Fabrizio Romano Transfer News: Amorim's one-word Man Utd wish, Chelsea plan defender signing

Tom Weber

Updated: 11 Nov 2024 13:07 CST
6 min read

Fabrizio Romano has provided updates on Man Utd's transfer plans under Ruben Amorim, Chelsea's desire to add a new centre-back and much more.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that Ruben Amorim has given Man Utd directors a one-word instruction regarding the club's upcoming transfer business.

"Man Utd are not going to touch any sporting player in January," Romano began. "In the summer, it could be different. So that's the situation. What I can tell you guys is that deciding on targets, deciding on players is something they will do in the next weeks.

"They will take their time. Probably it's going to be December now. Ruben Amorim wants some time to work with the team on the pitch, from a tactical point of view, many notions to tell them about what he wants to do. He wants to bring something different, playing with a three-back.

"So it's going to be very different at Man Utd and he wants to invest his time on that. What I can tell you on the market is that from what I'm hearing, the first indication from Amorim to Man Utd directors, to Man Utd management is we need to bring in players with intensity.

"This was the crucial word he mentioned in the opening talks and meetings he had with Man Utd. Intensity, intensity, intensity. So Man Utd are going in that direction. They've spent important money on several players in the recent years, but they also have some players who have lots of quality, a big history, a big personality, players like Casemiro, players like [Christian] Eriksen, many of them.

"Especially in the midfield, he wants to see intensity. And so the expectation is for Man Utd to bring in fresh legs from 2025 with Amorim. But intensity is a crucial, crucial word for what Amorim wants to build at Man Utd. For example, I don't think Eriksen will continue at Man Utd under Amorim beyond this season. And this is going to be the direction at the club with the new coach."

Real Madrid's centre-back hunt

Then, Romano provided an update on Real Madrid's search for a new centre-back following the season-ending injury suffered by Eder Militao. "Let me repeat once again, Trent Alexander-Arnold is target number one, two, and three at Real Madrid, more than any other. But for Real Madrid's centre-back position, they're now exploring the market.

"We know about Castello Lukeba, at Red Bull Leipzig, a player they appreciate. He extended his contract but with a release clause. It's also true that Real Madrid have been scouting Jorrell Hato, the centre-back of Ajax, a left-footed player who is considered super talented. Real Madrid have been monitoring him.

"At the moment, there has been no direct approach. I told you last summer Leny Yoro was the big target. It didn't happen. Riccardo Calafiori was a player they considered but then thought too expensive for €50 million. So they decided not to invest on Calafiori.

"What I can tell you is that another player who made the list at Real Madrid but is not going to join Real Madrid is Gleison Bremer. The Brazilian centre-back of Juventus was considered one of the targets by Real Madrid. So he was on the list and Real Madrid were aware of his release clause. But this is not going to happen because Bremer had a serious injury, ACL injury, meniscus also involved."

"Real Madrid are now again exploring different options. Lukeba, Hato and more. Real Madrid are attentive to the centre-back market because 2025 is going to be an important year for that."

Reijnders going nowhere

Regarding sensational links between Real Madrid and Man City and AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, Romano insisted that he was close to penning a new contract. "I saw many links between Real Madrid, Manchester City and many other clubs with Reijnders, the Dutch midfielder of AC Milan, who is doing fantastic this season.

"Credits to AC Milan because they signed him for cheap money from the Dutch league at the right moment, and now he's performing as a fantastic midfielder. What we can say on Reijnders is that despite these links we see after his wonderful performance at the Bernabeu, links with Real Madrid and other clubs, the negotiations between Reijnders and Milan over a new contract are underway and they're going very well.

"Tijjani is very happy at Milan, because obviously he's a crucial player for Milan, so there is no urgency to extend this contract, but Milan wanted to start the negotiations. The player is very happy, his family is also very happy, so I don't see a transfer for Reijnders, for sure not in January, but also in the summer. The plan of Milan is to extend the contract of Reijnders as soon as possible."

Chelsea also want a centre-back

According to Romano, Real Madrid are far from the only side keen on signing a centre-back in 2025. "Another club really active on the centre-backs market - it's less urgent, so it's not something imminent or something already happening now - but Chelsea are actively monitoring the centre-backs market.

"So let's see if it's going to be January, let's see if it's going to be summer. It's not guaranteed that it's going to be January because already last summer, in the final days of the summer transfer window, Chelsea were considering to bring in a new centre-back. For example, a player they love is Tomas Araujo at Benfica.

"They were considering a move for him, Paris Saint-Germain too, then nothing happened because Benfica were not selling an important player just a few days before the end of the transfer window, so that was never going to happen, but the interest was there. Now I can confirm to you once again that Chelsea are monitoring the centre-backs' market.

"They are following several players, they are interested in several players for 2025. Obviously, there is a talent coming to Chelsea in 2025 in that position, Aaron Anselmino. They signed him from Boca Juniors, so Chelsea already prepared for the future with that signing. But in terms of European players, Chelsea are actively monitoring and scouting, actively starting some contacts to understand the situation for 2025.

"So Chelsea, Real Madrid, also Barcelona, several, several clubs are keeping a close eye on centre-backs for 2025. This is going to be a really important topic on the market, with many top clubs working on centre-backs, especially for the summer 2025."