Liverpool Favourites To Land Starlet In January

Liverpool are the latest Premier
League side to take an interest
in Barcelona youngster Oriol
Romeu.
The defensive midfielder is
expected to leave the Nou Camp
when the January transfer
window opens, and new
Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is
the newest manager to begin
monitoring the player's situation.
Original reports from Spain
placed Arsenal as the favourites
to land the coveted teenager,
whilst Tottenham Hotspur,
Everton and Newcastle were also
thought to be keen on the U20
international.
Spanish newspaper Sport now
place the Reds amongst the
favourites to sign the 18-year-
old, who is thought to be willing
to leave his hometown club in a
bid to play first team football.
Romeu joined the Barca academy
from Espanyol in 2004, and
successfully graduated to the
Barcelona B team in 2008.
After being included in the first
team squad on a handful of
occasions, the player made his
debut in August against Sevilla in
the Spanish SuperCup.
A versatile player who can also
slot in at centre back, the arrival
of Javier Mascherano is thought
to have played some part in
Romeu's willingness to leave the
Catalan club.