Fabrizio Romano Transfer News: Ronaldo to Chelsea truth, Man Utd update, Vuskovic to Barcelona?

Football news expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on several major transfer stories ahead of this summer, including the latest on Cristiano Ronaldo, Alejandre Balde and Luka Vuskovic.

Cristiano Ronaldo to Chelsea truth

Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a shock move to Chelsea in recent weeks, but Romano has confirmed that a deal will not take place in his latest YouTube video.

“I do not know where this story about Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea is coming from, but many people have asked me about it in recent days. I believe there was some link reported in England, but it is completely fake news,” the transfer expert said.

“There is absolutely nothing between Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea. I do not think we even needed to clarify it, but I wanted to address it quickly.”

Antoine Griezmann talks

Atletico Madrid superstar Antoine Griezmann will leave the club this summer and he is set to join MLS outfit Orlando City.

“Atletico Madrid have officially informed Orlando City that Griezmann will remain at the club until the end of the season. This means he will not be joining Orlando City immediately,” Romano revealed.

“The original proposal from the MLS side was for Griezmann to join straight away, as the transfer window in Major League Soccer remains open for the next few days. Orlando City presented the proposal to both Griezmann and Atletico Madrid with the intention of completing the move immediately, which would have meant the player leaving Atletico in the middle of the season at a crucial moment.

“Atletico Madrid have been pushing strongly to keep Griezmann because they still have major competitions ahead of them. They have the Copa final against Real Madrid in Seville, they are still involved in the Champions League, and although their position in La Liga is largely defined, they still have two trophies to compete for.

“So Antoine Griezmann will remain with Atletico Madrid for now. However, Orlando City have already begun conversations with Atletico about signing him in the summer. The focus has therefore shifted from an immediate transfer to a potential summer move.

“Griezmann is still under contract with Atletico Madrid for one more season, and Orlando City are negotiating with the Spanish club to bring him in on a free transfer. The conversation is essentially that they will not push for the player now, but they would like to secure his arrival in the summer instead.

“For this reason, a move for Griezmann to MLS can still happen, but it is far more likely to take place in the summer rather than immediately.”

Edu Gaspar to leave Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest Head of Football Edu Gaspar will leave the club, with his exit set to be formally announced shortly.

“Edu and Nottingham Forest are set to part ways, with the decision expected to be confirmed in the coming days,” Romano said.

“The relationship between the ownership and Edu has been difficult in recent months since he joined the club last summer. Remember that his move to Nottingham Forest came after five years at Arsenal, where he played a major role in reshaping the club.

“I believe Edu was a significant part of Arsenal’s rebuild. Today we see a fantastic team competing for major trophies, and much of that work came from the project developed over the past five years with Edu involved.

“However, the situation at Nottingham Forest has not worked as planned. The relationship between the parties is now completely broken, and Edu and the club will separate very soon.”

Marcos Senesi will depart Bournemouth

Meanwhile, Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi will depart the club on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of June.

Romano admitted: “The situation is quite clear. Senesi will leave Bournemouth on a free transfer in the summer. That decision has already been made, and his time at the club is coming to an end.

“He is now assessing new opportunities while Bournemouth are already exploring the market for potential replacements. The club’s director, Tiago Pinto, knows the Italian market very well and they have been monitoring Tiago Gabriel at Lecce and Tarik Muharemovic at Sassuolo.

“So Bournemouth are already preparing for a new centre-back to arrive while planning for Senesi’s departure. Regarding the player himself, there is interest from Italy, as he is on Juventus’ list.

“However, the strongest financial proposals at the moment are coming from the Premier League. Tottenham have made approaches, and Aston Villa have also made enquiries. There are therefore several clubs in England interested, alongside Juventus in Italy.

“As for Barcelona, many people have asked about that possibility. At the moment Barcelona are considering Senesi as a low-cost option because he would be available as a free agent. It would represent an opportunity, but he is not a priority target.

“He is an option being evaluated only if Barcelona cannot secure their main targets.”

Alessandro Bastoni is Barcelona’s dream target

While Senesi is on Barcelona’s radar, their top target is Inter superstar Alessandro Bastoni.

“When discussing Barcelona’s plans for the summer, one of the dream targets in defence remains Alessandro Bastoni. Barcelona really appreciate Bastoni and they admire his profile as a defender,” Romano revealed.

“However, I continue to repeat that for Inter he is an absolutely crucial player. He is not just another squad member. He is one of the most important players in the team and also an Italian international, so it would be a very complicated deal.

“The interest from Barcelona is genuine because they like Bastoni a lot, but everything will depend on their financial priorities and how much they decide to invest in different positions.

“We must remember that Barcelona will likely spend around €30 million to sign Marcus Rashford on a permanent transfer. In addition to that, the club are also looking for a number nine.

“So the key question is whether Barcelona will still have the budget to afford Bastoni. That is why they are monitoring several alternatives and keeping different options open.”

Luka Vuskovic to Barcelona?

Barcelona have also been linked with Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic, who is currently on loan at Hamburg, although they will face significant competition for the Croatia wonderkid.

“What I can say now is that Barcelona are not the only club interested [in Vuskovic],” Romano confirmed.

“Several giant clubs around Europe are following the player closely. Remember that he is owned by Tottenham, so he is already a Tottenham player.

“At the moment he is performing fantastically at Hamburg, and the plan is for him to return to Tottenham in the summer. Because of his performances, many of the top clubs in Europe are monitoring him.

“So I expect a long race for the player in the future because the interest around him is growing very quickly.”

Romano added: “Barcelona are also following several defenders who may be less expensive than players like Bastoni. As mentioned before, Senesi could be a very low-cost option on a free transfer, but he is not considered a top target in terms of quality.

“One of the players Barcelona have been scouting in recent weeks is Evan Ndicka. The name emerged in Spanish media in the last 24 hours, and it is true that Barcelona are following him.

“Ndicka is performing very well at Roma, although he represents a completely different profile compared to Bastoni. Bastoni offers exceptional quality in build-up play, with the ability to deliver assists and contribute technically from the back.

“Ndicka also has quality, but his main strengths are his physicality, defensive ability, and pace. He is extremely quick and provides a different type of defensive presence.

“Barcelona are still assessing their options internally and no decision has been made yet. It is still early in March and the planning process is ongoing.

“From a financial perspective, Ndicka would likely cost significantly less than Bastoni. However, he remains an important player for Roma. They signed him on a free transfer a few years ago and consider him a key part of their project.

“So he may be less expensive than some alternatives, but it would still not be an easy deal for Barcelona. The club are simply monitoring several defensive options at this stage.”

Man Utd not in talks to sign Alejandro Balde

Finally, Romano clarified that Manchester United aren’t in talks to sign Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde, despite reported interest in the Spaniard.

“There have also been many questions about Man Utd and Alejandro Balde. Some reports linked the player with United, but the current situation is very clear.

“Barcelona consider Balde to be a crucial part of their project. Internally they believe he still has enormous potential and that he is far from the finished product.

“He is still very young, and the club believe he can continue to learn and develop significantly in the coming years. For this reason, at this stage Barcelona have no intention of letting Balde leave for Man Utd.

“In addition, Man Utd already invested in that position with Patrick Dorgu. We will see what United decide to do across several areas of the squad because they are planning a busy summer.

“They want to sign a left winger and they will look for midfielders as well. We will also see what happens at centre-back. But as things stand today, Man Utd have not started any negotiations for Alejandro Balde.”

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