Arsenal have reportedly accelerated their efforts to trump Chelsea in the race to sign Como defender Jacobo Ramón, as per Caught Offside.
The 21-year-old started his youth career at Las Rozas before joining Real Madrid’s famous La Fabrica academy at the age of eight. After coming through their youth system, he made his first team debut in January last year.
However, he struggled to break into Los Blancos’ star-studded starting line-up. So, he decided to join Como last summer to play regularly and develop his career.
This season, the Spaniard has displayed promising performances at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, scoring twice and keeping 12 clean sheets in 30 appearances across all competitions.
Moreover, he has been helping his side mount a top-four charge, sitting fourth in the Serie A table with 58 points from 31 matches. Juventus are currently fifth with a point less.
Now, Caught Offside claim that Chelsea are considering reinforcing the centre-back department and have identified Ramón as a serious option.
However, Arsenal are also in this race and have already accelerated their efforts to beat Chelsea. The Gunners have started exploring options to sign a long-term replacement for Gabriel Magalhaes and have been impressed by Ramón’s performances this season.
Battle
The report state that purchasing the defender won’t be straightforward for the Premier League clubs as Real Madrid have a buyback clause and also have a sell-on clause.
Meaning, if the Spanish giants decide not to re-sign him, Como are likely to demand a hefty fee to sell the player in order to make a significant profit. The youngster is valued at around £22m by Transfermarkt and still has a contract until 2030.
Ramón, standing at 6ft 5in tall, is a right-footed, technically sound centre-back and plays a bit similar to Dean Huijsen. He is comfortable playing out from the back, good in the air, and efficient in defensive contributions.
The Como star is a talented player and possesses the potential to become a top-class CB in the future. So, he might be a shrewd acquisition for Arsenal or Chelsea should either club eventually manage to secure his service in the summer.
