CHELSEA AND LIVERPOOL BATTLE FOR JACOBO RAMóN AS REAL MADRID CLAUSE LOOMS
Jacobo Ramón is a top target for Chelsea and Liverpool! Discover how Real Madrid’s buy-back clause complicates this €18m transfer.
The modern transfer market never really follows a straight line, and Jacobo Ramón’s story at Como shows just how long a club’s influence can hang around, even after a player leaves. Caught Offside reports that the 21-year-old centre back has become one of the most-watched defenders this winter. Chelsea and Liverpool are keeping close tabs, but everyone knows Real Madrid still holds the real power.
When Ramón left Madrid for Como last summer, most people saw it as a chance for him to grow, get some games, take on some responsibility, and find his feet away from the Bernabeu. Instead, he’s blown up faster than anyone expected. He didn’t just settle in—he’s become a regular starter, standing out for his calm on the ball, smart positioning, and the kind of technical quality that works just about anywhere.
Premier League clubs are circling. Since December, agents say Chelsea, Tottenham, and Liverpool have all been tracking Ramón. Newcastle, Brighton, and Crystal Palace have sent scouts to watch him up close. It’s obvious what they see: even at 21, he looks comfortable running a defence, stepping into midfield, and sniffing out danger before it happens.
Chelsea likes him as a long-term project—he fits their whole youth-first approach. Liverpool’s interest is more about style. Ramón is quick, calm, and good under pressure, perfect for a system that needs defenders who can handle wide-open spaces and push the line up.
But any move comes with a web of complications. Ramón’s under contract at Como until 2030, and Madrid made sure they didn’t really let go. They put in an €8 million buy-back clause and a 50 per cent sell-on clause. So Madrid can either bring him back for cheap or cash in if he moves somewhere else.
His market value sits around €18 million, but for Premier League clubs, that number could climb fast. Madrid can buy him back and flip him right away, and Como will want a fee that reflects both his performances and potential.
So, the real question isn’t who wants him—it’s what Madrid wants to do. If they think Ramón’s ready, they can bring him back now. If not, they still get half the fee from any other club.
For Chelsea and Liverpool, that means waiting. He’s a tempting option for January, but Madrid’s control makes this more of a long-term chess game.
From Chelsea’s side, Ramón looks like exactly the kind of defender they like—young, skilled, and adaptable. Fans will be excited about the idea of getting ahead of the pack, not waiting until he’s a star in England. But there’s a catch. With so many young defenders already at the club, supporters might wonder if there’s a real plan for him—or if he’s just another asset, brought in because the opportunity was there.
Liverpool fans see things differently. They value defenders who think fast and play forward, and Ramón ticks those boxes. They trust the recruitment team not to overpay, especially with Madrid lurking in the background. Most fans get that this is probably one to watch, not one to force. If Liverpool goes for him, they’ll want it to be a smart, strategic move—not a rushed January deal dictated by messy clauses and outside pressure.
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
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