FC Barcelona and AS Roma have reached an agreement for the loan of Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen for the 2016/17 season.

The Italian club contractually agrees that the participation of the player remains active during the loan. The agreement includes an option for Roma to buy the player at the end of the 2016/17 season.

21 matches for the first team

At Barça, the Belgian played 21 matches and scored once. Arriving from Arsenal in the summer of 2014, he was unable to make his debut until the last game of the season due to injuries which had kept him on the sidelines.

His first match at the heart of the defence came in a 2-2 draw against Deportivo, playing 66 minutes. His next 20 came the following season: eleven in La Liga, five in the Copa del Rey, three in the Champions League and one each in the Spanish Super Cup and the Club World Cup. The Belgian’s only goal for the club came against Malaga in Week 2 of the league, which handed Luis Enrique’s side all three points.