Oriol Romeu is very close to ending his relationship with FC Barcelona. The native of Ulldecona already has options for his next destination, both inside and outside of Spain. With this, the azulgrana club is finalizing details to be able to make the remaining registrations. Gerard Martín would be registered thanks to his departure.
Romeu, since his return from Girona, has been training separately at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, waiting to resolve his contractual situation, since his contract expires in the summer of 2026 and he is not taken into account by Hansi Flick either.
What clubs are interested in Romeu?
In that sense, knowing that the azulgrana club will not count on the Catalan midfielder for this season, several clubs from LaLiga and abroad have been interested in the services of the midfielder.
Girona and Galatarasay were some of the first clubs that sounded like alternatives for Oriol in recent weeks. However, in recent days Real Betis, Sevilla and Real Oviedo have appeared.
In addition, the native of Ulldecona would also have an offer from the MLS, an alternative that would radically change his career, since he has never played outside of Europe in his extensive football career (he played in England and Germany).
In any case, none of the aforementioned clubs would be willing to offer money to Barça for the transfer of Romeu. First, because of his age (33 years old) and poor performance in 24/25 (he faced physical problems that diminished his performance).
In addition to this, the footballer enters his last year of contract, with which he will have the possibility of negotiating as a free agent from January 1. Hence the azulgrana team is evaluating giving him a letter of freedom to free up salary margin with his file (the midfielder receives about 3.5 million gross annually).
Oriol Romeu's departure, key to registering Gerard Martín
From the sports management they know that time is running very fast and the deadline, September 1, to be able to register players is approaching. One of the keys to unlock the mess with the registrations is to resolve the departure of Oriol Romeu.
One of the options contemplated by the culé board was to renew the one from Ulldecona to send him back on loan to another club. However, this alternative seems to have been discarded, since it would involve continuing to pay part of his salary. With the termination of the contract, yes, Barça must negotiate financial compensation with the midfielder for the season that remains.
In any case, his departure will allow the registration of Gerard Martín. The full-back played last season with a reserve team card, but having turned 23 he can no longer continue playing with a card from Atlètic. For this reason, the defender was on the sidelines in the first two league games, as were Wojciech Szczesny and Roony Bardghji.
Similarly, Barça is not only working on the departure of Romeu, but also on that of Iñaki Peña. The Alicante goalkeeper could close a renewal with Barça and go on loan to Elche, this would allow the registration of Wojciech Szczesny as second goalkeeper for 25/26.
The third on the departure ramp is Héctor Fort. The right-back is aiming to go abroad, like Iñaki, through a loan prior to contract renewal. Unlike Oriol, the defender and the goalkeeper are young players with an interesting projection, with which the azulgrana team prioritizes retaining control of their sports rights.
The registration situation must be resolved as soon as possible so that Hansi Flick can have all his players for the third matchday of LaLiga EA Sports 25/26 against Rayo Vallecano next Sunday, August 31 at 9:30 p.m. in Vallecas.