End of Season Player Review: Oriol Romeu

In 29 games, Oriol Romeu scored once and assisted zero times. But that's a nothing stat, completely meaningless. Oriol Romeu's activity and role was all about what he did defensively in the midfield and defensive third.

Romeu, who was bought on the cheap from Chelsea because of no game time, was brought on to provide cover in the defensive midfield behind Jordy Clasie and Victor Wanyama. Fans were actually excited about this signing, but nobody could've imagined the actual solid impact he would provide.

Romeu is quite strong like Wanyama, but he is also unfortunately fairly reckless, especially early on, like the Kenyan. Whenever the midfield needed beefing up, a simple Romeu for Clasie swap would do the trick and Saints wouldn't skip a beat. He can body up to the biggest guys in the league, and can overpower any opponent to win a ball.

He makes strong tackles, averaging a full tackle a game more than Wanyama, and two more than Clasie. He comes in a bit strong sometimes, so fingers crossed he never turns into another Big Vic with the disciplinary problems.

His passing is actually not bad. He isn't the most creative player, but rarely did I get worried when he controlled the ball, and was impressed several times at him switching the field with long-balls. He finished the Premier League season with a passing percentage at an 85% rate.

Overall, I was left extremely impressed with Romeu, and think he can definitely be a future star in the midfield. His time will probably come next year, depending on the new manager's tactics and philosophy, but rest assured, he is around and can be of use.

SMM FINAL GRADE: 7/10

SMM Summary: Differing opinions on Romeu's future. Some think he could be a starter and fill in for Wanyama, others are content with him as a squad player. Either way, his price tag has already been justified, and any more success is only icing on the cake. Great player for the future, and the extra games in Europe.