Former Sunderland forward Kevin Phillips taking to Football Insider advised Aston Villa to target Southampton defensive midfielder Oriol Romeu in the upcoming transfer windows.
Oriol Romeu has been at the heart of midfield for Southampton ever since Ralph Hasenhuttl took over as the head coach. The Spanish midfield general has made 19 appearances in all competitions for the Saints this term. In this time he has also provided two assists for his teammates. (stats via Transfermarkt)
In the interview with Football Insider, Kevin Phillips said:
“I think Romeu would be a solid option for Villa.
“He reminds me a lot of Hojbjerg. He is an 8 out of 10 every week but he will never be that player who pulls up trees. And I wouldn’t say he ever stands out but he does the nasty side of the game – the tough industrious side of things.
“Villa will know what they’re getting. Romeu is an organiser and a leader. If Villa could secure his services, it’d be smart business. He gives you a platform to build off and allows other more offensive players to play.
“The more I think about it the more he reminds me of Hojbjerg. It wouldn’t surprise me if he went and did well at Villa.”
What can Oriol Romeu offer to Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa?
Oriol Romeu has plenty of Premier League experience. He has made a total of 231 appearances for the Saints in all competitions. He is known for his tough-tackling and interceptions in the middle of the park. Romeu’s experience can be vital to Stevan Gerrard’s ambitions with the club.
The midfield general has averaged 2.5 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 1.8 clearances per game in the Premier League this term. On top of that, he has also averaged 0.5 shots, 0.8 key passes, and 0.8 dribbles per game in the league this season (stats via whoscored). Those stats show that Romeu can add a new dimension to the Villa midfield and give the team a much more solid platform to build from.
Reports coming out of Villa Park suggest that Stevan Gerrard is looking to add new faces to the team to add competition for places in the first team. Romeu would add some good competition for Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba in the defensive midfielder positions.
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