Gasperini pushes for winger as Vaz loan to Hull City blocked

Roma are pursuing reinforcements on three fronts with three days left in the transfer window. Sporting director Tony D'Amico has reached agreement with Zenit Saint Petersburg for Luiz Henrique on a paid loan with a conditional right of redemption that converts to an obligation, pending the Brazilian's final approval. Other options for a left-sided attacking midfielder remain under consideration: Jamie Gittens, with Chelsea evaluating a loan opening; Jamie Leweling of Stuttgart; and Ecuadorian prospect Keny Arroyo from Cruzeiro. In midfield, Neil El Aynaoui is set to leave for RB Leipzig in a deal worth €4 million for the loan, €25 million for the right of redemption, and a percentage of any future resale. To replace him, Roma have secured Marten De Roon. The Dutchman has asked Atalanta to release him to reunite with coach Gian Piero Gasperini and play in the Champions League. The transfer could be completed in the coming days through a gentlemen's agreement worth €1 million with the Bergamo club, though the deal has drawn some scepticism from supporters on social media. Gasperini, appointed in 2025, is overseeing a significant reshaping of Roma's squad ahead of their Champions League campaign this season.

Roma have reshuffled their midfield, selling Neil El Aynaoui to Leipzig on a loan deal worth €4 million with a €25 million purchase option, and signing Marten de Roon from Atalanta for €1 million. De Roon, one of Gasperini's trusted lieutenants, requested a move and agreed terms within hours on 29 August, keen to play Champions League football. The Dutch midfielder arrives as El Aynaoui's replacement and bolsters Roma's options in the engine room. Roma had also scouted André from Wolverhampton and Rios, linked with Besiktas, but moved quickly for De Roon once the opportunity arose. The club continues to hunt for a left winger who can play on the right flank—a priority for several seasons. Targets include Fofana and Gittens, though Roma have also registered interest in Luiz Henrique of Zenit, described as a left-footed winger who prefers playing on his right. Chelsea have signalled openness to loaning Gittens, while Stuttgart's Leweling is also in contention. Meanwhile, centre-back Balerdi, departing Marseille after six years, arrived in Rome on 29 August. For now, Roma's wing-back contingent—Wesley, Rensch, Molina and Lulli—will all be right-footed until January. The club has pursued this profile consistently over the past year, seeking greater balance in wider areas.

Roma are moving to strengthen their squad in the final three days of the transfer window with two major pieces in place. Marten De Roon has agreed terms with Roma and asked Atalanta to release him so he can join his former manager Gasperini for the Champions League campaign. De Roon would replace Neil El Aynaoui, who is heading to Leipzig on a deal worth 4 million for a loan and 25 million for the right to buy, plus a sell-on percentage. The clubs could reach a gentlemen's agreement that sees Roma pay Atalanta 1 million to complete the move, with De Roon potentially arriving in the city as early as today. In parallel, Roma have targeted a left-sided attacking player as a priority and have now opened negotiations for Luiz Henrique, a Brazilian at Zenit Saint Petersburg who was brought to the World Cup by Ancelotti. Although Henrique played on the left early in his career at Fluminense, he now operates primarily on the right wing, where he favours cutting inside with his left foot. Roma have tabled an offer to Zenit structured as a loan with a conditional right to buy that converts to an obligation; the clubs have agreed terms, and now the player's approval is needed. Roma continue to explore other options on the wing. Jamie Gittens at Chelsea remains a target, with Chelsea apparently open to a loan arrangement for the English winger. Roma's recruitment staff are also tracking Jamie Leweling of Stuttgart and have made enquiries about Keny Arroyo, an Ecuadorian prospect born in 2006 now at Cruzeiro, through intermediaries.

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens of Chelsea remains Roma's primary transfer target, with sporting director D'Amico intent on strengthening the offer to the Blues by inserting a buyback option based on the English winger's appearances. Roma continue to press for the deal despite Chelsea's reluctance to sanction a loan, with Bynoe-Gittens preferred over Lyon's Fofana on both technical and physical grounds. The move forward may be aided by Robinio Vaz's imminent departure to Hull City, which could free up resources and space in the squad. Fofana remains a complicated alternative. Lyon are willing to sell but only on a permanent basis; D'Amico has secured agreement with the French club on a €30 million plus €3 million bonus structure but has not yet received approval from Roma's ownership to proceed. Both Hull City and Sunderland have registered interest in Fofana in recent days, adding competition to the pursuit. A surprise signing cannot be ruled out as Roma continue to reshape their attacking options.

