Rumours and Whispers: How Fabrizio Romano became a major players’ transfer influencer
Rumours and Whispers: How Fabrizio Romano became a major players’ transfer influencer
Here we go!
There’s no sentence that has grown a greater influence on the social perception of the footballers’ market than Fabrizio Romano’s favourite tagline.
Romano has built an interesting sports journalism career on whispers and rumours and has used his growing trustworthiness to become one of the biggest players in the industry.
After joining Sky Sports Italy as a teenager, the Naples-born Romano has used his contacts excellently and his influence has made and marred players’ deals.
In 2022, former Southampton defender Maya Yoshida expressed his admiration of Romano’s speed in getting factual information. The Japanese star said the deal reported by the 30-year-old Italian journalist at the time was even unknown to his wife.
“This guy is incredible… even my wife didn’t know about Trabzonspor,” he wrote. The players’ transfer market is built on hearsays. Footballers are constantly on the move and never like others to know about their moves. Footballers, in fact, are sometimes the last to know about the moves they are making.
They hear the whispers, read the rumours and may be stunned to know that sometimes, Romano knows about their interests earlier than they do. It’s an industry warped in influence and constant competition. Players’ agents have realised the importance of such culture influencers like the Italian and have given him incredible power to make a difference.
As the players’ transfer window opens for this summer, there are deals lined up to be reported by Romano as he leverages on his strong popularity among fans and players. The agents understand how important the noise is and know what it means in the market. The louder the moves, the better the bargain.
In January 2023, the transfer of Mykhailo Mudryk was the most talked-about across Europe. This wasn’t all down to the Ukrainian’s ‘outrageous’ talent but a media presence that constantly puts him in fans’ faces. Romano was at the centre of this transfer and used his influence to constantly shape the direction of fans’ expectations and clubs’ actions. Arsenal were reported to be at the forefront before Chelsea sprang from behind to snatch the deal, and many fans blamed the Italian for working with agents to influence deals. That’s the power of the social media.
That his reporting influences deals directly may be far thought, but that his relationship with clubs and agents do not make a difference sometimes will be to underrate the power he has gained, yet he’s not the only one in that sphere.
What has also helped Romano is his relationship with other journalists in the industry. The Athletic’s David Ornstein is a major player in the players’ transfer market in the UK and others like Romano’s compatriot, Gianluca Di Marzio also hold great respect and value. Every country has its strong voice in the industry and it greatly depends on how close these journalists are to the players.
For most football journalists, it’s about a single player, or at most, a few. The role played by Nigeria’s Oma Akatugba during Victor Osimhen’s transfer to Napoli from Lille has made him one of Naples’ better known faces in the football sphere. What makes Romano stand apart in the players and coaches’ transfer market is his global reach, regardless of place, region or player.
In a recent Twitter post, he reveals the signing of Ronald De Boer by Emirati club, Al Jazira and makes an official announcement for the club.
https://twitter.com/aljazirafc/status/1665742774937743364?s=46&t=wRHnngAKk0ZoaroHIOGgGg
That’s the sort of reach he has garnered since he came into prominence. Gone are the days young people sit by Sky Sports to know what’s happening in the players’ window, they now simply push notifications and receive every Romano post in real time. They are as current as those news outlets.
The coming years will only prove the Italian’s status as one of the biggest part of the new players’ transfer business and it shows just how much the media means to one of the most discrete businesses in professional sports.
Romano’s access to the most secretive rumours and whispers in football is shaping the industry and as Micah Richards described the players’ transfer market in his book, The Game: Player. Fan. Pundit., “the whole football industry runs on rumours and whispers.” The difference is Romano is one of those who hear it first and what an influence he’s having.