Hansi Flick has made it clear that there won't be room in his project for those who aren't part of his plans. During preseason, the German coach has made important decisions to define the group he will work with for the upcoming season. That includes definitively pointing out certain footballers who will have to look for a new destination.
Barça has traveled this week to start its Asian tour, an event that marks the real beginning of the 2025-2026 project. Almost all first-team members have traveled there, including young players like Roony Bardghji and Marc Bernal, as well as established players. However, the absence of one squad member has been especially revealing.
Hansi Flick's "discard"
Oriol Romeu has been the only first-team player completely left out of the international tour. The midfielder has stayed in Barcelona working alone, a decision that, according to internal sources, amounts to a definitive sentence: Flick doesn't count on him and his departure is imminent.
Romeu has always kept a professional attitude since his arrival from Girona. Even last season, when he lost prominence, he didn't create conflicts. However, his exclusion from the tour without being injured makes it clear that he isn't part of the coach's plans.
The measure is also interpreted as a message from the club to speed up his departure, just as has happened with other discards in recent years.
A departure that will accelerate in the coming days
While the team is in Asia for preseason, Romeu is training with fitness coaches at Ciutat Esportiva, waiting to define his future. His agent is already negotiating with the club for an amicable termination of his contract, which ends in 2026, and the operation is expected to include a financial agreement for the pending salary.
Girona, his previous team, appears to be the most likely destination, although it's not the only club interested in La Liga. Flick wants to close this chapter as soon as possible to make room for the players who will be part of the project. The expectation is that the departure will be finalized within days, bringing Romeu's brief spell as a blaugrana to an end.
Being left out of the Asian tour has been the final blow. For Flick, the decision is irreversible: Oriol Romeu won't wear Barça's jersey again in an official match. Now, the goal for the player and the club is to find a destination where he can regain prominence and close this stage in an orderly manner.