Barcelona midfielder unlikely to leave amid Turkey interest, but summer exit possible

Earlier today, reports emerged claiming that FC Barcelona midfielder Oriol Romeu had emerged as a transfer target for Turkish club Besiktas.

It was claimed that the Turkish outfit had already tabled a formal offer for the Spaniard and that negotiations were ongoing between all parties over a transfer.

Romeu signed for Barcelona only last summer, arriving in a deal worth less than €4 million. After a positive start, the former Chelsea and Girona midfielder has seen his stature decline in the squad.

Romeu exit unlikely

Despite his reduced prominence in manager Xavi Hernandez’s plans, Romeu is unlikely to leave Barcelona this month, reports SPORT.

It is true that the ex-Southampton man has fallen well off the radar of late and does not even enter into regular rotations during matches.

However, letting Romeu leave would not do much good for Barça in terms of Fair Play margin, unless it is for a big transfer fee. In such a scenario, the La Liga champions would not be able to sign a replacement, leaving the midfield department weakened.

Besiktas’ offer for Romeu is likely to be a low one and would not be very useful for the Catalans, as a result of which an exit looks unlikely.

Summer departure could be a reality

The report further adds that Romeu himself is not looking to leave Barcelona in January as he believes he will get his opportunities in the games to come.

Even if he does not, the likelihood of him having more suitors in the summer is greater, with the report suggesting that Romeu’s former club Girona, and some teams in the Premier League are keeping tabs on him.

As such, a summer exit could be a possibility if Romeu’s situation does not improve. But, for now, he will not be leaving for Besiktas.