Within Barcelona’s ranks, there’s little talk of resolving the outstanding issues before the start of the new season, as the club’s management seeks to restructure under new coach Hansi Flick. The atmosphere at Camp Nou is tense, especially after reports that tough decisions are being made behind the scenes regarding the futures of several key players.
While expectations suggest the possibility of bringing in a new signing should a tempting opportunity arise, the focus has now shifted to a more pressing matter: offloading unwanted contracts and reducing the club’s ballooning wage bill.
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Among the names strongly considered for departure is Oriol Romeu, the veteran midfielder who has failed to impress the German coach since his return to Barcelona. According to sources close to the club, Flick has made it clear that Romeu is not part of his technical plans for next season and has even asked the club to quickly decide his fate before the start of the preseason tour in Asia.
The decision appears irreversible, especially since the coach explicitly confirmed that he would not offer any new opportunities to players returning from loan spells, such as Clément Lenglet and Álex Valle, who have already secured contracts with Atlético Madrid and Como, respectively.
Conversely, although Barcelona’s management has opened the door to a move for Oriol Romeu, the player has not yet received any official offers, despite a low asking price of no more than €3 million. With the season fast approaching, both Joan Laporta and Deco have begun seriously considering the possibility of terminating the player’s contract via a free transfer.
Under this proposal, Romeu would be free to sign with any club without a transfer fee, in exchange for waiving his remaining salary, which runs until 2026. This move could quietly bring his Camp Nou career to an end, while also reflecting Flick’s firm stance on reshaping the squad.
Barcelona is preparing its midfield for a younger generation… and the roles are shifting. Flick has young and ready-made alternatives in defensive midfield—most notably Frenkie de Jong, Marc Casadó, and Marc Bernal—making Romeu’s continued presence tactically unnecessary. Furthermore, the player’s unconvincing performances since his arrival from Girona have not helped persuade the coaching staff to retain him in the squad.
