Barcelona confirm loan exit for midfield outcast | OneFootball

Barcelona have confirmed midfielder Oriol Romeu has returned to former club Girona on loan for the 2024/25 season.

After finding a home at Southampton having spent five years on the books at Chelsea, the Spaniard returned to his homeland with Girona for the 2022/23 campaign but soon returned to his boyhood club on a three-year contract.

Romeu played 37 times in all competitions during the 2023/24 season but has since been deemed surplus to requirements and allowed to return to the City Football Group side for the upcoming term.

He is the latest arrival at Estadi Montilivi, with Girona also securing deals for Donny van de Beek and Bryan Gil among others so far during the summer transfer window. Their side that shocked La Liga as they qualified for the Champions League is likely to look fairly different during the 2024/25 campaign after some key exits.

Romeu has left Barca on loan / Alex Caparros/GettyImages

Yan Couto and Savio have departed, while Eric Garcia and Pablo Torre have returned to Barca from their loans. Striker Artem Dovbyk, who won the Pichichi Trophy with 24 league goals last season, has also made the move to Serie A outfit Roma.

Barca have so far been unable to secure any incoming transfers despite making Euro 2024 stars Nico Williams and Dani Olmo major targets in recent months.

Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix face uncertain futures after their loan spells in Catalonia came to an end, while Marcos Alonso and Sergi Roberto left the club after their contracts expired.

Hansi Flick did, however, manage to lead Barca to a morale-boosting victory over Real Madrid in a recent pre-season Clasico. Young winger Pau Victor struck twice as a youthful side downed Carlo Ancelotti's La Liga and Champions League holders.