Turkish giants keen on signing Barcelona midfielder, star uninterested in switch - Reports
Barcelona midfielder Oriol Romeu is attracting interest from Turkish giants Besiktas ahead of the summer, according to Catalan newspaper SPORT.
The La Liga giants roped in Romeu from Girona for €3.4 million last summer in an attempt to bolster their options in defensive midfield. He established himself as a regular under Xavi, making 14 league appearances (nine starts) in the first half of the season.
However, Romeu has seen his prominence in the team diminish since the turn of the year. The former Chelsea midfielder has been restricted to just one start in La Liga since January, with Ilkay Gundogan and Andreas Christensen preferred ahead of him.
While Romeu's contract with Barcelona does not expire until 2026, a transfer could be on the cards for him this summer. It appears he will not be short of options if he decides to the club at the end of the season.
According to the aforementioned source, Besiktas are interested in taking the former Southampton star to Turkey. The Super Lig club were linked with a move for the veteran in the winter transfer window and have reportedly continued to keep tabs on him.
There were suggestions that Besiktas were willing to fork out a fee above €3 million for Romeu. However, they will attempt to negotiate a lower sum this time around, as per the report. The player, meanwhile, is not keen on the switch.
Romeu prefers to stay in Spain if he decides to leave Barcelona. A return to Girona cannot be ruled out as the City Football Group-owned club recently admitted that they would like to have him back.
What Girona said about taking Oriol Romeu back from Barcelona
Girona signed Oriol Romeu from Southampton for €5.5 million in 2022. The midfielder quickly established himself as a key player for the Catalan outfit, making 34 appearances across competitions. His performances prompted Barcelona to snap him up just one year later.
Despite losing one of their best players, Girona are currently having the best season of their history. They are placed third in La Liga with 65 points from 30 games, sitting just two points behind Barca.
With Champions League football well within their reach, Girona can imagine bringing Romeu back to the club. In an interview with Diari de Girona in November, sporting director Quique Carcel left the door open for the midfielder to return. He said:
"Personally, I would like it (Romeu's return) one hundred percent."
It remains to be seen if another switch between Catalan clubs is on the cards for Romeu.