Southampton's Romeu signs new pact until 2021

In the midst of a career-defining season at Southampton, midfielder Oriol Romeu has signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract that will keep him at St Mary's until 2021.

The Saints recruited the Spaniard from Chelsea in 2015 after loan spells at Valencia and Stuttgart. He graduated from Barcelona's La Masia in 2011 before making the initial move to England.

He is now a keystone in Southampton's midfield, having made 30 starts for the south coast club by the halfway point of the campaign.

"I couldn't be any happier to have this new contract with the club," Romeu said in a statement Tuesday. "Ever since I came here I have felt very, very good. Everything has been positive for me. I have developed myself and been getting better every day."

When Victor Wanyama switched Southampton for Tottenham last summer, Romeu finally had the chance to make the club's midfield his.

Considering manager Claude Puel's playing days as a deep-lying midfielder, the Frenchman has a special rapport with Romeu.

Puel admitted Romeu is a more "technical" player than he ever was, and the stats prove it. No one on Southampton has made more passes in the Premier League this season than the 25-year-old, who also leads the club in successful tackles.

Romeu and his teammates look to book a spot in the EFL Cup final Wednesday when they face Liverpool with a 1-0 advantage on aggregate.