Speaking to ex-Arsenal star Theo Walcott on the It’s Called Soccer podcast, Romano – one of the most-followed transfer journalists in the business – admitted his phone screen time is “terrible”, reaching up to 20 hours a day during busy periods of the transfer window.
Romano’s revelation offers a glimpse into the intense pressure and constant connectivity required to stay ahead in the fast-paced world of reporting transfer news. The incessant need to be available and responsive takes a clear toll on the Italian’s personal life, with the journalist always active on X and also regularly appearing on YouTube.
“[My] Screen time is terrible… it’s like 19 or 20 hours during the transfer window,” Romano told Walcott. “It’s terrible.”
He also explained that he can “never turn my phone off. It never happened I think in the last 10 years. Never ever.” The reporter went on to use Xavi Simons’ move to Tottenham as an example of the non-stop nature of the job. “It was agreed at 3am in the night. So I was working all day and at 3am I was excited like it was midday, because many things were happening and people kept calling me. You never know what’s gonna happen.”
January is still four months away, but Romano will already be preparing to break plenty of big stories. He will likely continue his relentless pursuit of transfer news, but whether he can find a way to manage his screen time and improve his work-life balance remains to be seen.
