Irish wonderkid linked with Real Madrid and Arsenal makes deadline day transfer

Suraj Radia

• 1 Feb 2024 15:28 GMT
• 3 min read

One of the brightest prospects to come out of Irish football in recent years has moved from Shamrock Rovers to play in Italy, having been linked to sides such as Real Madrid, Manchester City and Arsenal.

Naj Razi only turned 17 in October but he has already featured ten times for the Irish under-17 national team as well as making six appearances in all competitors for Shamrock.

The teenager, who has Algerian roots, is primarily a midfielder who can play as a forward or on either wing and he has signed for Serie B side Como for a fee believed to be around €450,000.

Razi has scored three times at youth level for Ireland and was named the FAI’s under-17 player of the year in June last year, having helped his country reach the quarter-finals of the under-17 European Championships.

Razi moves to Italy

Como are currently managed by former Crystal Palace assistant manager Osian Roberts, having seen ex-Arsenal and Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas take charge of the club for one month earlier in the season, before moving to a coaching role due to not having the required qualifications to manage in Serie B.

Roberts spoke of the transfer, saying: “There has been a lot of interest in this lad and rightly so. There is no doubt that Naj has the talent but we have also seen that he also has the right mentality. He’s grounded, focused and works hard and we look forward to how he develops here in Como.”

Speaking after penning a two-year deal with Como, Razi said: “I can’t quite believe I am here. It’s been a brilliant six months from making my first team and the UEFA Conference debut to playing in the European U17 Championships. It’s exciting to be part of a big project like this and the coaching squad is first class. Forza Como!”