Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen circle El Aynaoui

Roma have put negotiations for Lyon winger Malick Fofana on hold after growing concerned about the financial terms of a move. The Belgian has been Roma's primary target in recent weeks, but the club's sporting director has begun considering a rapid pivot to Gittens instead. Lyon contacted Roma this morning to push the Fofana deal forward, according to Alfredo Pedullà, but the giallorossi are reflecting on the economic aspects of the operation and have shelved the agreement temporarily. Lyon's asking price exceeds €35 million, though the French club are under pressure to sell for balance-sheet reasons and manager Fonseca has signalled openness to letting the attacking winger depart. Other clubs are also in contention for Fofana, further complicating Roma's pursuit.

Leonardo Balerdi is on the verge of joining Roma on a loan deal with a right of purchase from Marseille, with the final details close to being settled. The move is structured as a loan with the right to buy becoming an obligation once certain conditions are met. In a separate development, the Jayden Oosterwolde transfer to Roma has unexpectedly revived after appearing to collapse days ago. According to reports from the Netherlands, Roma and Fenerbahce have reached a new agreement, overcoming the disagreements that had halted negotiations. However, the final piece remains outstanding: Oosterwolde's personal approval of the transfer to the Giallorossi is still required. Elsewhere, Paulo Fonseca addressed Malick Fofana's future ahead of Le Havre's match, saying: "We need to make a sale and selling Fofana is an opportunity, but he will be in the group with us for the next match." Roma has already agreed terms with the player, though Lyon continues to demand approximately €35 million to release him. In radio commentary, Pruzzo noted that Roma's Champions League path is challenging, with opponents of generally good quality: "You have to be ready to compete with everyone." Carina added that the draw could have been more favourable, with Fenerbahce being difficult to face away in Istanbul and Sporting Lisbon presenting another stern test.

AS Roma are signing Nicolás Balerdi from Olympique Marseille as financial pressure forces the French club to sell. The centre-back will arrive at Trigoria as backup to Evan N'Dicka but can play across multiple defensive positions, including right-side centre-back in Gasperini's three-man defence. Under De Zerbi last season, Balerdi was one of Ligue 1's standout defenders, recording a pass accuracy of 92% and recovering 5.4 balls per 90 minutes. He frequently operated as a primary playmaker from the centre, averaging 82 touches per match. Roma have struggled to build play from the back since Paredes departed and lack a recognised deep midfielder—Balerdi's range of passing and composure in possession could become a key asset in Gasperini's system.

Roma's transfer activity on 28 August focused on outgoings and incomings across multiple positions. Robinio Vaz's move to Hull City moved closer to completion after the two clubs agreed terms on a loan deal worth €2 million with a €30 million purchase option. Hull and Roma have already reached an agreement, with today's key moment being a meeting between the English club and Vaz's agents to secure the player's personal approval. Vaz must still decide whether to accept the move to England, but his departure would create space for Roma to pursue an attacking wide player. Neil El Aynaoui, the 25-year-old midfielder, attracted interest from the Premier League and Bundesliga, with the player keen to find more regular playing time. Roma would prefer a permanent sale, but most offers have come in the form of loans, particularly from Germany. His potential exit could prompt Roma to seek a replacement on similar financial terms. Meanwhile, Gian Piero Gasperini has expressed a preference for Jamie Bynoe-Gittens over Malick Fofana for the attacking role, citing the Chelsea player's physical characteristics and ability to shoot. Roma made a fresh approach to Chelsea in recent days, hoping for an opening to a loan deal. Their previous proposal included approximately €3 million for the loan and a purchase option between €37 and €40 million, but Chelsea had rejected it. Roma will attempt to reopen negotiations in the final days of the window. Fofana's stock has declined after Roma completed the acquisition of Rodrigo Mora. Roma had reached agreement with the 21-year-old Lyon winger weeks earlier and structured a deal with Lyon around €30 million plus bonuses, but circumstances changed following Mora's purchase. Roma can now realistically only offer Fofana a loan with a purchase option, and some concerns persist about the Belgian's physical durability following previous ankle problems. In defence, Roma evaluated Nayef Aguerd, the 30-year-old Marseille centre-back, as a potential option to complete the rearguard. This interest came as other defensive targets cooled. Morato, the 25-year-old Brazilian centre-back, had been in close contact with Nottingham Forest but lost ground in Roma's thinking and reportedly did not fully convince Gasperini. Any defensive arrival remains dependent on Jan Ziółkowski's departure, which Roma will only greenlight once they have secured a replacement. Roma also monitored younger talent. Ante Mardešić, a 17-year-old Croatian midfielder from Trnje's 2009 generation, spent two weeks on trial at Trigoria and impressed Roma's staff sufficiently that the club now intends to negotiate his signing for the youth setup. Roma also made an exploratory enquiry about Rocco Vata, a 21-year-old Irish winger at Watford, though Bologna have also moved for him. The club's final-window priorities remain Bynoe-Gittens and Fofana for the attacking department. Separately, Malick Fofana attracted additional suitors when Hull City signalled interest in the Lyon winger, who the French club values at approximately €35 million.

