Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein: The Messi and Ronaldo of football transfer news

Here we go! The three words most awaited by football supporters during the transfer window.

Be it the summer or January transfer window, fans have been closely following Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano’s updates online to know if and when the team they support has signed a player or released one.

Romano had gone largely unchallenged as the transfer news GOAT until the emergence of David Ornstein.

Now, just like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Romano and Ornstein divide opinion among fans who cannot seem to agree who between the two is the GOAT of transfer news.

Romano was the pacesetter, having become a huge draw, especially in the COVID-19-affected 2020 summer transfer window, when he broke a number of major deals that many did not think would happen and it perhaps explains why he has 18 million followers on Twitter, sorry X, while Ornstein has 2.5 million.

However, his throne is seriously under threat from the shrewd Ornstein who has ‘beaten’ him to a number of news to the amusement of fans online.

The two have totally different styles of reporting their transfer updates, Romano will take fans through the entire process from when the intention or initial contact is made until the deal is sealed before he roars ‘Here we go’ while Ornstein opts to wait until the transfer is completed before reporting.

But while fans are divided over them, the two actually have no ‘beef’ and it is common to see Romano post, “as first called by Ornstein,” acknowledging that The Athletic journalist broke the news first.

However, that friendliness does not exist among their followers, some who have gone to the extent of labeling the Italian a ‘tap in merchant’ for reporting what has already been broken by Ornstein.

Here is a sample of some of the comments from fans.

“There's a reason Fabrizio Romano has like 7x as many followers. He's the undisputed GOAT. Ornstein is very good in his own right, though,” said one fan.

"Here We Go" alone is bigger than Ornstein,” commented a Romano fan while another one said: “The Messi and Ronaldo debate but if they did transfer news.”

“Ornstein because he has dunked on ‘Taprizio’ many a times for big transfers news,” said an Ornstein supporter, with another one saying: “Fabs shalaye (explains) too much, Ornstein is a direct and straight to the point guy.”

“Ornstein any day. Fab gives a whole lot of updates about nothing even when negotiations have not intensified whereas Ornstein gives only the relevant updates and barely posts until the transfer is complete,” was the response from another.

“I know most people will disagree with me but Fabrizio is the GOAT. His updates feel like recycling but it’s just important for us to keep tabs on the progress of transfers.”

“Ornstein is a proper journalist, Fabrizio is more of an influencer,” was the opinion of another over the debate.

“Both good. But no one is touching Fabrizio presently. The number of league he covers, the players, and the accuracy of the deals down to flight information is top, top work,” says a Fab supporter.

“Ornstein is the Goat doesn’t need to tweet 50 times a day he just tweets the most important.”

Ornstein joined The Athletic in October 2019 after 12 years as a sports journalist and correspondent at the BBC. In the role of Football Correspondent, he is responsible for producing exclusive and original stories and interviews, offering unique insight and analysis.

Romano, meanwhile, started writing about football in 2009, while still studying in high school. His career as a football transfer journalist began in 2011, after receiving inside information from an Italian agent in Barcelona regarding then-Barcelona player Mauro Icardi.

Since joining Sky Sport Italy in 2012, he has created and built contacts with clubs, agents, and intermediaries all over Europe. He also works as a reporter for The Guardian and CBS Sports.

With the transfer window open until September 1, the two still have a lot to report on and fans will be queuing up for the updates.