Oriol Romeu

Oriol Romeu Vidal (Spanish pronunciation: [oˈɾjol roˈmew]; born 24 September 1991) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for EFL Championship club Southampton.

Romeu began his career at Barcelona, playing mainly in their reserves at Barcelona B. In 2011, he joined Chelsea for €5 million, spending time on loan at Valencia and VfB Stuttgart before moving to Southampton four years later. He played 256 times for Southampton during his first spell with the club. Romeu joined Girona in 2022 before returning to Barcelona in July 2023. He spent the 2024–25 season on loan at former club Girona. Romeu rejoined Southampton in November 2025.

Romeu represented Spain up to under-21 level, and was part of their under-17 team which won the 2008 European Championship. He also played for the country at the 2012 Olympics.

Club career

Barcelona

Born in Ulldecona, Tarragona, Catalonia, Romeu started his career at his local side CF Ulldecona. He arrived in Barcelona's youth academy in 2004, from neighbours Espanyol, and progressed through the club's youth academy until breaking into the reserve team. Manager Pep Guardiola handed him his first appearance for the senior side in a friendly against Kuwaiti team Kazma SC, and subsequently included him in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup which took place in Abu Dhabi.

Romeu was included in the nineteen-man Barcelona squad on 13 August 2010, due to the need to rest some of Barcelona's Spanish internationals. He was to face Sevilla in the first leg of the season's Spanish Supercup. He made his official competitive debut in that game, playing the full ninety minutes in the 1–3 away loss.