AS Roma following Barcelona midfielder to replace Renato Sanches in the winter – report

Barcelona’s main goal in the coming summer transfer window will be to finally offload as many as they can that are not part of Xavi’s project, and are likely hindering the growth of the squad.

The Catalans will hope to get some amount of money for these players, who are surplus to requirements, while also possibly offloading an important player in the starting lineup, like Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde, or Raphinha.

Basically, the general idea is that there will be no outgoings in the winter because the squad is already running awfully thin, and Xavi cannot afford to lose any more players if the club wants to compete in all four competitions it is a part of.

Romeu on his way out already?

However, it seems they could be tempted, with a report relayed by Mundo Deportivo stating that AS Roma are keeping tabs on Barcelona’s Oriol Romeu, and could make a move for him in the coming winter window.

They seek Romeu’s services to replace Renato Sanches, who will seems to be on his way to Besiktas in the middle of his loan deal. The Portuguese has not been important for Jose Mourinho at all, who seems to not want to pursue his services on a full-term basis.

Romeu’s departure will likely not help Barcelona in any way, though, as the Roman outfit will likely pursue his signing on loan, paying only a part of his salary.

Romeu has not had the most impressive season, either. He started his Barcelona tenure well, but his performances have seen a steady decline since the campaign started, and he was expected to be on his way out in the summer.

Barcelona’s long-term goal

That is when Barcelona will be hoping to sign a pivot that actually meets their needs, and not another player who can function as a stop-gap.

The likes of Joshua Kimmich, Arthur Vermeeren, Guido Rodriguez, and Martin Zubimendi among several others are on the Catalans’ radar, but no concrete progress has been made to pursue any one of their targets.