Southampton have completed the signing of midfielder Oriol Romeu from Chelsea.
Romeu, 23, has signed a three-year deal with the Saints after the two clubs agreed an undisclosed fee.
The Spaniard had not played a first-team game for Chelsea since suffering a serious knee injury at Sunderland in December 2012.
After making a recovery, he spent loan spells with Valencia and Stuttgart but his first-team chances at Chelsea looked bleak and the club allowed him to move on.
He will link-up with former Chelsea man Ryan Bertrand at St Mary’s.
“Oriol is a player we have had on the radar for some time – he was a prominent figure in the Chelsea team of 2011-12, when he made 24 appearances as a 20 year-old,” Southampton’s director of football Les Reed told the club’s website.
“Like Ryan Bertrand, we believe we have recruited another Chelsea player with an excellent pedigree but also with lots of potential to develop.
“He is another player who matches the Southampton profile – he is young and hungry, has been developed at a top academy and has already played at the highest level with plenty more to come.
“He will complement the qualities we already have among our squad and provide another level of competition for selection.”
Romeu began his career at Barcelona before joining Chelsea as a 19-year-old in a £5m deal, and went on to make 33 appearances for the Blues.
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This post was last modified on 13/08/2015