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Chelsea STUNNED by striker transfer U-turn - Fabrizio Romano
Tom Weber
- 13 Jan 2026 06:54 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Chelsea are set to miss out to AS Roma on the signing of Marseille youngster Robinio Vaz, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The 18-year-old emerged as a target for the Blues in the early stages of the season. Vaz was used as a super sub by Marseille boss Roberto de Zerbi and impressed with four goals.
Chelsea reportedly held talks with the player's camp in November, and their interest was surely piqued further when it was revealed in December that Marseille would be willing to listen to offers.
Current ETV
Robinio Vaz
F (C)
Marseille
Robinio Vaz
F (C)
Marseille
ETV Range
€8.1M - €11M
However, the teenager has seemingly fallen out of favour in recent weeks. The goals have dried up, and minutes have been increasingly hard to come by. This is perhaps why Chelsea have refrained from making a move this month.
This has allowed AS Roma to pounce, although it initially seemed as though they would be unable to land the striker. In fact, sporting director Ricky Massara announced as much over the weekend.
Roma seal Vaz deal
"He seems like a great talent, but that's quite unlikely at the moment," Massara said on Saturday. "I don't think Marseille would want to part with him, and in any case, there would be fierce competition."
However, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that there has been a major twist. The Giallorossi have agreed a deal with Marseille for Vaz after all. Roma will pay €20 million upfront and a potential further €5m in bonuses.
Massara personally travelled to France to hold talks with the 18-year-old's representatives over personal terms on Monday, and there is now optimism that the deal will go through. Roma are also currently in talks to sign Donyell Malen on loan from Aston Villa.
This is quite a significant departure from the original plan, which was to sign Joshua Zirkzee and Giacomo Raspadori. A change in strategy was necessitated by Man Utd ruling out a move for the former following the sacking of Ruben Amorim.
As for Raspadori, Roma have reportedly grown tired of waiting for the Italy international to make up his mind. A total agreement on personal terms is in place, but the Atletico Madrid forward has apparently had his head turned by the interest shown in him from his former club Napoli.
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