Arsenal and Chelsea eye 21-year-old centre-back after Serie A rise

Arsenal and Chelsea are both keeping close tabs on Como centre-back Jacobo Ramón, whose development in Serie A has put him firmly back on the radar of major clubs. The 21-year-old left Real Madrid for Como in 2025 and has since grown into a much more established first-team defender.

His rise has been strong enough for Madrid to consider bringing him back, but Ramón's priority appears to be regular football rather than returning simply to fill a squad role. The same report says Real Madrid could re-sign him for €9m at the end of the season, having sold him to Como for €2.5m while retaining 50% of his rights.

Ramón has already rejected the idea of returning to Madrid as a fourth-choice centre-back, with playing time central to his thinking. AS adds that he wants to continue feeling important at Como before making a decision next summer.

Real Madridofficiallyconfirmed his transfer to Como in July 2025 after he had progressed through their academy from the age of eight and made his senior debut earlier that year. There is a clear precedent for this kind of arrangement.

Madrid recently agreed for Nico Paz to remain at Como for another season while retaining a future buy-back option, showing how comfortable the Spanish club are allowing young players to develop in Italy before revisiting their futures. He is young, already accustomed to senior football and has developed in a possession-based environment at Como.

That should appeal to Mikel Arteta, who values defenders comfortable stepping into midfield and building from the back. Chelsea's interest also makes sense, but Ramón's own stance is important.

If he is reluctant to return to Madrid without a clear route to meaningful minutes, he is unlikely to accept a similar situation elsewhere. That may help Arsenal if they can present a defined development plan.

The biggest complication is Madrid's €9m route back into the picture. For that price, they could regain control of a defender whose market value has clearly risen.

For now, Ramón appears focused on Como. But if Arsenal's interest becomes concrete, this could develop into one of next summer's more intriguing centre-back races.