After the departure of a unicorn like Sergio Busquets last summer, Barcelona needed to bring in a midfielder who could minimize the impact of this loss on the team.
Owing to their weak finances, the Catalans were unable to bring in a top-class replacement and had to settle on Oriol Romeu to play as their midfield pivot.
After impressing in a few early games, Romeu started struggling to keep up with the demands of Xavi Hernandez and gradually saw himself receding into the background.
On the other hand, the team that he had left to play for Barcelona, Girona, had a memorable season for themselves as they put up a challenge for the league title, and ultimately qualified for the UCL at the end of the season.
As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the midfielder was asked how he saw his move to Barcelona in hindsight, and if this transfer has been worth it. To this, Romeu admitted that “It’s a question I’ve asked myself many days and at many moments.”
However, he went on to express that he does not regret making this decision: “The opportunity to come to Barça came at a time when I was in great shape, with the potential to be an important player, and I probably would have made the same decision.”
The midfielder also gave his opinion on what he believed to have gone wrong for him during the last season:
“I think the physical aspect wasn’t what I would have liked during the season, and I haven’t reacted as well mentally to setbacks or poor performances. I overthink things, regardless of whether they’re going well or badly, but maybe I’ve given things a bit more importance than they deserved.”
Romeu played 37 games for Barcelona last season, which is not entirely bad, but started only 17 of these games. Thus, he ranked 12th in the ranking of appearances, but for minutes, he stood 19th in the team. His future at Barcelona is still uncertain, with a return to Girona still a possibility.