Fabrizio Romano Transfer News: Man Utd get Balde hope, Arsenal January plans, Nusa deal truth

Fabrizio Romano provides major updates on links with Alejandro Balde to Manchester United, Antonio Nusa’s future at RB Leipzig and Arsenal’s transfer plans for January.

“The Alejandro Balde situation is going to be one to watch definitely,” Romano said on YouTube. “Balde was already on the list of potential exits for Barcelona in the summer.

“Then we know the deal didn't happen with Man United or any other side because Barcelona were open to selling Balde but they were not accepting normal conditions or, for example, a loan. That was for August 2026.

“So when Man United explored the conditions of the deal, the answer from Barcelona was a permanent transfer, big money, and also the financial package for the player was important. And then at that time, Balde was not so keen on leaving Barcelona. Balde loves Barça, loves the club, loves the badge, loves the fans, loves the city. So he didn't want to go.

“Then, now in the last almost three months—August to September, September to October, and now we're about to see the international break in November—Balde is not playing. Balde is never on the pitch, and so obviously there are many links and reports.

“The story is that Balde could be open now to consider an exit in the January transfer window if the situation continues like this in the next two months. So let's see what's going to happen. It's still early, but Balde leaving Barcelona in January is not something that we have to rule out 100%, because it will depend on the proposals, on the formula, and on the player's final position. But for sure, not playing is generating these links.

Romano also opened up over Arsenal’s transfer plans, from links between Piero Hincapie and Barcelona to the club’s mentality in the January window.

“When it's about Piero Hincapié and the swap deal between Arsenal and Barcelona, I don't see this happening for one reason: Arsenal have no intention to sell Hincapié,” Romano said.

“Arsenal have no intention to change anything in their back four for the January transfer window. They are super happy with the players they have. Piero Hincapié can play as a center-back, as a left-back; he's a very important player for Mikel Arteta, and so I don't see this one happening.

“I expect Arsenal to be opportunistic in the sense that, if there is the right opportunity on the market... we know January is never an easy market, and Arsenal's mindset in the last four or five years has always been very clear: in January, either there is the right opportunity or they prefer to wait.

“Arsenal want to be smart. If there is the right opportunity, especially in attack, Arsenal can make something happen, but it has to be the right player at the right conditions.

“A new signing up front is something that I would not rule out for Arsenal. I think it's a possibility, but as of the 6th of November, we are not in a position to guarantee that Arsenal will sign a striker or will sign a forward, because this depends obviously on the opportunities.

Manchester United have already started to think about allowing Luke Shaw to leave the club when his contract expires next summer, Romano has claimed.

Romano said: "I expect Man United to do something in January in terms of new strikers. So Man United will be busy in January. We always speak about the incomings, we always speak about the coach, we always speak about the directors, but there is also going to be movement this year, heading into 2027, with Luke Shaw, for example, in terms of outgoings.

“Shaw is one of the players who is expected to leave Manchester United at the end of the season. There were reports today, and I'm told that Manchester United already started thinking about the possibility of parting ways with Luke Shaw in summer 2027. It's a serious, possible scenario.

“I expect many changes at United, to be honest, in 2027. Let's see what's going to happen with the coach again—right now, Michael Carrick remains in charge for the game with Aston Villa, but we have to see the performance. Then let's see what's going to happen with the directors, because obviously they are under scrutiny at Man United after the poor season United are having.

“So it's going to be on several positions, not just players, also in other positions. But Luke Shaw is one of those players who could be on his way out of Manchester United eventually at the end of the season.”

Romano also confirmed that he expects Antonio Nusa to leave RB Leipzig next year but that a January transfer would be ‘difficult’ unless a ‘crazy proposal’ arrived.

“In the January window, I think it's going to be difficult, because Leipzig already generated a big amount of money last summer with Ousmane Diomandé. So it was a big sale, same position—winger—obviously a different kind of player, but still a winger,” Romano said.

“And so generating big money to sell Antonio Nusa in the January window would mean to completely, probably, kill the excitement up front for this team. They still have good players, but Nusa obviously is a special one, and so to sell him in January would be complicated; it would take a crazy proposal to change the plan.

“In football, never say never, because even with Diomandé, the original plan from Leipzig in February/March 2026 was, 'Let's keep the player, let's offer a new contract, let me put a clause and sell him in 2027.' But then it was impossible when these big proposals arrived. So let's see what's going to happen there. But in January, I think it's unlikely.

“The interest around Nusa is growing, and it's growing a lot, because many top clubs are sending their scouts to follow the boy, many top clubs are talking with people close to the boy. So there is already movement around Nusa, and I would not be surprised to see something happen in general in 2027. But to say 'in January', at the moment there is still no guarantee at all.

Castello Lukeba is another player who could leave RB Leipzig in 2027, according to Romano, with the defender changing agency in anticipation of developing interest in a transfer.

"Lukeba was under consideration at several clubs in England, in Spain, even in Italy. So several clubs explored the possibility to sign him, but then it was not possible also because Leipzig were asking for very big money,” Romano said.

“Now the decision of the player is to change agency. So he's signing with a new agency, and when a player is changing agency, it's 90% of the cases because he wants to make sure that there is a move incoming.

“And so I expect Lukeba to leave in 2027—could be January, could be summer. In the summer, his release clause will drop to €65m. So the new clause is going to be €65m and can be an interesting opportunity for several clubs for Lukeba.

“But I'm also hearing that in January, Leipzig will try to keep this team, the best players in the team, as many as possible. So it's not going to be easy to get Lukeba in January, but for sure there will be movements around the boy for the summer transfer window.