Fabrizio Romano says Alejandro Garnacho has made AS Roma his priority as a possible next destination, with talks still ongoing with Chelsea. The move is not done, and the central issue remains the structure of any deal. Chelsea want a permanent or guaranteed exit, while Roma are pushing a loan with a buy clause that would become mandatory.

Roma's position in the race

Romano was also clear that the Aston Villa angle is not concrete, even though Villa were one of the points discussed with Chelsea. That leaves Roma as the club Garnacho is first looking at, at least for now.

The football case for Roma is easy to see. Gian Piero Gasperini wants at least two new wide men for his attack, and Roma have not given up on Garnacho despite their advancing move for Crysencio Summerville. Roma also lodged a €46 million bid for Summerville, which shows they are not treating this as a one-player search.

Garnacho's recent Chelsea involvement has been limited. He has totalled 196 minutes across his last five Chelsea matches, and his ratings average 6.4 in that stretch. Chelsea's recent five-match ratings average is 6.8, so this is not a player forcing the issue through a blistering run of form.

The deal shape still looks like the key obstacle. Romano's line is simple enough, Roma want flexibility and Chelsea want certainty. Until one side moves, Garnacho's preference is only part of the story.

Chelsea's demand and Roma's offer

Chelsea's stance has been consistent in the reports around this chase. They want a permanent or guaranteed exit for Garnacho, not a loose loan that leaves the final fee unresolved. Roma, by contrast, are offering a loan with a buy clause that would become mandatory.

That gap is why this has not moved quickly, even with Garnacho's preference leaning toward Italy. Villa may have come up in talks, but Romano was explicit that their interest was not something concrete. Roma are the ones pressing hardest, and the next step is whether they can reshape the offer enough for Chelsea to accept it.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →