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.



Moutet Smashes Racket in Front of Jeering Crowd as Injury Ends Madrid Run

Aug 31, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Corentin Moutet of France hits a shot against Botic van De Zandschulp of the Netherlands on day three of the 2022 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Corentin Moutet of France hits a shot against Botic van De Zandschulp of the Netherlands on day three of the 2022 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
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Moutet Smashes Racket in Front of Jeering Crowd as Injury Ends Madrid Run

Aug 31, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Corentin Moutet of France hits a shot against Botic van De Zandschulp of the Netherlands on day three of the 2022 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Corentin Moutet of France hits a shot against Botic van De Zandschulp of the Netherlands on day three of the 2022 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Corentin Moutet was booed off the court after smashing his racket and retiring midway through the second set of his first-round match against fellow Frenchman Harold Mayot at the Madrid Open.
Trailing 3-6, 2-3 on Wednesday, Moutet smashed his racket in frustration after losing a point, Reuters reported. He walked to his chair to get a new one but, after what seemed like an exchange of words with the jeering crowd, headed to the umpire to signal his retirement.
The 26-year-old later said on X that he had been struggling with a lingering back injury throughout the match.
"I went to do an MRI directly after my match I’m still waiting for the result," Moutet wrote on X after the match. "I wanted to try today but I didn’t know that it would be that bad."
"My back didn’t allow me to do much. I hope to be back soon on the court. All the best to my opponent for the rest of the tournament."