Romano: Inter and Juve chase Cagliari's rising star, what it means for fantasy managers

The midfield of the future, at both Inter and Juventus, runs through Cagliari. Alessandro Romano, born in 2006 and holding dual Italian-Swiss citizenship, has stood out in his first seven appearances of the season for the Sardinian club (five in Serie A, two in Coppa Italia), a run of form that has caught the eye of more than one Serie A giant, and beyond.

According to Calciomercato.com, Inter have already started moving: Marotta and Baccin would rather get ahead of the competition than end up in a bidding war, and the club remembers how well things went with Nicolò Barella, signed from Cagliari back in 2019 and turned into one of their best deals in years. A lot will also hinge on Hakan Calhanoglu, whose contract runs out in June 2027: a renewal is still possible, but his fitness after an injury-hit season still needs assessing. Should doubts over him grow, Inter could move on Romano sooner than planned.

It is not a two-way race for Inter alone, though. Tuttosport reports that Juventus are also tracking the midfielder closely, with Massara among the executives who rate him highly, and notes that Cagliari have received enquiries from the Premier League as well. Cagliari themselves are contractually obliged to buy out Romano's registration for 6.5 million euros and are looking to tie him down with a new five-year deal: his market value is said to have already topped 20 million.

Behind the sudden rise is a loan-spell apprenticeship: brought through by Donadoni, he then blossomed under D'Angelo (despite the club's relegation to Serie C), before returning to Cagliari with everything in place to make an immediate impact as a starter. Around the club, the comparison doing the rounds is with another academy product who left on loan before coming back to flourish at the parent club.

What this means for fantasy managers. On our price list Romano is valued at 7 credits, in a bracket where a good rating counts double: his status as a guaranteed starter and his above-expectations form have already pushed his price up twice since the start of the season, the latest rise coming right after matchday one. In the same role at Cagliari he shares minutes with Fazzini and Winks (also 7 credits) and Adopo (6): until the transfer talk turns into something real, he remains the pick for anyone after a cheap midfielder with real upside. A January move looks unlikely in any case, so whoever picked him up at auction can keep fielding him with confidence, while watching the coming matchdays to see whether Donadoni's trust holds up under pressure too.

The market talk, it should be said, is still just talk: neither big club has made an official move, and Cagliari themselves are working to tie him down precisely to keep the competition at bay. For now Romano remains a Cagliari player, with form that will be decided match by match before it is decided on the market.