Back in 2017, the transfer market felt like a free-for-all as fans desperate for updates would scour Google for thinly sourced reports, binge on YouTube creators pushing wild theories and cling to tabloid rumors that rarely came true.
Stories often veered into fantasy – like Inter Milan plotting a move for Messi – and there was no central voice to cut through the noise.
Fast forward to today, and that voice belongs to Fabrizio Romano.
The Italian journalist built an empire out of reliability, his “Here we go” catchphrase becoming the launch code of the transfer world.
A single post from him can move betting odds, sway stock prices for publicly traded clubs, and even shape negotiations.
His rise – from early work at Calciomercato.com to breaking Kai Havertz’s Chelsea move in 2020 – was powered by tireless sourcing and a global network.
By 2025, with millions of followers across X, Instagram and YouTube, he’s football’s transfer oracle.
But this summer cracked the veneer.
For the first time, Romano’s credibility came under real pressure.
A series of misfires – Morgan Gibbs-White’s “imminent” move to Tottenham that collapsed, Emerson Royal’s “Here we go” to Beşiktaş before he resurfaced at Flamengo and Victor Boniface’s failed Milan deal – left fans questioning his once-untouchable accuracy.
Even routine calls, like Eberechi Eze to Spurs before Arsenal swooped, dented trust.
Tottenham became the epicenter of disputes.
Romano reported inflated bids, sometimes double what competitors suggested.
David Ornstein of The Athletic repeatedly outflanked him, particularly on Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie.
Romano claimed Spurs were leading the chase, while Ornstein insisted Arsenal were in front – and Arsenal got their man.
In Premier League circles, many now see Ornstein as the more precise operator, if not yet the global brand Romano is.
Clubs, too, began pushing back.
Porto unveiled Luuk de Jong in total secrecy, catching even Romano off guard.
Southampton went further, announcing Mads Roerslev with a tongue-in-cheek jab: “Fabrizio didn’t tweet about this.” Their message was clear: not every deal needed to run through him.
For players, Romano’s reporting has long been both leverage and spotlight.
Many text him directly with updates, knowing a Romano post can shape public perception.
But this summer, that relationship backfired.
Victor Boniface leaked private messages after Romano misread an Instagram story, sparking backlash in Nigeria.
Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji even had to correct Romano himself, commenting under an Instagram post that linked him to Galatasaray: “Don’t know anything about that.” Romano later deleted the report.
Then came the bigger allegation: “engagement farming.”
Critics argue Romano recycles stories, posting repetitive updates to drive clicks.
Alejandro Garnacho became the case study – Romano tweeted about him 34 times in August alone, often with little new information.
Some accused him of artificially inflating players’ visibility, or worse, being paid to do so.
Romano has denied such claims, but YouTube breakdowns and Reddit threads dissected his patterns, questioning whether his focus has shifted from accuracy to amplification.
Still, the numbers don’t lie.
Out of hundreds of reports this summer, only a handful fell apart, most due to unpredictable twists – failed medicals, late hijacks, last-minute changes of heart.
For every misstep, he nailed dozens more: İlkay Gündoğan to Galatasaray, Marco Asensio, Kerem Aktürköğlu and Ederson to Fenerbahçe, Piero Hincapie to Arsenal, and countless smaller deals across Europe.
The “Here we go” still sends fans into a frenzy, its meaning unchanged despite a few duds.
So is the throne slipping? Maybe a little.
Ornstein has emerged as a rival in Premier League reporting, clubs are learning how to shield their business and Romano’s reliance on repetition has opened him to criticism.
But the transfer market remains his stage. No one else commands the same reach, speed, or global influence.
Romano’s summer of stumbles hasn’t dethroned him.
If anything, it proved just how central he is – because every miss was amplified, every rival scoop compared against him.
He remains the GOAT of transfer journalism.
And if he sometimes loops a story or chases engagement? That’s just the price of ruling a world where speculation never sleeps.
However, at the end of the day, it's, "Here we go!"
