Mourinho eyes shock Chelsea reunion with Barcelona flop

Tom Weber

• Updated: 9 Jan 2024 14:38 GMT
• 3 min read

AS Roma are interested in Barcelona flop Oriol Romeu, according to Italian media.

The defensive midfielder was signed from Girona in the summer to plug the gap left by the departure of Sergio Busquets for Inter Miami. Romeu, however, has underwhelmed and is facing limited game time at Barcelona.

Speculation about his future has abounded in recent weeks, with a return to Girona appearing the most likely scenario for some time. Now, however, new suitors have appeared on the scene: Roma.

According to La Repubblica, Jose Mourinho's Serie A side are keen to land Romeo on a short-term deal should Renato Sanches be recalled from his loan by PSG. Sanches has been a major disappointment in the Italian capital so far and has only made nine appearances in all competitions this term.

Romeo to Roma?

Crucially, Roma boss Jose Mourinho is already familiar with Romeu. The Portuguese coached the Spaniard during his time at Chelsea in the early 2010s and will likely have played a key role in his emergence as a potential target for the Italian side.

Romeo, it is asserted, would be open to departing Barcelona on loan until the end of the season. However, the 32-year-old will again only be a short-term solution to what could prove a long-term problem.

Roma hoped that Renato Sanches could be the successor to Nemanja Matic, who departed for Stade Rennes in the summer, but things haven't panned out that way. Intriguingly, Matic hasn't fared much better in France and reportedly wants out.

Could he be an option again for Roma? At this stage, it seems unlikely as the Serb is said to be keen on a move to Lyon. French media claims that he has already left the Rennes Whatsapp group and emptied his locker in the dressing room, but his club continue to reject Lyon's approaches on principle.