It has been a tough few weeks for Oriol Romeu, who has come under fire of late for his performances for Barcelona. He struggled against Porto on Wednesday, which led to Xavi Hernandez dropping him from the side that disappointingly drew against Granada on Sunday.
Despite this, Romeu continues to have the full support of those within the Catalan club, and especially Xavi, as reported by Marca. The 32-year-old had a strong start to the season, and he has been backed to return to those levels after the international break.
On top of this, Barcelona do not intend to sign another pivot in January, which would have meant reduced game time for Romeu during the second half of the season. The club’s finances have very little margin, and do not allow for the possibility of a new signing.
However, Barcelona are likely to address the situation next summer. Sporting Director Deco wants to sign a young pivot who can act as a long-term successor to Romeu, while another senior option may also be brought in. Real Betis’ Guido Rodriguez, whose contract expires at the end of the season, has been linked in recent weeks.