Turkish giants eyeing move for Barcelona midfielder - Reports
Turkish side Besiktas are reportedly contemplating a deal for Barcelona midfielder Oriol Romeu in the ongoing January transfer window.
Romeu, 32, has contributed an assist in 21 games across competitions. He came in this summer as a replacement for the legendary Sergio Busquets, who joined Inter Miami on a free transfer.
However, Romeu is not in manager Xavi's preferred first XI and has struggled for game time. He has a deal with the Blaugrana till 2026, but his search for regular football could see him exit the club this month. The player hasn't started a La Liga game since December and did not do so in the recent Supercopa campaign.
As per Sercan Dikme of Sports Digitale, Besiktas have sent an offer to Barca for Romeu's services, kickstarting formal negotiations. However, with Gavi suffering a season-ending ACL injury and the side's squad depth being low, the Blaugrana might not sanction Romeu's departure.
Dikme's tweet reads (as translated from Turkish):
"EXCLUSIVE | Beşiktaş made an official offer for Oriol Romeu, who plays for Barcelona. @SportsDigitale. Oriol Romeu Vidal, who Xavi does not plan to give time to except the Copa del Rey matches, is willing to leave the team. Negotiations continue."
Xavi's side are in the midst of an inconsistent campaign. After starting brightly, they have fallen off the pace in the La Liga title race, trailing leaders Real Madrid (52) by eight points but have a game in hand.
What's next for Barcelona?
Despite their league travails, Barcelona are alive in two other competitions, though.
Next up, Barca play at Athletic Club in their Copa del Rey quarterfinal on Wednesday (January 23). The Blaugrana have won their last two games across competitions since losing 4-1 to Real Madrid in the Supercopa final in Riyadh a week earlier.
Meanwhile, in the UEFA Champions League, Barca take on reigning Serie A champions Napoli in the Round of 16 next month. Earlier, Xavi's side narrowly topped their group after finishing level on points with Porto following a matchday six loss at previously winless Royal Antwerp.