Neil El Aynaoui is in concrete danger of leaving Roma, with Crystal Palace having made an official opening bid structured as a loan with a right of purchase that could become mandatory on certain conditions. The offer does not satisfy Roma's valuation of €30–35 million, which demands either an outright sale or a guaranteed obligation to buy. Bayer Leverkusen has also registered interest, while Saudi Arabian clubs approached the player in recent days. The significance of a potential departure extends far beyond a single transaction: it would mark the near-complete dismantling of the squad assembled by sporting director Frederic Massara just one year ago. El Aynaoui was signed from Lens for €23 million plus €2 million in add-ons in summer 2025, representing one of Massara's principal investments alongside a lengthy pursuit of midfielder Richard Rios, who had been identified by coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Within twelve months the landscape has shifted entirely. El Aynaoui has not become a central figure in Gasperini's Roma, and a sale in the €30–35 million range would recover the original investment and generate a profit useful for UEFA financial compliance. Yet the sale would crystallise a broader pattern: the systematic removal of Massara's summer 2025 recruits—Wesley, Daniele Ghilardi, Evan Ferguson, Bailey, Jan Ziółkowski, and others—in favour of a squad more precisely aligned with Gasperini's demands. Of that original cohort, only Wesley and Donyell Malen (signed in January 2026) remain unchallenged, both having received Gasperini's direct endorsement. Bailey departed in January; Ferguson and Kostas Tsimikas returned to their parent clubs; Zaragoza, Venturino, and Zelezny have left; Ziółkowski is bound for Monza; Robinio Vaz has reached an agreement with Hull City on a paid loan with a right of purchase. The article frames the matter as a fundamental mismatch between Gasperini's precise tactical requirements—intensity, one-on-one strength, athleticism, aggression, defensive commitment in open play, and position-specific qualities—and Massara's recruitment trajectory. El Aynaoui, at 25 years old and in his prime with genuine international market interest from Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen, is scarcely a failed signing; a €35 million sale on a €25 million net spend is not a financial disaster. Yet the underlying tension is unavoidable: when a coach considers almost all his sporting director's signings from one year expendable within the next twelve months, something fundamental in the original construction has failed. A sale of El Aynaoui would convert a principal investment from the previous summer into capital to reinvest in a midfield and attacking flank now sought by Gasperini. The article poses a critical question as Roma seek to correct course: how much would it have cost to build a coherent squad aligned with Gasperini from the outset, rather than spending a year acquiring, waiting, selling, and repurchasing? Sporting director Tony D'Amico must construct a roster that is recognisable, coherent, and durable, because Roma has already consumed a year absorbing marketplace misalignment. Should El Aynaoui depart, Wesley and Malen will stand as the principal survivors—both chosen with Gasperini's strong approval.

Roma are in the final stages of securing Leonardo Balerdi from Marseille as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's chosen central defender. The Argentine is expected in the capital for medical tests and to sign a contract. The move is structured as an initial loan fee of between 1 and 2 million euros with a conditional obligation to buy; overall valuations range between approximately 16 and 20 million euros. Should Roma exercise the purchase clause, Balerdi will commit to a contract until 2031. The 27-year-old recently dealt with a calf injury. Simultaneously, Roma continue to push for Chelsea's Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Gasperini's first choice to complete the attack. Negotiations with the Blues have intensified in recent hours through an intermediary, with Roma proposing a costly loan with a conditional mandatory purchase obligation totalling more than 40 million euros. Chelsea have resisted opening the door to a temporary transfer, but fresh contact is scheduled for today to seek a breakthrough. Malick Fofana of Lyon remains a secondary option; Lyon have categorised the 21-year-old Belgian as a potential departure following their Champions League elimination and demand an outright sale rather than a loan. Roma and Lyon had previously worked on a base of 30 million euros plus 3 million in bonuses, though the club's ownership is yet to greenlight the investment. Outgoings are also progressing. Robinio Vaz, 19, is on the verge of departing to Hull City on a loan deal worth 2 million euros; discussions over the purchase obligation range between 18 and 30 million euros, and the striker has not trained with the squad due to transfer activity. Neil El Aynaoui, the 25-year-old Moroccan midfielder, remains in limbo; Roma expect official proposals in the coming hours and have made clear they will only sanction a permanent sale at the right price. Crystal Palace and several German clubs have shown interest, but only loan offers have arrived so far. Roma also scouted Keny Arroyo, 20, an attacking winger from Cruzeiro, as a possible alternative to Gittens and Fofana. The Brazilian, who recorded 7 goals and 3 assists last season, arrived at Cruzeiro from Besiktas for 8.5 million euros and is under contract until 2029; Rome have made no formal offer and Cruzeiro show no willingness to sell at this stage. André Trindade, a 25-year-old Brazilian midfielder at Wolverhampton, has entered Roma's midfield shortlist following an initial inquiry, though no formal negotiation has been reported. Franck Kessié's link to Roma has cooled significantly, with the Ivorian set for Atalanta instead, and journalist Matteo Moretto confirmed that Roma consider their midfield complete unless departures occur.