Carlos Romero: Is he the ideal 'hidden gem' for Barcelona's left side?

Carlos Romero could become the 'hidden gem' for FC Barcelona regarding defensive reinforcements next summer. The left-back benefited greatly from his loan to Espanyol, after playing just 6 matches with Villarreal's first team. As the upcoming summer market approaches, several 'top' teams in Europe are watching his future closely, as he represents a 'low-cost' option with notable potential.

The 23-year-old player has scored a couple of goals and provided one assist in 22 appearances (1,483 minutes) with Manolo González's side. The '22' has had very good performances with the Catalans, including the match in Cornellà against Real Madrid (1-0). Carlos is characterized by his speed and commitment on the field, being a very solid player in defense (he has received 5 yellow cards in La Liga), with good passing ability (averaging 73% pass accuracy) and difficult to beat in one-on-one duels (winning 63% of his duels).

Villarreal must decide what to do with Carlos Romero this summer

Regardless of whether Espanyol stays in the league or not, Romero must return to Villarreal in July. The 'perico' team only agreed to his loan for one year, without a mandatory purchase option, as the defender had renewed with the 'Yellow Submarine' for four years in November 2023. Although the left-back is under contract until 2027, Villarreal is uncertain about his return, as Marcelino García has Alfonso Pedraza and Sergi Cardona for the left side.

In this sense, Villarreal could let go of the player from Torrent for an affordable price, perhaps close to 10 million euros. For Barça, the option to bring in a player capable of challenging Alejandro Balde for the position remains on the table, despite Gerard Martín's resurgence in recent weeks. In any case, the club will likely wait until August to decide whether it is worth signing another left-back.

Everything will depend, of course, on how much cash the culés have available. And, as long as no significant sale is finalized, it will be difficult to even resolve pending renewals. Barça is already under the 1:1 rule for signings, but still has issues with its wage bill and little cash to maneuver in the market.