Fabrizio Romano drops Vinicius Jr bombshell after Man Utd trump Chelsea with €200m ‘offer’ | OneFootball

Amid spectacular claims regarding both Chelsea and Manchester United preparing offers for Vinicius Jr, Fabrizio Romano has provided much-needed clarity on the situation.

Vinicius Jr may be one of world football’s premier forwards, though his job security in Real Madrid is not what you might expect.

Numerous reports have talked up trouble in the relationship between the Brazilian and new Madrid boss, Xabi Alonso.

The latest from Sky Sports reporter, Sacha Tavolieri, confirmed all is not well between the pair. Vinicius’ dissatisfaction with Alonso was most evident when reacting angrily to his substitution in Real’s clash with Barcelona on October 27, with the winger also caught mouthing “I’m leaving.”

Vinicius has since offered a public apology for his antics, but there are growing suggestions the current campaign will be his last at the Bernabeu.

Tavolieri claimed the likeliest outcome is a mega-money move to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2026. However, reports from Spanish outlet Fichajes have talked up a switch to the Premier League.

First to be linked were Chelsea who according to their report, were putting the pieces in place to bid €150m / £132m.

Such a deal would not only smash Chelsea’s transfer record, but also take the British record away from Liverpool and Alexander Isak (£125m).

Naturally, the report given it came from Fichajes has been treated with suspicion and taking to YouTube, transfer guru Romano has set the record straight.

“From Spain in the recent days… let me say it’s quite typical in the international break, we also saw links between Vinicius Jr and Chelsea,” began Romano.

“Some reports in Spain saying that Vini is probably one of the players being considered by Chelsea in case he decides to leave Real Madrid.

“Guys, what I can tell you is it’s not about the quality of this player, it’s not about like or don’t like players like Vinicius. But Chelsea are going in a different direction.

“They’re going in the direction of Estevao, of Cole Palmer, of new signings like Deinner Ordonez. Chelsea are going in that direction, talented players, of course, also important players ready to make an impact, but opportunities in the case of Vinicius… the salaries and cost of the eventual deals would be massive. Chelsea are going in a different direction.

“I always say remember the Victor Osimhen deal from summer 2024. Chelsea were in conversations to sign Osimhen but they decided not to proceed because they didn’t want to change their salary structure.

“The salary is something really important when you mention Chelsea and when you mention transfer news at Chelsea.”

Romano concluded by declaring there is “zero” in claims Vinicius Jr will transfer to Chelsea.

What about Man Utd?

Fichajes are known for their liberal relationship with the truth, though they’re nothing if not persistent.

In the aftermath of their fanciful claims about Chelsea, the outlet went one better when claiming Man Utd have trumped the Blues.

‘Manchester United are preparing a €200 million offer for the signing of Vinicius Jr,’ the report’s headline read.

They added: ‘Manchester United have decided to go all out to secure Vinicius Jr, even after Chelsea put forward an offer close to €150 million.

‘The Old Trafford club want to pre-empt any competition and are preparing a €200million bid to guarantee his signing before the Londoners can advance their negotiations.

‘Internal reports from Manchester United indicate that Vinicius Jr is their top priority for the upcoming transfer window, convinced that his ability to unbalance defences and his attacking style can transform the team. The investment, while substantial, is not a concern for the sporting management, who consider the Brazilian a long-term strategic investment.

‘Meanwhile, Real Madrid is already considering the situation. The club is evaluating the possibility of closing a chapter and believes this could be the best opportunity to secure a historic return on Vinicius Jr. Furthermore, the presence of several interested clubs is accelerating the need to make a decision.’

TEAMtalk have asked sources whether there is a shred of truth in the claims and the results came back negative.

Put simply, this is nonsense from a notoriously unreliable outlet that should not be taken seriously by those looking for the inside track on transfer news.

Latest Man Utd and Chelsea news – Carlos Baleba / Kenan Yildiz

In other news, Romano as well as our own insider, Dean Jones, have both confirmed Carlos Baleba is Man Utd’s true No 1 target in central midfield.

What’s more, the Brighton man’s head has been turned and he’ll now gladly jump ship to Old Trafford if offered the opportunity.

The full details in Man Utd’s potential move for Baleba – including when it could occur and for how much – can be found here.

Players the age and profile of Yildiz (20) are more the sort of targets Chelsea will move for, and not readymade and wildly expensive superstars like Vinicius.