Fabrizio Romano reveals Man Utd and Chelsea defender transfer plans

Suraj Radia

Updated: 28 Oct 2023 16:14 BST
3 min read

Fabrizio Romano, Man Utd, Chelsea — © ProShots

Chelsea and Manchester United will fight to sign a centre-back in 2024 as both clubs look towards transfer plans for the future, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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United had been hoping to sign a defender in the summer but budget restrictions and the failure to sell Harry Maguire stopped the club being able to finance any deal.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have made wholesale changes to their defence but Romano claimed on his YouTube channel that, with Trevoh Chalobah looking to leave Stamford Bridge in January, the club would look to replace him.

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Romano stated that it was unclear whether any major moves would happen in January or next summer, with a decision likely to be based on budget and availability among other factors, although Chelsea were the more likely of both clubs to push for a winter transfer.

The Blues also have one eye on life after Thiago Silva, with the 39-year-old still hoping to end his career back in Brazil, meaning he could leave Chelsea at the end of the season when his contract expires.

Although no players have been prioritised yet, United have extensively scouted the likes of Antonio Silva, Goncalo Inacio and Edmund Tapsoba, while Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace was also namedropped as an option for both clubs by Romano.

The state of play for Chelsea and United

Chelsea have paired Silva with summer signing Axel Disasi so far this season, a player who was also of interest to United prior to his €45 million move from Monaco.

Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile have been long-term absentees for Mauricio Pochettino, while Levi Colwill has often been used at left-back, leaving Chelsea light on options at centre-back.

Chalobah has also been injured but the 24-year-old will be available for transfer in January, having been priced out of a move to Bayern Munich in the summer, with Chelsea willing to cash in on their academy graduate to ease Financial Fair Play restrictions.

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As for United, the likelihood of a January signing of any kind looks difficult, with the club having exhausted their resources in the summer, although the potential £1.4 billion investment from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which is due to be ratified in the coming weeks, could see more funds available to Erik ten Hag.