Romero reveals he learned of Man Utd squad exile through social media after £10m move collapsed

Sergio Romero has revealed he discovered he had been dropped from Manchester United’s 2020/21 Premier League squad through social media, after a deadline-day transfer to Everton collapsed over a £10 million exit fee United allegedly demanded.

The Argentine goalkeeper, who joined United from Sampdoria in 2015, had made 17 appearances across all competitions in the previous season but found himself completely frozen out under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Despite interest from Everton and other clubs, the Merseyside outfit refused to meet United’s asking price for the then-34-year-old, leaving Romero stranded without a route out and without a place in the squad.

The manner of the snub drew a fierce public response from Romero’s wife, Eliana, who took to Instagram to criticise the club’s handling of the situation. “He helped the team reach four finals/semi-finals and then was left on the bench only to lose them all,” she wrote. “It is time for them to return the opportunity and let him go. RESPECT FOR ONCE!”

In a second post, Eliana described the situation as deeply unfair. “It is a very sad day because he desired the chance to go to another club,” she wrote. “This doesn’t sound right to me. It doesn’t appear honest or professional or serious that they have to let him go.”

Romero’s fall down the pecking order accelerated when Dean Henderson returned to the club, leaving both Romero and veteran Lee Grant as backup options behind David de Gea in the Premier League and Champions League. He did not record a single appearance during the 2020/21 campaign.

Despite the acrimonious end to his time at Old Trafford, Romero’s six years at the club were not without silverware. He won the Europa League, FA Cup and EFL Cup before eventually leaving on a free transfer in 2021 to join Venezia. The goalkeeper, now 39, made just 61 appearances in total for the club across all competitions.