Roma's pursuit of a left-sided attacking midfielder dominates transfer discussion across Rome radio as the summer window approaches its final days. Commentators on Tele Radio Stereo, Rete Sport and Radio Radio debate whether Gasperini will land his primary target—a wide forward he has been seeking for 15 months—or be forced into a late compromise. Lorenzo Pes stated: "Between Gittens and Fofana, the first is preferred especially by the coach. As long as there is time to do it, Roma will try to construct the operation with Chelsea. The English club has not yet given openings, but Roma will continue to push. If it becomes clear there will be no margin, then we will go to Fofana. The agreement there you had already found. But Gittens has the financial and technical favour, and for this remains the favourite. The two clubs have good relations." Pes added that Gittens would arrive on loan if a deal is struck in the final hours of the market. Alessio Nardo expressed frustration at the extended delay. "Surreal this situation. Gasperini has been asking for this attacking winger profile for 15 months. The important thing is not to find ourselves taking the Zaragoza of the moment on the last day of the market. You must take someone strong, an added starter and not the last leftover that happens to you. You are still in serious delay—we are at the end of a very long transfer campaign and you are still missing that player there. It has become a novel. It would be grotesque to end up with the short end of the stick, and even more demoralizing to take the Zaragoza of the moment at the last." Gianluca Piacentini noted that Roma correctly declined to sign Oosterwolde and that Gasperini likely prefers a player with different physical characteristics than Mora, making Fofana an option—though Gittens's loan structure makes him likely to arrive only in the final window hours if at all. Francesca Ferrazza reported that Roma has neither confirmed nor denied interest in Kessié or Fofana, describing the situation as "very very complicated" and dependent on other pieces falling into place. She also noted that Gasperini's reaction to El Aynaoui's approach in training "does not drive him crazy," raising questions about the winger's future. Piero Torri suggested Kessié's agent approached Roma as leverage to accelerate Juventus's interest, implying Roma is being used in a negotiating game. Roberto Pruzzo expressed scepticism about Kessié's fit for Serie A and backed the idea of selling El Aynaoui if Roma can bring in a player with different strengths. He predicted a 2–0 Lecce result, while Nando Orsi suggested De Roon as an unconventional alternative despite his 35 years and predicted a draw. Checco Oddo Casano warned Roma could be left empty-handed if decisions do not come before Friday and the weekend fixture congestion dilutes focus. The club remains without a fifth defender and a left-sided midfielder as the window enters its final stretch.

Roma are positioning themselves to sign Franck Kessié ahead of Juventus in the closing stages of the transfer window. Juventus tabled an offer of €3.5 million per season over two years with a view to a third, but Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma are preparing a superior proposal for the free agent midfielder, who departed Al Ahli. Gasperini worked with Kessié at Atalanta early in the Ivorian's career and is keen to reunite with him at Roma. The move would come as Neil El Aynaoui, signed last summer from Lens, faces a probable departure after limited involvement under Gasperini. El Aynaoui's exit would provide Roma with funds to pursue Kessié, a 1996-born midfielder and Italian champion with Milan in 2022. Juventus held talks with Kessié's representatives in Milan on 28 August, but Roma's interest and willingness to exceed Juve's financial terms puts the club from the Capitale in pole position to secure the player.