EPL: Gary Neville surprised Chelsea didn’t sign Cristian Romero

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has expressed his surprise that Chelsea did not sign Cristian Romero during the 2026 summer transfer window.

Chelsea spent more than £300 million on over 10 new players during the transfer window as manager Xabi Alonso looked to strengthen his squad. The Blues brought in three defenders — Maxence Lacroix, Marco Palestra and Pep Chavarria — but missed out on Romero.

Romero, who previously captained Tottenham Hotspur, had attracted interest from Chelsea before eventually completing a move to Atletico Madrid.

Speaking on The Overlap, Neville revealed that he would have welcomed the Argentine defender at Chelsea.

“It may seem unusual, but I would actually welcome Cristian Romero in my squad; I would not object to that. I am surprised Chelsea did not secure his signing.

“It is possible that Tottenham were reluctant to sell him to Chelsea, but I was still taken aback that Chelsea did not acquire him.”

Neville believes Romero would have been particularly suited to Alonso’s tactical system, especially with Chelsea expected to use a back-three formation.

“I believed he would have been an excellent fit for them as that assertive centre-back in a back-three setup. I am surprised they did not bring him in,” he said.

Despite missing out on Romero, Chelsea have made an impressive start to the new Premier League season. They have won both of their opening matches, scoring at least three goals against Fulham and Brighton.

Cole Palmer also appears to have regained his best form, while his partnership with Joao Pedro and new signing Morgan Rogers has strengthened Chelsea’s attack.

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The Blues will face their toughest test so far when they travel to the Emirates to take on defending champions Arsenal in gameweek three.