Spanish Midfielder Romeu Returns to Barcelona on Three-Year Deal 

Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu attends a training session at the Joan Gamper training ground in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona, on July 19, 2023. (AFP)
Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu attends a training session at the Joan Gamper training ground in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona, on July 19, 2023. (AFP)
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Spanish Midfielder Romeu Returns to Barcelona on Three-Year Deal 

Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu attends a training session at the Joan Gamper training ground in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona, on July 19, 2023. (AFP)
Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu attends a training session at the Joan Gamper training ground in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona, on July 19, 2023. (AFP)

Barcelona has re-signed former academy player Oriol Romeu from Girona with the midfielder signing a three-year deal, the LaLiga champions said on Wednesday.

Romeu came through Barca's youth academy and made his senior team debut in 2010 before moving to Chelsea a year later. The 31-year-old also had loan spells at Valencia and Stuttgart before spending seven years at Southampton.

He spent a year at Girona where he was a crucial figure clocking up more than 3,000 minutes to guide them to 10th before making his return to Barca, with 20-year-old midfielder Pablo Torre moving the other way on loan.

"Romeu has great experience and knows the club from his previous spell as a blaugrana and the style of play Xavi Hernandez wants to impress on his team," Barca said in a statement.

"The midfielder has shown what he can do in LaLiga and will look to perform right from the off."

The club have inserted a buyout clause of 400 million euros ($449.12 million) in his contract.

Romeu is Barca's fourth signing in the close season after Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez while Vitor Roque will join the club next year.



Saka Says This Is Arsenal’s Year after Back-to-Back Premier League Misses

Arsenal's English midfielder #07 Bukayo Saka applauds the fans following during the UEFA Champions League football match between Arsenal and Paris St Germain (PSG) at the Emirates Stadium in north London on October 1, 2024. (AFP)
Arsenal's English midfielder #07 Bukayo Saka applauds the fans following during the UEFA Champions League football match between Arsenal and Paris St Germain (PSG) at the Emirates Stadium in north London on October 1, 2024. (AFP)
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Saka Says This Is Arsenal’s Year after Back-to-Back Premier League Misses

Arsenal's English midfielder #07 Bukayo Saka applauds the fans following during the UEFA Champions League football match between Arsenal and Paris St Germain (PSG) at the Emirates Stadium in north London on October 1, 2024. (AFP)
Arsenal's English midfielder #07 Bukayo Saka applauds the fans following during the UEFA Champions League football match between Arsenal and Paris St Germain (PSG) at the Emirates Stadium in north London on October 1, 2024. (AFP)

Arsenal can go all the way and end their 21-year wait for a Premier League title this season, winger Bukayo Saka said after his side beat Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Arsenal finished runners-up in 2022-23 and took the Premier League title race to the final day last season before once again finishing second behind Manchester City.

The north London side are in the mix this season, sitting third in the league standings, and their impressive victory over French heavyweights PSG underlined their title credentials, with Kai Havertz and Saka scoring in the match.

"I don't want to put too much pressure on us, but I do think that this is the year (that we can win the title)," Saka told CBS Sports.

"I think we've been close the last two years and we're getting closer, but this hopefully will be the year."

Saka, who has established himself as a key player at Arsenal and was their top-scorer in the Premier League last season, said the club's near misses had left him hungry for success.

"Previous years, I've come runners-up a lot. It's just that spirit in me that I want to win this season and of course, I believe in myself a lot," the 23-year-old told Amazon Prime.

"With those two things, it helps. We believe in ourselves, we believe we're a top team. We showed that tonight (against PSG). I did tell the boys we have to make a statement when big teams are coming to the Emirates."

Arsenal next host 19th-placed Southampton in a league match on Saturday.