Ex-Southampton star joins Barcelona - and has £350m release clause in new contract
Former Southampton and Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu completed a bizarre return to Barcelona and a ridiculous £350m release clause has been inserted into his contract
Former Southampton and Chelsea man Oriol Romeu has completed an incredible return to Barcelona - with a ludicrous release clause included in his contract.
The 31-year-old midfielder has made his way back to the Nou Camp after leaving in 2011 where he previously played just one LaLiga game in his first spell.
Romeu moved on to Chelsea, spending four years at Stamford Bridge and forming part of Roberto Di Matteo’s Champions League winning squad in 2012, being an unused substitute in the final.
The Spaniard later joined Southampton in 2015 where he made 256 appearances for the Saints across seven years.
READ MORE: Chelsea prodigy, 18, leaving to join Barcelona is former Eton College student
Romeu returned to Spain last season with Girona and 34 games later he has impressed former team-mate Xavi enough to make a shock return his old club.
The midfielder penned a three-year contract at Barcelona which included a staggering £350million release clause.
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Barca were previously left red-faced by PSG in 2017 when the French club triggered the £190million release clause in Neymar's deal and ever since the Catalans have inserted huge clauses into their player’s contracts to ensure they aren’t caught out again.
But fans on Twitter have joked about Romeu’s absurd clause, with one saying: "The audacity to put that €400m release clause for Spanish Jonjo Shelvey has me in tears.”
A second said: “Barcelona just insert release clauses for fun in their player's contracts. So weird how they arrive to these figures. They would sign a janitor and insert a €500m [clause] in the contract.”
“Barca haven't recovered from PSG triggering Neymar's release clause,” a third quipped.
Although the reason behind a release clause can be explained by LaLiga regulations that require every player in the league to have one, his astronomical fee remains baffling.
Romeu is Barca’s third signing of the summer after Ilkay Gundogan joined from Manchester City on a free transfer and Spain international Inigo Martinez arrived from Athletic Bilbao at the end of his contract.
Xavi won Barca’s first LaLiga title since 2019 last season after they finished 10 points above runners-up rivals Real Madrid.
It’s sure to be an intriguing title race again in Spain after Real added the £88.5million signing of English superstar Jude Bellingham.