Fabrizio Romano Transfer News: Chelsea signing CLOSE, Man Utd CONFIRMATION, Barcelona AGREEMENT

Cameron Smith

• 18 Jan 2026 10:03 GMT
• 7 min read

News

Football transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on several major stories, including the latest on Jeremy Jacquet, Kobbie Mainoo and Dro Fernandez.

Oliver Glasner latest

Oliver Glasner launched a fresh rant at the Crystal Palace board following his side’s defeat to Sunderland on Saturday and Romano has confirmed that he could leave the club before the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

“Let me start with managers because there are jobs in danger for some managers, and one of them is Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace,” Romano told his YouTube channel. “It has been a crazy week at the club, with Marc Guehi set to join Manchester City and negotiations ongoing for Jean-Philippe Mateta, with Juventus involved alongside several Premier League clubs.

“Before the Sunderland game, Glasner confirmed that the story was true and official, making it clear that he is not going to sign a new contract and will leave the club at the end of the season.

“After the game against Sunderland, Glasner went public in his press conference, explaining that the club feels abandoned and that the situation at Crystal Palace is not good, with players leaving the club before Premier League matches, as happened in the summer and now again recently.

“When asked about his own future, Glasner said that he does not know and does not care about the managerial situation at the club, which underlines just how tense things have become between him and Crystal Palace.

“There is a real possibility that they could part company before the end of the season, with zero wins in the last 10 games and a very complicated atmosphere due to players leaving and uncertainty around Mateta, depending on whether Palace accept the conditions offered by Juventus or other Premier League sides.

“Glasner’s press conference was explosive, the situation is getting more tense by the day, and this is one to keep a very close eye on over the next hours and days."

Tottenham to sack Thomas Frank?

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is also under massive pressure following a 2-1 loss to West Ham United, and a departure appears to be on the cards.

Romano admitted: “This is a really terrible moment for Tottenham, even though the club tried to show support for Thomas Frank during the week by appointing John Heitinga, former Ajax manager and former Arne Slot assistant at Liverpool, as part of the backroom staff.

“There were positive signals and images of support, but once again Tottenham lost over the weekend, and now the situation is very complicated for Thomas Frank.

“His job is at serious risk, and while Tottenham must decide whether to make a change now or give him time to try to turn things around, the reality is that his position is not safe at this stage.

“Internal talks are taking place, the next hours and days will be crucial, and while Glasner is expected to leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season, Thomas Frank is fighting to keep his job at Tottenham as the club prepares to make a decision very soon.

“Champions League football also plays a role in the timing of Tottenham’s decision, but the key message remains that the situation for Thomas Frank is dangerous and his job is not safe at this moment.”

Real Madrid stance on Alvaro Arbeloa

Alvaro Arbeloa became the new Real Madrid manager earlier this week and he secured his first win in the dugout versus Levante on Saturday afternoon. However, his job is still not safe.

“Despite fan frustration with Florentino Perez and the players, Real Madrid believe that Alvaro Arbeloa is the right man to change the situation and they are not planning to change the manager,” Romano revealed.

“The club understands that it is a difficult moment, particularly in defence, following defeats to Barcelona in the Super Cup final and to Albacete in the Copa, but they still trust Arbeloa.

“Real Madrid sources believe the Albacete game came too early, with not even two full training sessions to prepare, and for that reason they do not place responsibility on Arbeloa, who has been given time and trust moving forward.”

Barcelona wonderkid to join PSG

Barcelona youngster Dro Fernandez is now on the verge of completing a move to Paris Saint-Germain after deciding to leave Camp Nou.

“There are several important stories to cover, starting with the major update that spread across Europe through French and international media,” Romano said.

“Dro, the 18-year-old midfielder from Barcelona, has decided to join Paris Saint-Germain, with an agreement already in place between the player and PSG.

“Dro has informed Barcelona of his decision and is now just waiting for Paris Saint-Germain to trigger the €6 million release clause, after which he will complete the move, with the deal now at its final stages and the here we go expected very soon."

Current ETV

Jérémy Jacquet

D (CR)

Rennes

Jérémy Jacquet

D (CR)

Rennes

€17.8M

ETV Range

€16M - €19.6M

View full profile

Chelsea chase Jeremy Jacquet

Chelsea were also interested in Dro, however their attention is firmly on signing Stade Rennais defender Jeremy Jacquet and they are edging closer to a deal, as per Romano.

He admitted: “Chelsea are also going all in for Jeremy Jacquet, with a direct Chelsea mission taking place on Friday involving face-to-face talks with Rennes.

“Jacquet is the first option on a three-man shortlist, with Rennes asking for a club-record fee of around €65 million, a figure Chelsea are not yet prepared to meet, although negotiations remain ongoing.

“The player wants the move, personal terms are not an issue, the contract is ready, and Jacquet has opened the door to joining Chelsea, with the clubs now needing to find an agreement.”

Kobbie Mainoo update

Finally, Kobbie Mainoo is set to remain at Man Utd this window after the sacking of Ruben Amorim.

“We have to talk about Kobbie Mainoo, who made his first Premier League start of the season for Manchester United in the Manchester derby after not starting any league games under Ruben Amorim,” Romano stated.

“Man Utd won the derby, with Mainoo delivering a fantastic all-round performance that showed the trust placed in him by Michael Carrick.

“Because of this trust and these performances, a loan move is now off the table, despite strong interest earlier in the season from several clubs including Napoli, who had pushed hard for a loan deal.

“Now, with Carrick trusting him and set to manage Man Utd until the end of the season, Mainoo looks set to stay at the club and play an important role, making this a fantastic start for Carrick and a crucial moment for Mainoo’s future at Man Utd and beyond.”

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