The writing was on the wall in pre season for Oriol Romeu and it is with great sadness to hear that Oriol Romeu has now left Saints and joined Girona, it is good to see that the club website has paid tribute rather than a three line announcement.

Oriol Romeu could lay claim to be one of the best Southampton signings of the past 10 years, he was certainly a bargain at only £5 million when he arrived from Chelsea in August 2015.

He went on to start 186 Premier League games for the club plus another 31 off the bench, scoring 7 goals in the process, when you add on appearances in cup competitions he played 256 games in all competitions, scoring 8 goals.

These are stats that should rightly lead him to be considered a club legend, he was one of those players who didn't make many headlines, but just got on quietly with the job.

He did however get the plaudits he deserved in 2016/17 a season in which we reached the League Cup final and finished 8th in the Premier League with his performances earning him both the Fans’ and Players’ Player of the Season awards.

Turning 31 in a few weeks and entering the last year of his contract, it was becoming clear that with the likes of Romeo Lavia arriving and other options in the centre of the park, that his days were becoming numbered, nothing to do with a drop in his standards, just that as part of the process now being fine tuned after the arrival of Sport Republic, it is about moving players on at the right time.

This was probably the case with Oriol, a chance to trim the wage bill and also to perhaps get a small fee from his new club in Spain, Girona.

So thanks Oriol Romeu for 7 great solid seasons for the club, his contributions will be missed, he can truly deserve to be called a club legend and his departure should be acknowledged as such.

Perhaps the final paragraph on the Club's official announcement sums it up perfectly.

"Oriol departs with the very best wishes of everyone at Southampton Football Club, and we would like to express our gratitude to him for his dedication and magnificent efforts both on and off the pitch during his time here. We wish him every success in the future."

I echo that and i am sure that I speak for all Saints supporters in sending him on his way with their thanks and best wishes ringing in his ears.

Photo: Action Images

mattlegod added 13:43 - Sep 1 Really sorry to see Oriol leave SFC, I felt he still had much to offer as he has over the years. You are right,.he certainly goes down as a saints legend. Thanks for being a true professional and giving your all for SFC Oriol, Wishing you all the very best.
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AmericanSaint added 13:53 - Sep 1 Yes, I am sad to see him go as we will lose the steel in our midfield. His professionalism is what the young players need to see, learn and immolate - that alone was worth keeping him for his last year and then let him leave for free as a true sign of gratitude. I know it is not economical but still should have happened. He was such a disruptor and we need to find another like him. I think he probably was the most consistent player we have had over the last 7 years. We should all wish him well and if he ever wants to come back in some coaching capacity, we should have open arms. Best of luck Ori.

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pintsizedsaint added 14:05 - Sep 1 Sad to see him go, a club legend for sure. When he was on form, the whole team performance was lifted. I recall him being integral to our rise to the top of the table during the covid season, and once he was injured, our form dipped.
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PaleRider added 14:07 - Sep 1 I'd love to see him back in some capacity - he was a great servant to the club. However, I always felt that he wasn't the leader that he could have been (same for Bertrand) and that he could have stepped into that role when Fonte left. Nevertheless, without him we would be in the Championship and he let his playing do the talking - one of Saints' unsung heroes.
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codge added 15:41 - Sep 1 Wish him all the best a great team player always gave his best and never heard a word of complaint from him a true professional, good luck Oriol for whatever the future holds you will always be remembered as a Saint and a gentleman.
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saintpete01 added 15:44 - Sep 1 A Truly great servant to SFC always gave his all A great professional all the very best oriol good Luck with Girona
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SaintPaulVW added 16:10 - Sep 1 True pro. Rock solid player. Hope it all works out at Girona for him.
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WestSussexSaint added 16:38 - Sep 1 Echo all the comments above. It seems like it is one of those rare transfers where it works for all parties involved. I just hope he gets a chance to come back to SMS in the near future so the fans can give him a proper goodbye.
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Block8 added 17:41 - Sep 1 Agree with all above comments, would have been nice to give him a proper farewell at St Mary's. At least we can raise the chant against Wolves and Brentford!
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felly1 added 18:15 - Sep 1 Thankyou and the best of luck to Oriel. On his day him and JPW were a brilliant centre mid partnership.
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YosemiteSaint added 18:29 - Sep 1 I've taken heart from recent midfield performances for which Romeu's only been a spectator from the bench. But i think the truth is that he put in many years encouraging us to play this way—quick on the ball, tough in the tackle—and this year he's overseen our transformation from having one such workhorse to an entire stable of them. I'll indeed miss him. At the same time, I think we're paying ample tribute to his example in the way our midfield is currently playing, and we should always remember that he helped pave the way for this. Maybe we can lure him back sometime as a coach.

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Avior added 19:15 - Sep 1 Class act from start to finish
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ItchenNorth added 21:01 - Sep 1 Loved watching Romeu. A player that gave everything. It's a shame he's leaving but it's been 7 years of fantastic service.
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landsdownsaint added 21:17 - Sep 1 I genuinely feel a bit gutted here , I realise that we are going in a different direction but he’s a good guy & a great player , if he had a bit more mobility he’d be world class … see ya Oriol
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ElijahK added 00:13 - Sep 2 What a great player he was! Not only did he help keep us up on many occasions, but he also got us to that EFL Cup final as well as always being a pain for the opponents and giving some of the best strikers from across the world a real tough time! He was as professional as you can get, having always his game head on, never causing any issues, and I still recall that he never got sent off, even though he had a ridiculous number of bookings! Just an amazing player for us, and someone that will never be forgotten and will always be a true saints legend! Good luck to you Oriol, and I hope that you do come back to St Marys so that we can give you a true sendoff, and maybe even a role as a coach one day as you were both amazing on and off the pitch!

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