Jacobo Ramon has been named in a senior Spain squad for the first time, and the Como center-back arrives with a public endorsement from his new head coach that points straight at his Italian club.
“Como is one of the best-playing teams in Europe. There are certain parallels with our style. Their players embody our vision of football,” Luis de la Fuente said at the squad unveiling, according to Goal.
The 21-year-old defender joins up for the Nations League group-stage double-header against Czechia at Letná Stadium in Prague on Thursday, 12 November, and England at the Metropolitano in Madrid on Sunday, 15 November, with Spain already through to the quarter-finals.
A Madrid-shaped background
Ramon is a product of Real Madrid’s academy who was sold by the Castilla reserve side to Como in the summer of 2025 for a reported €2.5 million, with a buy-back clause tucked into the deal.
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That clause sits at around €9 million, exercisable in 2026, 2027 or 2028, while Transfermarkt now rates him at €45 million. Reports in Spain and Italy expect Madrid to exercise the option at the end of this season, and sister cases at Como, including Nico Paz, show the buy-back route is not always the end of the story.
His contract with the Serie A club runs until 30 June 2030, and he has been close to an ever-present this season under Cesc Fabregas, playing almost every minute of Como’s first 14 competitive matches.
Praise with a shortlist in mind
The call-up lands in a week of heavy transfer attention. Several reports indicate Premier League clubs have already made inquiries ahead of a possible resale by Madrid, without any club being named on the record.
De la Fuente’s message to the player himself was simpler, with the coach telling reporters via Goal that Ramon “is having a great season and doing a great job with the U21s” and calling his form “exceptional”.
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Spain’s senior center-back group now includes Ramon alongside Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, and Dean Huijsen, with Barcelona’s Eric Garcia ruled out through injury.
The road to Prague
De la Fuente’s wider point was about a pipeline. He argued that Ramon being older than Huijsen and Cubarsi is itself a sign the Spanish system is working, with experienced internationals acting as teachers for the next wave.
Spain gather at Las Rozas on 9 November before flying to the Czech Republic. A win in Prague combined with a draw against England in Madrid would wrap up Group A3 outright.
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