How €2.5m Jacobo Ramon charmed the Premier League - but there's a problem

Analysis

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Real Madrid did their best to lock down Jacobo Ramon, one of the most promising young centre-backs in Europe, yet with Manchester United and Chelsea circling the Como star, it appears they may have failed.

Ramon has attracted Premier League interest after enjoying a spectacular rise in Serie A over the course of little more than a year.

Como boss Cesc Fabregas has admitted that he did not see the centre-back exploding so quickly, and while Real Madrid attempted to put their trademark safeguard into the initial €2.5 million transfer, the prospect of missing out on the rapidly developing gem is very real.

Ramon’s unexpected Como rise

Serie A is a notoriously harsh environment for young players to carve out a career, but alongside his former Real Madrid colleague Nico Paz, Ramon has done so impressively under the tutelage of Fabregas, who has been left stunned with the progress of the central defender.

After Ramon scored his side’s opening goal in a 2-1 win over Parma in September, he admitted that Como were confident they had signed a major talent, but the speed of his development has surprised even those who knew him best.

The head coach explained: “When we signed him, Danny Guindoos [Como assistant coach] was training him when he was young at Real Madrid. We knew everything about the player and his character, and that is very important. He has developed more than we expected, and I thought he needed more time, but since day one he has been performing at a fantastic level, and I am very happy with him, his mentality, and his desire to improve every day.”

An implicit understanding between the pair has been vital in the career of Ramon taking off.

The centre-back explained to Sky Italia (via Goal) in September 2025: “Cesc and I immediately understood each other. The project is ambitious; I found a perfect environment and many friends already in the team. I started straight away with two games as a starter and I couldn't have asked for more. He told me I was perfect for him, and I was thrilled to come.”

Who wants to sign Ramon?

Interest is gathering around Ramon ahead of the January transfer window, but while Real Madrid have a buy-back clause for the player that becomes valid in 2027, the signs are that he does not want to return to the Bernabeu in what will be a blow to manager Jose Mourinho.

The Premier League is his likeliest destination, with CaughtOffside claiming that Manchester United and Chelsea are “strongly” targeting the defender. Arsenal have also been linked with him, though the same source indicates that the Gunners have “cooled” their interest in the player.

However, he’s not in a rush to leave Como.

“I'll only say one thing, which is an absolute certainty: I'm very happy at Como. We've only just started the season, and I'm not thinking about anything else,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

Why Ramon is seen as such a precious talent

Ramon is a solid all-round defender who is known for his willingness to be involved in physical duels and his strength in the air – two key attributes that Chelsea and Man Utd will be monitoring ahead of a potential move to the Premier League.

He is also quick and has excellent stamina, making him perfect for England’s top flight.

Data analytics firm SciSports rates Ramon highly. It gives the Como star a potential SciSkill of 125.7 at his peak, which, if achieved today, would put him behind only William Saliba and Gabriel in a ranking of the world’s best central defenders.

Among defenders aged 21 or under, he ranks as the third best in the world behind Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi and Real Madrid’s Dean Huijsen, underlining why big clubs are keeping a close eye on him.

Ramon’s demands leave his future open

Ramon is well suited to some big clubs, according to data analytics experts SciSports. Its Career Advice tool, which gives teams a Club Fit score based on a wide variety of factors ranging from potential development and playing time to style and formation, ranks Newcastle as his ideal destination with a score of 82.

However, there are even bigger clubs where he could potentially thrive. In particular, PSG are outlined as a strong destination for Ramon, coming in with a Club Fit score of 81. Real Madrid, meanwhile, hit a 79.

But Liverpool should be seen as an interesting sleeper in this mix. The Anfield club scores a strong 78, yet the main weakness is over playing time. With Virgil van Dijk liable to leave when his contract ends in June, this will naturally create a void – one that Ramon could be ideal for filling.

By contrast, Man Utd and Chelsea, the two teams credited with having the greatest interest in him, are not necessarily as well suited, scoring 73 and 70 respectively. Crucially, playing time is the biggest weakness of both options.

With Ramon ready to turn down Madrid based on a lack of game-time guarantees, this does not bode well for either of these Premier League giants and leaves major questions over what his next move might be.

Written by

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Robin Bairner is an eminent digital football journalist who has been writing about the sport for major global publishers since 2006, specialising in Ligue 1 and Scottish football. He has been chief editor of the FootballTransfers global edition since its launch in 2020. Previously Bairner had been a key member of the editorial team which helped Goal.com become the world’s biggest football website. He covered multiple major competitions as a correspondent for Goal including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he had the opportunity to work in Fortaleza. Among his highlights of the competition was Brazil’s quarter-final victory over Colombia.

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