Southampton announced on their official website on Saturday that former Barcelona Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu has rejoined the club on a free transfer.

According to the EFL Championship club's official statement, Romeu has only signed on a short-term contract that runs until the end of the season, and he will wear the number 28 jersey.

After completing his joining procedures, Romeu, who spoke to the Southampton official website again, said: "I'm really happy and excited. I want to contribute as much as I can from day one."

"I feel very lucky to be back in every way, and I'm also very motivated to give my all."

"I can feel the respect and love from inside and outside the club, and even the whole city. It feels very special. I'm only grateful for it, and I'm eager to repay that love with great games, outstanding performances, professionalism, and respect. That's my goal now, because when people give me this kind of feedback, it means a lot, and you just want to give back that love."

"My choice to return is..." "My appearance speaks for itself. I had a great time here and really enjoyed my time at the club. Not only did my skills improve, but I also grew as a person. This experience made me more mature in every way."

"Now, I'm back home, having a new experience. Being able to come back here, in a way, feels like home, it feels great."

"This club has had a profound impact on me. As long as I can, I want to continue to help the team and be involved, because I feel I owe them something."

About Oriol Romeu

Oriol Romeu, 34, was born on September 24, 1991, in Ulldecona, Catalonia, Spain. He is 1.83 meters tall and plays as a defensive midfielder.

Romeu joined the youth academy of his hometown club Ulldecona at the age of 5, and the Espanyol youth academy at the age of 10. In 2004, he moved to Barcelona's renowned La Masia youth academy and began playing for the Barça reserve team at the end of August 2010.

In August 2010, Romeu completed his Barcelona first-team debut by coming on in Supercopa de España match against Sevilla, and subsequently helped the club win the cup.

The following August, Romeu joined Chelsea for €5 million.

During his four-year spell with the Blues, Romeu won one Champions League title and one FA Cup with the club, and also had loan spells at Valencia and Stuttgart.

In August 2015, Romeu moved to Southampton for £5 million.

During his seven-year spell with the Saints, Romeu's outstanding performances earned him the Southampton Player of the Year award, and he reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals once with the club.

On the 2022 summer transfer window deadline day, Romeu returned to Spain, joining Girona for €4 million.

During this time at the club, his excellent performances once again attracted the attention of Barcelona.

The following July, Romeu returned to Barcelona for €3.4 million.

Last August, Romeu returned to Girona for the third-time on loan. During his time there, he helped the club avoid relegation.

After returning to the club this summer following the end of his loan spell, Romeu terminated his contract with Barcelona on September 6th.

During his three stints at Girona, Romeu made 65 appearances for the La Liga club in all competitions, scoring 2 goals.