Fabrizio Romano Transfer News: Jacquet BOMBSHELL, Alonso to Liverpool TRUTH, Fermin agreement CLOSE

Cameron Smith

• 25 Jan 2026 16:30 GMT
• 6 min read

News

Fabrizio Romano has provided a major update on several January transfer stories across Europe, including the latest on Jeremy Jacquet, Xabi Alonso and Fermin Lopez.

PSG agree deal for Barcelona wonderkid

Paris Saint-Germain have officially reached a full agreement to sign Barcelona wonderkid Dro Fernandez, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano in his latest YouTube video.

“Let me start with the confirmation of a story we reported two weeks ago. Last week the agreement was reached on the player's side, and now it is also agreed club-to-club,” he said.

“The midfielder from Barcelona is joining Paris Saint-Germain and this is now a ‘here we go.’ The deal is completed between the clubs, as Barcelona and PSG have been in contact in recent days. The player had a release clause of close to €6 million, a fantastic market opportunity to sign a top 18-year-old talent, but PSG wanted to maintain a strong relationship with Barcelona.

“Triggering the clause immediately could have created tension between the clubs, with the risk of attacking each other’s players. In this case, it was the player’s desire to leave Barcelona and explore options, and PSG decided to welcome him. This is not PSG creating a problem for Barcelona, which is why they contacted Barca to negotiate a transfer fee.

“It could not be a realistic market value because the release clause still existed, but it will be around €8 million, with PSG paying an extra €2 million to Barcelona. Everything is now agreed, the player is authorised to travel and undergo his medical in the next 24 hours, and he will sign his contract to become a new PSG player.

“He is represented by Ivan de la Pena, the agent of Luis Enrique, which means a very good relationship with PSG. Luis Enrique was also involved, alongside Luis Campos, to present the PSG project, and the club are now ready for the official announcement.”

Flamengo submit official bid for Lucas Paqueta

Meanwhile, Flamengo are pushing to finalise a deal for West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who is keen to return to his former club this month.

“Flamengo have submitted a new official bid to West Ham for Lucas Paqueta,” Romano revealed. “The offer is €41 million as a fixed fee, with no add-ons or bonuses - guaranteed money on the table.

Current ETV

Lucas Paquetá

AM, M (C)

West Ham

Lucas Paquetá

AM, M (C)

West Ham

€62.4M

ETV Range

€56.2M - €68.7M

View full profile

“There are two key points still to resolve. West Ham would like to keep the player until the end of the season, but Paqueta has informed the club that he wants to go to Flamengo. This is not an issue between the player and West Ham, it is simply Paqueta’s strong desire to return to Flamengo.

“The other topic is payment terms, with discussions ongoing about how the €41m would be structured over the years. Negotiations continue on both the timing and the payment plan, but the offer is there and this is a story that will be very interesting to follow in the coming days.”

Barcelona in contract talks with Fermin Lopez

Although Barcelona are set to lose Dro, they are eager to retain Fermin Lopez and contract extension negotiations are now underway.

“Barcelona are extremely busy with young talents and new signings, as previously reported, but they are also working on renewals. Deco is accelerating talks over a new contract for Fermin Lopez, with next week potentially crucial to reach a verbal agreement,” Romano admitted.

“There are two main reasons for this push. Chelsea wanted Fermin in the summer transfer window and considered him a top talent, but Barcelona said no at the time. Chelsea’s salary proposal would have been very different, and now Barcelona want to reward the player with a deal that reflects his value. At the same time, the club wants to show gratitude to a player enjoying a fantastic season, with 20 goal contributions and consistent goals and assists.

“Barcelona believe Fermin is now among the very best in the world, and the agreement is at the final stages, with only small details left before a total agreement.”

Jeremy Jacquet update

Chelsea remain in talks to sign Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, but a deal now looks increasingly unlikely to be finalised before the winter window closes.

Romano said: “Another important topic is the situation of defender Jeremy Jacquet. Chelsea made a direct move a few weeks ago, including a visit to Rennes around 10 days ago, but the response from the French club was clear. Rennes want to keep the player during this January window and believe he should only leave for a record fee, in the region of €65-70m.

“Chelsea were considering a package closer to €40-50m, so there is no agreement on the valuation. Rennes also insist on keeping the player now and potentially selling him in the summer. This opens the possibility of agreeing a deal in advance for a summer transfer.

“Chelsea are involved, Liverpool are monitoring the situation, and Bayern Munich are also making calls. All three clubs are in the race, and it will be a big battle, with discussions likely to continue over the coming weeks without urgency to close immediately.”

Xabi Alonso truth

Finally, Romano clarified that Liverpool are not in negotiations with Xabi Alonso.

“In the last 24 hours there have been many questions about rumours linking Liverpool with Xabi Alonso as a possible successor to Arne Slot. At the moment, I am not aware of any official contact between Liverpool and Xabi Alonso, nor any direct talks with his agents,” Romano confirmed.

“What I have consistently reported is that since the day Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid decided to part ways, his desire has been very clear. He wants to return to management as soon as possible and does not want to wait one or two years.

“Liverpool have appreciated him in the past and he could be a candidate in the future, but appreciation is very different from concrete talks, negotiations or agreements. As of now, there is nothing advanced or formal. If anything changes with Liverpool, Xabi Alonso or any other club, I will be here to tell you, as always.”

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