could still be useful to the team in this role. However, despite the manager’s decision, Romeu was not entirely convinced about staying at the club.

Girona and their manager, Michel, had always left the door open for his return. From a sporting management perspective, letting Romeu go was not seen as a major issue for Barcelona, as it freed up space in the squad.

His eventual return to Girona was agreed upon through a loan move while Barcelona was on their preseason tour in the United States, with Romeu leaving before the tour ended.

Back at Girona, Romeu has quickly regained his role, featuring in all four of their matches this season. He started three games and came off the bench against Osasuna.

However, it must be noted that he won’t be available to face Barcelona this Sunday due to a clause in his loan contract that prevents him from playing against his parent club.