Chelsea have reportedly lined up a January move for Como defender Jacobo Ramon — but Arsenal and Manchester United are also keeping tabs on the 21-year-old Spain Under-21 centre-back, according to reports in Friday's papers.
Ramon has gone from strength to strength since joining Como from Real Madrid in the summer of 2025, helping Cesc Fabregas's side qualify for the Champions League last season and starring again this term — including a standout display in Como's famous win over Manchester United in Europe. The Daily Mail, via Sky Sports' Paper Talk, reports that his performances have caught the eye of all three Premier League giants.
The Alonso connection gives Chelsea an edge
Ramon played under Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso when Alonso began his coaching career inside Real Madrid's youth system in 2018-19 — a link that could matter if this becomes a straight fight in January. Chelsea's interest is not new, either: it reportedly predates Alonso's arrival and goes back to last January, when Ramon was on a Stamford Bridge shortlist alongside Jeremy Jacquet, now of Liverpool, and Marcos Senesi, now of Tottenham.
The need at Chelsea has also sharpened this week. Maxence Lacroix, who has played more Premier League minutes than any other Blues defender this season, hobbled off with a hamstring injury in the Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool, leaving Alonso short of reliable options at centre-back.
Madrid hold the cards — and Como know it
Any deal will be complicated. Real Madrid retain a 50 per cent sell-on clause in any sale of the Spain Under-21 international, as well as a buy-back clause whose value has not been specified, according to TNT Sports' Paper Round summary of the Mail report. That means Como cannot simply name their price and keep it all — and it means Madrid could yet bring their academy product home if the Premier League interest drives the fee high enough.
Ramon showed his character again on Tuesday night in Como's 3-1 win over Torino in Serie A. After a serious error, he kept his head and headed in the equaliser before Nico Paz — himself the subject of Chelsea scouting interest — and Martin Baturina completed the win. Fabregas praised exactly that response: "I admired the resilience, for example Jacobo Ramon made a serious error, but he kept his head and then scored the equaliser. This is football for me, people with character who make mistakes, but then keep going and don't let the fear grip them."
So what does it mean?
For Chelsea, Ramon fits the recruitment pattern — young, ball-playing, already tested in a top-five league and in Europe — and the Lacroix injury makes January cover a necessity, not a luxury. For Arsenal and Manchester United, both watching according to the reports, he is the kind of defender whose price only rises if they wait until the summer. And for Como, this is the model working exactly as designed: buy Madrid's surplus talent, develop it under Fabregas, and sell into a bidding war — even if half the fee heads back to the Bernabeu.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Como are quietly becoming the smartest shop window in Europe — first Paz, now Ramon — and the Premier League's richest clubs are queuing outside it. Chelsea's Alonso link makes them favourites if they move in January, but Madrid's buy-back is the trap in this deal: whoever wins Ramon may only be keeping him warm. Should Chelsea pay up in January, or would Arsenal or United be the smarter home for him? Let us know in the comments.
