Barcelona veteran opens up on his hard work to make it to the top – ‘Cost me a lot’

Oriol Romeu may have started the season with Barcelona in good touch and earned praise from far and wide. However, his downfall was as rapid as his ascent to prominence.

A series of subpar performances saw Romeu crash out of favour under Xavi and he soon lost his status as a starter for the Catalans. His minutes, to this day, are limited to short cameos off the bench and his future is more uncertain than ever.

The Spanish midfielder spoke about a number of topics during a recent interaction with RAC 1 including his future and lack of continuity at the club among other topics.

As part of the same interview, Romeu revealed that playing for Barcelona was always his dream and how he was living the same under Xavi.

“Barcelona asked me and it was my life’s dream. When I was a young child, playing for Barcelona was what I always wanted.”

The defensive midfielder then went on to reveal that he has had to work hard throughout his career to take progressive steps and weighed his past against one of Barcelona’s prodigies.

“Everything I did cost me a lot. I’m not Pedri who has natural talent, but day by day I learned a lot.”

When Romeu arrived, many expected him to right away fill the shoes left vacant by Sergio Busquets and he copped a lot of criticism online from some fans as a result.

“They’re not nice, but I’m not paying attention,” he said about the criticism.

“It was difficult for me to overcome the moments when I disappointed my teammates or the coach.”

Addressing his contractual situation at Barcelona and what the future held for him, Romeu insisted that he would prioritise what was best for all parties involved when pressed to make a decision.

“I still have two more years. In my contract, I am comfortable and I will look at everything that is on the table, what convinces me and what is best for everyone.”

Finally, he was quizzed on where Spanish clubs including Barcelona stand when compared to top Premier League sides, to which he said,

“English teams are very strong, such as Arsenal or Manchester City, and superior in Europe, but certainly we and Real Madrid can compete with them, I am convinced.”

In 23 appearances and ten starts for the Blaugranas this season, Romeu has provided one assist and created three big chances in addition to five defensive actions per game.

A departure in June is on the cards, especially given Barcelona’s desire to rope in a new midfielder.