The season is long, and so is the list of objectives for FC Barcelona. La Blaugrana are a progressively demanding club, and their aspirations remain as high as ever. Even with their financial problems and limitations, Barcelona continues to aim for greatness and counts on its players to help out.
Unfortunately, not every player can live up to that huge billing. Many players that arrive at FC Barcelona begin to gradually fade away in terms of prominence once the environment and pressure truly start to kick in. As such, it is important to continuously keep the squad active and refreshed.
One of the key players that has recently met the unfortunate end of the stick is Oriol Romeu. The 32-year-old arrived from Girona in the summer in a deal worth around €3.4 million. His arrival was seen as a short-term replacement for Sergio Busquets, who now plays for Inter Miami.
Initially, Romeu was great for Barcelona and Xavi Hernandez. Up until his clumsy performance against Celta Vigo, it seemed that Barcelona had managed to secure a great addition to the team. However, it appears that a decline is the trend that the player has been recently following.
According to AS, this is primarily due to a ‘mental’ block. The player remains gifted in terms of quality and technique, but constant pressure has made him doubt himself. As such, Barcelona are already wary of his progression and have future options in mind.
Martin Zubimendi, aged 24, is a key player for Real Sociedad and a great dream for FC Barcelona. Xavi Hernandez sees him as his ideal pivot and considers him to be his great desire when it comes to recruits. However, his arrival has thus far managed to evade Barcelona primarily due to financial reasons.
While La Blaugrana will continue to try to help out Romeu and bring him back to his best, his age is not exactly a helpful factor either. As such, Zubimendi’s option is one that Barcelona are reportedly prioritizing for the summer of 2024.
Apart from the Spaniard with a €60 million release clause, FC Barcelona are also scouting other options. One that particularly stands out is that of Joshua Kimmich from Bayern Munich. Aged 28, the German midfielder is reportedly unsettled in Bavaria and a change of scenery could be on his mind as well.
