Southampton reject Celta approach for Romeu
Southampton have reportedly told Celta Vigo that they will now be allowing Oriol Romeu to leave the club this month.
According to TalkSport journalist Alex Crook, Celta Vigo contacted Southampton over a deal for Romeu, but the Premier League side are determined to keep him at St. Mary’s.
Twitter: Update on Oriol Romeu: #SaintsFC have received an approach from Celta Vigo but informed them he was not availbale f… https://t.co/Nicj476xhz (@alex_crook)
Crook claims that Romeu is a key member of the squad and not a player Southampton are willing to part ways with in the current transfer window.
READ SOUTHAMPTON VERDICT
Southampton clearly feel as though Romeu is an important member of the squad, because they want to keep him around. I agree with their decision, as he is an experienced head in the middle of the park and a reliable option for Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Romeu is the only midfielder at Southampton who is defensive-minded by nature, as he likes to sit in front of the back four and break up attacks. He closes down gaps between the thirds and presses opposition players into making mistakes. Southampton also only have James Ward-Prowse and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as senior options in central midfield, which means that Romeu is vital in squad rotation going forward.
All in all, keeping him could be a great decision. It means that Southampton retain one of their most experienced players and they have another midfield option to utilise in the Premier League during the second half of the campaign.