Fabrizio Romano: No Bruno crisis, Chelsea’s big plan, Liverpool deal still on

19 Aug 2026 07:04 BST |
7 min read

Robin Bairner
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Fabrizio Romano reveals the latest on Ollie Watkins, Darwin Nunez, Bruno Fernandes, Cody Gakpo and Karim Koulibaly as the summer transfer window enters its final weeks.

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Al Hilal make €45m Ollie Watkins move

Al Hilal are in the process of making a shock move for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.

“Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia have sent an official bid to Aston Villa worth, according to my information, a €45m package for Ollie Watkins. That’s a very interesting story because now Al Hilal are going very strong for Ollie Watkins,” he told his YouTube channel.

“The €45m includes add-ons, so it’s a total package of €45m. My understanding is that Aston Villa want more to get the deal done, but this is the third time Al Hilal have approached them.

“Al Hilal are expected to continue this negotiation. My understanding is that the player wants the move. Ollie Watkins is open to going to Saudi Arabia. He believes that this could be an opportunity financially.

“It’s also a very big club in Saudi Arabia, so it’s not a normal club. Al Hilal is a really, really important club. Watkins is keen on the move and Aston Villa are negotiating.

“At the moment, the €45m package is still not enough to convince Aston Villa, but the negotiation is still ongoing. The situation is open.”

Aston Villa consider Nico Jackson

Should Watkins leave, Aston Villa already have another striker on their radar in the form of Chelsea forward Nico Jackson.

“If Ollie Watkins goes to Al Hilal, one of the names under consideration, not the only one, is Nicolas Jackson,” Romano added.

“Jackson was a target for Aston Villa already in summer 2025. Unai Emery used to work with Nico Jackson at Villarreal and the connection between them is very good.

“Aston Villa share a very good relationship with Chelsea. Don’t forget the Morgan Rogers deal and don’t forget the Alejandro Garnacho deal, so the relationship is very good.

“Nico Jackson could be a target for Aston Villa. Remember that Jackson to Aston Villa could only happen on a permanent transfer because Villa cannot loan another player from Chelsea due to Premier League regulations.”

Darwin Nunez could make shock transfer U-turn

Romano also dismisses recent reports linking former Liverpool star Darwin Nunez with a potential reunion with Mohamed Salah at Trabzonspor and reveals another Saudi option remains alive.

“I think there were some lies, to be honest, on Darwin Nunez in the last three, four, five days. Someone said there was a deal with Trabzonspor, someone said Darwin Nunez was travelling to Trabzonspor for medical tests and contract signing,” he said.

“Darwin never had any scheduled flight. Asking his agents and asking his close camp, no one was confirming this.

“Now Darwin Nunez could leave Al Hilal, but stay in Saudi Arabia and join Al Riyadh. There is a negotiation ongoing between Darwin and Al Riyadh.

“At the moment it’s not done yet, but there is an active conversation for Darwin Nunez.”

Chelsea-bound Karim Koulibaly deal is done

Romano then confirmed that Strasbourg have completed a deal for Werder Bremen centre-back Karim Koulibaly, with the player potentially destined for Chelsea in the future.

“This is a top talent, guys. This is a player for Strasbourg, but expected to go to Chelsea one day, if all goes to plan, obviously,” Romano confirmed.

“Strasbourg are trusting the player for the present and the future. But if the development goes as they believe at BlueCo, the ownership group of Strasbourg and Chelsea, Koulibaly could end up at Chelsea one day.

“The deal is done. The deal has been agreed tonight for €20m fixed, no add-ons and a sell-on clause to Werder Bremen.

“Koulibaly will now travel for medical tests and contract signing. Deal done for the defender.”

Bruno Fernandes contract talks are not a crisis

Romano moves on to Bruno Fernandes and insists Manchester United’s contract negotiations with their captain should not be viewed as a source of panic.

“Someone said that Bruno Fernandes rejected a contract proposal from Manchester United and that Bruno could leave on a free transfer in summer 2027. Let me clarify two things on this,” Romano said.

“First point, leaving on a free. Bruno is out of contract in 2027, but there is an option to extend the contract for one more season. So Manchester United are absolutely protected.

“The relationship between Bruno and Manchester United is still a very important relationship. Bruno is a United legend, a top player who will stay forever in terms of memory. To leave on bad terms is not Bruno Fernandes’ style.

“Second, it’s not about rejecting a contract. It’s about negotiating. That’s different. To say no and to say, ‘I want this, you want that, let’s try to find a solution’ are two different things.

“For sure, Bruno Fernandes and United, while I’m recording this video, don’t have an agreement on the new contract. But Manchester United and Bruno Fernandes are negotiating, and the negotiations are ongoing.

“The relationship is very good. Bruno is not a normal player. Bruno is the captain of Manchester United. Manchester United are in love with Bruno. Manchester United are finally back into Champions League football and Bruno will be a big part of the squad.

“Michael Carrick believes Bruno is a very important player. So there is no reason to create panic or drama around this. There is a negotiation, there is a conversation. Let’s see how it goes.”

Salary, contract length and release clause all matter

The financial details of Fernandes’ new deal remain important, with several issues still to be resolved between the player and United.

“It’s about the salary. Don’t forget that Rashford returned to Manchester United, and so Rashford’s salary is obviously a point,” Romano added.

“Then there is the length of the contract. That’s an important point. And then there is the release clause, because Bruno has a release clause in his current contract at United of around €65m.

“Now they have to understand whether to keep the clause, remove the clause, change the numbers, when to activate it, how many years it is valid for. There are so many topics to discuss.

“That’s not an easy negotiation that takes five seconds to sign a new contract. Bruno is a fantastic player, but he’s no longer 20 years old. Every single contract now becomes important because it’s going to be one of the last two or three contracts of his career.

“For sure, it’s an important moment. That’s a negotiation. There is no need for panic or drama.”

Tottenham deal for Cody Gakpo remains alive

Romano also insists Tottenham’s pursuit of Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo is still ongoing despite reports suggesting the deal has collapsed.

“For Cody Gakpo, Tottenham remain in conversations. I know in the last 24, 48 hours, the rumours around the story are that the deal is not happening, the deal is off, the deal is not going through.

“But my understanding is that the negotiation for Cody Gakpo to Tottenham is still ongoing. Cody Gakpo is open to joining Tottenham and personal terms are not a problem.

“So the deal remains on. The deal remains underway and Cody Gakpo to Tottenham Hotspur is still absolutely on.

“Then they need to reach a financial agreement, and that’s not a detail. Remember that if Gakpo is going to Tottenham, Liverpool will sign two wingers, top target Bradley Barcola plus one.

“So it’s still a long story in a short time because now there are less than two weeks of the summer transfer window. We’ll be following the situation. These days, anything can happen.

“But what I can guarantee at this time on Tuesday is that nothing has changed yet. There is no deal off. The conversation remains ongoing and we have to follow the situation to understand what’s going to happen.”