Chelsea are set to sign 19-year-old Italy international Giulia Dragoni from Barcelona following her productive loan spell with Roma, according to The Athletic’s Megan Feringa.
Dragoni made 29 appearances last season, scoring eight goals and providing four assists. She is now expected to join Chelsea instead of returning to Barcelona, where she has played only 10 times since arriving from Inter in 2023.
The move would give Chelsea an attacker capable of playing on both wings and across midfield. It would also turn Barcelona’s decision to develop Dragoni elsewhere into an advantage for a potential European rival.
Transfer Snapshot
- Player: Giulia Dragoni
- Age: 19
- Position: Attacker/midfielder
- Current club: FC Barcelona
- Most recent loan: AS Roma
- Expected destination: Chelsea
Roma Provided the Evidence Chelsea Needed
Giulia Dragoni’s Barcelona career has produced only 10 appearances and one goal. Her two periods with Roma offered a much clearer view of what she can contribute through regular senior football.
Dragoni recorded four goals and one assist across 27 appearances during her first loan spell. She improved those numbers last season, producing eight goals and four assists in 29 matches. That progression is the strongest argument for Chelsea’s interest.
Dragoni became more influential in the final third, doubling her goal total and substantially increasing her creative output. Chelsea would therefore be signing a player whose reputation is supported by an upward trend rather than youth achievements alone.
Why Chelsea Want Her Now
Chelsea are attempting to reclaim the WSL title after Manchester City ended their seven-year run as champions. Giulia Dragoni would become their fifth signing of the summer, following Melvine Malard, Manaka Matsukubo, Nelly Las and Katie McCabe.
Those additions cover several positions, but Dragoni offers flexibility within the attacking half of the team. She can operate on either wing or move into different midfield roles, giving Sonia Bompastor more ways to organise the players behind and around the forward line. That versatility must still lead to a defined purpose.
Dragoni has already moved between Barcelona and Roma while developing several parts of her game. At Chelsea, she will need enough clarity and playing time to avoid becoming a player valued primarily because she can cover numerous positions.
A Teenager With Senior International Experience
Giulia Dragoni’s age does not reflect the amount of senior football she has already experienced. She made her Italy debut in March 2023 at 16 and has since collected 24 international appearances. Dragoni was also part of Italy’s squad at the 2023 World Cup.
Her progress received further recognition in 2024 when she won the Italian Golden Girl award as the country’s leading player under 21. That same year, Dragoni became the first Italian footballer to win the Women’s Champions League after Barcelona lifted the trophy.
Her role in Barcelona’s European triumph was part of an early career filled with major environments, but her Roma performances are more relevant to Chelsea. They show what Dragoni can produce when given sustained responsibility.
Barcelona Face a Development Question
Barcelona signed Dragoni from Inter in 2023 and extended her contract for three years in June 2024 before sending her to Roma. The loans succeeded in giving her the senior football unavailable in Barcelona’s first team. She returned from them with more appearances, greater attacking output and an established place in Italy’s national squad.
Barcelona must now decide whether that development has created a player they should retain or an opportunity to complete a transfer. Chelsea appear ready to take advantage.
This differs from Martina Fernández’s return to Barcelona, where the club brought a young defender back after an ever-present season with Everton. Dragoni’s pathway is instead expected to lead away from Catalonia.
Chelsea Must Turn Flexibility Into a Role
Dragoni would arrive with the experience of Barcelona, two seasons at Roma, a World Cup and 24 Italy appearances before turning 20. The next stage cannot be judged only by the strength of that résumé.
Chelsea must find the role that allows her Roma progress to continue, while Dragoni must prove that her attacking output can translate into the WSL.
She has already shown what regular football can unlock. The success of the transfer will depend on whether Chelsea provide enough of it.
Leave a Reply