TA: Southampton is close to signing Romeu, who has a contract until the end of the season with a one-year extension option

Hupu November 03 According to "The Athletic" report, Southampton is close to signing free agent and veteran defensive midfielder Romeu. The 34-year-old former Barcelona and Stuttgart player is currently out of contract and the two sides are negotiating a deal until the end of the season with an option for a one-year extension.

Romeu terminated his contract with Barcelona this summer so that he can freely find a new home before the winter window opens in January. It is reported that he is about to leave for the UK to undergo a medical examination arranged by Southampton. The Championship club recently sacked coach Will Still.

Although Southampton invested approximately 56 million euros in signings in the summer window, Southampton only accumulated 12 points in the first 13 rounds of the British Championship, ranking 21st, and only 3 points away from the relegation zone.

If the deal is reached, this will be an important return to Romeu's career. He played 256 times for Southampton from 2015 to 2022, making him the longest-serving club in his career. He then moved to Girona and returned to his parent team Barcelona in 2023 with a transfer fee of 3.4 million euros.

Romeu's current market valuation is about 800,000 euros. Although it is far lower than the peak price of 12 million euros he created in 2018 (when playing for Southampton), he is still one of the most valuable free agents in the same position.