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If reports are to be believed, La Liga minnows Girona are eyeing to bring back Oriol Romeu from Barcelona in 2024. The Catalan club recently lost the 32-year-old midfielder to their city rivals but are seemingly still keeping tabs on him.
Having bid farewell to club legend Sergio Busquets in the summer gone by, Barcelona reacted by signing former academy graduate Oriol Romeu to fill in the subsequent gap. While many doubted the signing, considering Romeu's age and his overall career progression, the Spaniard's second stint at his boyhood got off to a flyer.
He quickly earned Xavi Hernandez's trust due to his tenacious nature and the ability to absorb pressure in the midfield. However, Frenkie De Jong's injury has stunted Romeu's presence on the pitch, with the Dutchman's absence highlighting several gaps in Romeu's play.
Consequently, Xavi has had to change formations in order to compensate for the lack of a traditional and competent number six. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Girona are looking to buy their 2022 acquisition back in the upcoming transfer windows, as reported by SPORT (via Barca Universal).
The Blanquivermells currently have Yangel Herrera and Aleix Garcia who can deputize in the role vacated by Romeu. Michel's men are currently flying high in La Liga, occupying the second place in the league, ahead of their noisy neighbors Barcelona. They also have the joint-highest amount of goals scored in the league so far and only trail leaders Real Madrid on goal difference.
Girona would hope to continue their dream start to the 2023-24 campaign for as long as they can and would understandably need proven reinforcements in order to do so. Considering Oriol Romeu's sudden dip at Barcelona, the Ulldecona-born defensive midfielder could be their first signing in the upcoming transfer window.
Barcelona extend their record as the team with the most Ballon d'Or winners
In recent history, Barca have become synonymous with the Ballon d'Or title, majorly because of the dominance established by Lionel Messi at the said award ceremony. Despite the Argentinian maestro's departure, the Blaugrana continue to command the Ballon d'Or events, thanks to the heroics of their women's team.
The Catalan giants have recorded a total of 12 Ballon d'Or wins in the men's category to date - a record that they share with their arch-rivals Real Madrid. However, Barcelona edge past Los Blancos in the cumulative category, with the Blaugrana boasting three women Ballon d'Or winners as well.
Aitana Bonmati became the most recent Barca player to secure the coveted title, winning the 2023 edition with relative ease. Other Barcelona players to have won the Ballon d'Or title include Luis Suárez (1960), Johan Cruyff (1973 and 1974), Hristo Stoichkov (1994), Rivaldo (1999), Ronaldinho (2005), Lionel Messi (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and 2022).
