Chelsea battle with Real Madrid to sign bargain of the season

Robin Bairner

10 Jan 2026 03:13 CST
3 min read

Chelsea are interested in Como defender Jacobo Ramon, but Real Madrid are in a strong position to ruin their plans, according to a report.

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The Spaniard is in the midst of a brilliant season in Serie A. Having seen the success of Nico Paz at Como after leaving Real Madrid, Ramon went down the same path, and it has paid dividends.

The 21-year-old, one of the bargains of the season as he only cost the Italian minnows €2.5 million, has been almost ever-present in Cesc Fabregas' team. Ramon is a crucial part in a side that is a good bet to qualify for Europe this season.

Naturally, the young defender has been attracting the attention of potential suitors. According to TEAMtalk, several English clubs, chief among them Chelsea, have taken a liking to Ramon.

Blues scouts have been actively tracking Ramon in recent weeks, and he is on their shortlist for the upcoming summer window. However, signing could ultimately prove quite difficult as Como do not entirely control his future.

Chelsea must convince Real Madrid

As with Paz and many other promising youngsters, Real Madrid made sure to include mechanisms in his contract that ultimately allow them to have the final say on his next move.

Real Madrid not only have a buy-back option for Ramon, but they also retain a 50 per cent sell-on clause, so they will stand to benefit handsomely from his next transfer even if he doesn't return to the Spanish capital.

However, such has been his progress this season that Real Madrid are actively considering bringing him back in the summer, the report claims. With Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba facing uncertain futures, Los Blancos are in the market for central defenders.

This would almost certainly scupper Chelsea's chances of signing Ramon. But even if Real Madrid were to decide against bringing him back, the Blues would have to secure the green light from the LaLiga giants to be able to complete a deal for the towering defender.

The existence of the sell-on percentage also complicates the matter. Ramon could prove incredibly expensive, as Como would only receive half of the fee

The Serie A side are under no financial pressure due to their wealthy backers, so they could demand a significant premium or simply not sell at all.

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