Barcelona told why Romeu would be the perfect Busquets replacement

Oriol Romeu is being linked with a return to Barcelona this summer to take over from captain Sergio Busquets in midfield.

Barcelona’s interest in the 31-year-old has raised a few eyebrows, but the decision to try to bring Romeu back to the Camp Nou has been backed by a coach who knows him well.

Sergio Lobera, who worked at La Masia between 1999 and 2007, has offered some insight into why Romeu would be a good signing and why he thinks he can replace Busquets.

“I think so. He is a player with the ideal football profile and the necessary mentality to be at the level of a club like Barça. I also think that with a coach like Xavi he could grow a lot,” he said.

“The fact of knowing the club you go to and the years at the base, knowing Barça’s demands in every way, helps. Also in the football aspect, the concepts that he will work with Xavi will not be new to him, he has already acquired them from his formative years at La Masía.

“His return to Barça makes me very excited because he is a player I bet on when I was younger and he has worked hard to achieve his dream, he has worked on it in a spectacular way.”

Lobera also spoke out Romeu’s qualities both on and off the pitch and what he could bring to the team if he did return.

“His competitive spirit and his aggressiveness without the ball. His tactical intelligence to position himself and at the same time the great criteria that he shows with the ball. Oriol also stands out a lot in the success in making decisions on the field,” he added.

“Oriol is always a loved and respected person in the locker room. He is rather introverted and of few words but when he speaks he makes himself heard. He reminds me a lot of Busquets in his way of being. He earns everyone’s respect because he is an example of work, behavior, sacrifice and professionalism.”

Source | Sport

The latest updates have suggested Barca are really keen to re-sign Romeu but don’t want to pay his 8 million euro release clause. It’s thought Romeu would be happy to return too if Barca can agree a deal with Girona.