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Southampton completes signing of midfielder Oriol Romeu from Chelsea

Reuters

Southampton has completed the signing of Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu from Chelsea, the club confirmed Wednesday.

The 23-year-old joins the Saints on a three-year deal, after spending the last four years on a series of loans from parent club Chelsea. Now, Romeu has been sold on a permanent basis. He links up with another Chelsea youth product, Ryan Bertrand, who also signed with Southampton this season.

"It's very good to be a part of this club," Romeu told the Saints' official website. "I was looking for a good club and for something new in my career. After spending two years on loan, I needed something permanent and a club with a future - and I think I chose the right one.

"Southampton are doing the right things in the last few years and, once they came to me and asked me to come here, from the first day I was hoping to come. Now I just want to keep going and to keep developing as a player, and I'm looking forward to start playing as soon as possible."

Club executive director of football Les Reed was equally pleased with the signing, citing Romeu's history as a "prominent figure" in Chelsea's 2011-12 roster as a reason for his optimism.

"Oriol is a player we have had on the radar for some time," Reed said. "Like Ryan Bertrand, we believe we have recruited another Chelsea player with an excellent pedigree but also with lots of potential to develop."

Romeu is a defensive midfielder who's picked up youth international caps for Spain at every level. He joined Chelsea from Barcelona in 2011 but failed to establish himself in a midfield consisting of the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matic, and Ramires.

But, after selling Morgan Schneiderlin to Manchester United, Southampton was in need of a central defensive midfielder, and Reed says Romeu fits that bill to a T.

"He is another player who matches the Southampton profile," Reed said. "He is young and hungry, has been developed at a top academy and has already played at the highest level with plenty more to come.

"He will complement the qualities we already have among our squad and provide another level of competition for selection."

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