The summer transfer window is a few days old, with several clubs working hard to prepare for next season. As football fans learn who will join (and depart) their favourite team, there will be one name that will regularly appear on their screens: Fabrizio Romano.
Yet who is Romano? What does he do, and why is his name everywhere one looks when it comes to football transfers?
Here is what to know about the Italian.
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How Romano rose to fame
Born in Naples, Romano got into football journalism at a young age. Now living in Milan, the 30-year-old started writing during his high school days. He would attend classes in the morning, and then dedicate his afternoons to writing about Italian football.
Moving to Milan at 18, he made his first break in the football world. One day, the agent of Mauro Icardi made contact with Romano, asking him to write about the Argentinian ahead of a move to Sampdoria.
Romano obliged, and would ultimately be rewarded. Two years later, when the striker moved to Inter, it was Romano who broke the news.
His first truly global breaking news came in the winter 2020 transfer market. Then Sporting CP midfielder Bruno Fernandes was on Manchester United's radar. While many thought that the Portuguese international was going to join United in the previous transfer window, Romano claimed it would not happen. When Fernandes joined the Red Devils in January 2020, Romano finally tweeted that it was done.
From that moment, his status increased considerably. That transfer firmly established his name in the world of football journalism. It has been nothing but up since.
What about his trademark ‘Here We Go' phrase?
How did that come about? According to Romano, it just happened by chance. While he did not remember the full details, he did recall using the phrase in a tweet involving Paul Pogba.
With many fans loving the use of that now-infamous ‘Here We Go', they asked him to continue using it. Romano obliged, with the three words becoming synonymous with his name.
How Romano goes about getting the information he receives
As we all know by now, Romano's contacts list is incredibly long. It includes players, player agents, coaches, and club representatives, among others. But, how does he end up accumulating more and more?
One thing is very important in this field: trust.
In order to collect the contacts he has, he must build trust with them. That sometimes means leaving out certain pieces of information he is told. Sometimes, the content he receives must be withheld until a certain point. In doing so, it helps Romano, as well as many other journalists, maintain the contacts they have.
Living in Milan, Romano regularly goes to cafes, bars, club headquarters, hotels, among other buildings of the like, to speak to sources in-person. These are some of the places where transfers are discussed and prepared.
Who Romano works for
Where does one find Romano's work? The Watford supporter works for several companies.
honestly… I support Watford because it has been my club on Fifa and Football manager since 15 years! And because of their Italian ownership! I’d like to come back at Vicarage soon @WatfordFC ?
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 9, 2019
Since his teenage years, he has worked for Sky Sport Italia, covering football transfers from an Italian angle. He also works for The Guardian and CBS Sports. For the latter, he covers the UEFA Champions League and Serie A. He also has his own YouTube channel, where he does daily updates on the transfer market.
Along with that, he has a Substack via Caught Offside, and his own podcast, Here We Go, along with fellow journalist and friend Francesco Porzio.
An interesting aspect to keep in mind: for each company Romano works for, he covers content from a different lens. Whether it is speaking or writing in a different language, appealing to another audience, or simply adding a unique perspective on certain news, it is always something different from Romano.
So, as this summer's transfer window roles are on, fans can expect to be constantly updated.
While there are many football journalists out there – most of who do a splendid job – one will struggle to find a better transfer specialist than Romano.
Keep an eye out for his content, as supporters will keep tabs on all the major transfers in this summer's transfer window.
