Southampton have announced the signing of Southampton legend Oriol Romeu today. Romeu joins as a free agent and has signed a contract until the end of the season.
Romeu made 256 appearances in seven years as a Saints player and his return has been met with positivity from the fans.
The Spaniard was a key player in the team that recorded Saints highest Premier League finish in 2016 and qualified for the Europa League group stages.
Spells at Spansh La Liga clubs Barcelona and Girona followed in which Romeu played 37 times for the Spanish giants.
Welcome home Oriol...you don't owe the fans anaything
Romeu is delighted to be back at St Mary's and barely controlled his excitement, speaking to the official Southampton website.
“I'm really happy, really excited. I'm willing to help from the first day.“
"The fact that I'm coming back probably speaks by itself," said Romeu, who had spells with both Girona and Barcelona after his initial seven-year stay with Southampton ended in 2022. "I was happy here. I enjoyed my period at the club. I grew as a player and as a person. It made me more mature in all aspects of life.
"Now that I've had also another experience back in my home country, being able to come back here, which I also feel like home in a way, it's great. This club has had a real impact in myself. The feeling is, as long as I can, I want to help and I want to be involved because I feel like I owe something to them as well."
Romeu's emotional special connection gives hope
Johannes Spors was very direct about Romeu's influence. After describing the Spaniard's “special connection with the club“ Spors went on to explain how Romeu understands the importance of his influence off the pitch.
To be frank, the attitude of the senior players at Southampton has been poor this season. Having Romeu in the dressing room and around the training pitch can only be a good thing.
The player is well respected and senior to other players in the squad. He commands respect and is the type of player to stand up and be counted.
Romeu will not shy away from a confrontation and will give underperforming players the rocket that they need at times.
Any thoughts that Romeu is only in the squad to make up the numbers should be dismissed immediately. He still has plenty to offer and will give it everything he has.
This could be Johannes Spors' masterstroke
This could be Johannes Spors masterstroke. Romeu will, he insists, “play a vital role in terms of the culture we want to instil throughout the squad.“
The message could not be any clearer. Spors is not happy with the current culture in the squad and he needed to do something about it. He's done that. Now find us the right manager!
Three points won at QPR yesterday gives the club a platform from which to start fighting back. The re-signing of Romeu can only help.