The Southampton board have made the shrewd decision to re-sign club legend, Oriol Romeo, after he became a free-agent in August. The midfielder's contract with Barcelona was terminated after he had been sent out on loan to Girona for the entirety of last season.
Rabrizio Romano announced on 'X' that the 34-year-old Spaniard will undergo medical tests in the next 24 hours and sign a contract until June 2026. Romeu
🚨🔴⚪️ Southampton have agreed to bring back Oriol Romeu to the club after he left Barcelona in August.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 3, 2025
Medical tests today/tomorrow then time to sign contract until June 2026.
It will also include an option to extend until June 2027.
Romeu said yes, as @gerardromero reports. pic.twitter.com/dNPpe2d4Kf
The re-signing of Romeu is intended to bolster the Southampton midfield which has lost Shea Charles to a hamstring injury set to keep him out for at least another six weeks.
Flynn Downes has been suffering from illness meaning that only new signing Caspar Jander is fully fit to play.
Three attributes Romeu has are sorely missing in the squad
Romeu's great assets are the accuracy of his passing and the way that he retains possession even under intense pressure. The third attribute is his leadership and that has been sorely lacking in Still's team.
Romeo played at Southampton under one of the men tipped to become the new manager, Ralph Hasenhüttl. He spent three years under the 'Alpine Klopp' before leaving for Spanish club Girona in 2022.
Not only will Romeu bring his considerable experience to the squad, he will also bring some much needed leadership. He will immediately become the most respected player in the team and a player who will demand more from those around him.
The 34-year-old may not be the same player
Southampton fans must understand that Romeu is not exactly the player that he once was. He only started 17 matches for Girona last season and the fact that he hasn't been signed by a club until now might suggest that the Spaniard's best days are behind him.
However, with young legs around him, Southampton fans could get the best of both worlds. Romeu is a player who can deliver an accurate long pass and really stretch the play. He is in the top 10% of players in La Liga for long ball accuracy, according to fotmob.com.
Some fans might consider this a desperate move by a board even more desperate to appease the fans amid the fury of recent weeks.
It seems unlikely that the move would have been supported by former manager Will Still. Perhaps Still's departure has given the board the green light to make the signing.
As rumours of former players and managers that are supposed to be returning circulate in the press, the obvious links will begin to be made. The dots, when they are all joined up, suggest a future with Hasenhüttl and Romeu reunited at St Mary's.