Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu would reject Barcelona return

Oriol Romeu has no intention of re-joining Barcelona in the near future and is content with life in the Southampton first-team despite the club occupying a place in the Premier League's relegation zone.

The former Spain youth international was subject to interest last summer from Barca, who made their interest known in re-signing the La Masia product to supplement their midfield, according to Marca.

Just five months previous to those reports Romeu signed a new contract at Southampton until 2021 and several weeks later ruled out a second spell at Barcelona after The Sun claimed he was being lined up as a future replacement for Sergio Busquets.

He told The Daily Echo in March 2017: "Being linked with the club is always something nice but, luckily, I've been at Chelsea and Barcelona and haven't played and I don't want to be there again and I don't want to have this feeling [of not playing].

"I'm feeling very happy here [at Saints] and I won't give this away.

"The club has given me a massive welcome since the beginning, signing a new contract in January, and this support and confidence they have given me is something that no one has done before.

"I feel very pleased for that and I wouldn't say I've just stopped here, I'm very pleased with what they've done for me and I just want to give this love back."

And 11 months on that stance does not appear to have changed following a season in which Romeu has reached a century of appearances for Saints, who are battling at the foot of the Premier League.

Mauricio Pellegrino's side are a point from safety but despite their perilous position Romeu would prefer to be playing regular football than being part of Barcelona's second string.

"Nothing reached me," the 26-year-old said, according to Goal.com. "Yes, I heard some comment that they needed players there and various names were considered, but they never contacted me or my agent. They probably didn't see me as an option.

"To go to a big club to be in the second tier [of players], I don't know if I would accept it. I don't enjoy [it], what I want is to play. I don't think that at Barca I could have been a starting player, it's like that and you have to be aware of the options that one has."