Calciomercato Roma LIVE: Leweling si complica. Muro per Koné

Chelsea have made official contact with Roma regarding midfielder Manu Koné, but head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has closed the door on any departure. The English club reached out to Roma overnight between 31 August and 1 September, seeking to understand the conditions and feasibility of a move for the French midfielder. Chelsea had already been in contact with Koné's agents for several days but took the step of approaching Roma directly in the final hours of the transfer window. Gasperini is unwilling to let Koné leave, particularly with just hours remaining before the market closes. Fabrizio Romano reported that Roma remain calm about the situation, stating there is nothing advanced in discussions with Chelsea and that Gasperini and the club view Koné as fundamental to their project. The situation remains fluid, with reports suggesting both an acceleration in talks and Gasperini's firm resistance creating contradictory signals. Meanwhile, Roma have also been linked with a loan move for Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, which could potentially form part of a wider operation with Chelsea if negotiations progress. According to reports, Chelsea have been evaluating various midfield targets and are also considering prospects for a January move, particularly should Enzo Fernández depart. Matteo Moretto confirmed that at present there is a first contact between the two clubs but no official offer or concrete figures have been tabled by Chelsea. The reporter noted that while Gasperini rejected the possibility of Koné's departure yesterday, Chelsea have now shown concrete interest, leaving the question of whether Roma's position might shift in the coming hours before the window closes.

Roma face a transfer impasse as Stuttgart's Jamie Leweling delays his decision to move to the Stadio Olimpico. Gian Piero Gasperini has requested an attacking winger, and the club has reached a broad agreement with Stuttgart in principle, but Leweling has not yet given his final approval to the transfer. The deadlock is testing the patience of the Roma fanbase and has prompted reactions from the entertainment world. Damiano David, the singer and former frontman of Måneskin, has publicly commented on the situation with his characteristic humour. David, a lifelong Roma supporter, posted on X in response to journalist Gianluca Di Marzio's coverage, describing Leweling's hesitation with the quip: "What a stinker." The comment quickly circulated online and drew support from numerous fans. This is not David's first public expression of opinion on Roma's transfer activity; he had commented only weeks earlier on the arrival of young prospect Rodrigo Mora with the remark: "It makes me want to cry." Roma's hierarchy and coaching staff share the frustration. The closing stages of the transfer window present the club with two routes forward: either unlock the Leweling deal or decisively pursue alternative targets to provide Gasperini with the attacking reinforcement he has demanded.

Chelsea have offered Roma €60 million plus winger Gittens on a free loan for midfielder Manu Koné, but the transfer is off after Gasperini and sporting director D'Amico opposed the sale in the final hours of the window. Roma had begun identifying replacements—Fofana, Hojbjerg and Keita were on their list—but the head coach's intervention killed the move. Gasperini made his stance clear at a press conference on 31 August, saying: "No one has ever spoken to me about departures, neither Koné nor anyone else. Especially not at this moment, 24 hours before the market closes. I also know that the ownership does not agree with sales. I don't know who presented themselves, because we've never received any official offers either, so this needs to be denied as well." Club sources are optimistic about Koné's permanent stay. Chelsea and Roma held talks overnight to discuss both Koné and Gittens. Roma are searching for an attacking winger and Gittens remains Gasperini's preferred candidate for the role; Chelsea intended to include him in a package deal alongside the midfielder. However, Gasperini and D'Amico were unwilling to sell Koné, and while the decision would normally have passed to ownership, the coach's opposition proved decisive. The Gittens route remains open as a separate possibility.