Southampton: 250-game Saints favourite could leave St Mary's

Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu has ‘become a pivotal player’ under Ralph Hasenhuttl amid speculation over his future, according to The Sun journalist Tom Barclay.

The 30-year-old has entered the final 14 months of his current contract on the south coast, and it remains to be seen if the experienced ace will be offered fresh terms by the club’s hierarchy.

Romeu arrived at Southampton in the summer of 2015 via a £5 million move from Chelsea and has gone on to establish himself as a regular name on the team sheet since.

In his near seven-year stay at St. Mary’s Stadium, the former Spain Under-21 international has racked up 250 appearances across all competitions, helping them to two top-half finishes in that time.

And he recently revealed he wants to remain a Southampton player beyond the current campaign after ‘enjoying’ another fruitful season in the Saints’ engine room.

“I want to carry on here, we’ll see how far we go, and we’ll see what happens with the contract,” he told HampshireLive back in January.

“I still have a year and a half to go, so I try not to think of it too much, but I am enjoying it. I want to go year by year to see how far we can go.”

Romeu has started 32 Premier League games so far this season, forming a formidable partnership alongside James Ward-Prowse as Southampton attempt to break into the top 10.

Barclay has revealed that he would ‘be surprised’ if the tough-tackling dynamo departed Southampton when the market reopens for business but ‘not shocked’.

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He told GiveMeSport: “The age he’s at, with a year left (on his contract), they don’t like losing players on free transfers. So, I’d be surprised if he left but not