Greenwood opportunity cools as Roma eyes Leweling and Rafa Leão alternatives

Jayden Oosterwolde will join AS Roma on loan from Fenerbahce with a €18 million option to buy that can become an obligation under certain conditions, the club confirmed on 22 August 2026. The Dutch defender has agreed a four-year contract with a further option extending to 2031, worth €1.6 million net per season. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has secured what is intended as the penultimate addition to Roma's summer transfer business. Roma's interest in Oosterwolde dates back to at least January 2026, but the club moved decisively in recent days to complete the move. The 24-year-old will operate as a left-sided centre-back in Gasperini's three-man defensive line, and can also play as an attacking midfielder. He is expected to arrive in the capital within hours to undergo medical testing and sign his contract.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini confirmed in a press conference that the club still has two vacant squad slots to fill with ten days remaining in the transfer window. "Whoever arrives is strongly desired and wants strongly to come and play for Roma," Gasperini said. He acknowledged the shift in transfer strategy imposed by Financial Fair Play constraints. "We started with very high-profile names, that is no secret. But we had to confront the need to keep the wage bill under certain limits. So you cannot go and pick established players." Roma face Fiorentina in their Serie A campaign opener in less than 48 hours. On Paulo Dybala's fitness, Gasperini expressed optimism: "He will have a great season. The hope is that no anomalies happen like last year." The club continues to pursue reinforcements before the August deadline, with the recruitment focus now shifted toward more cost-effective targets that fit within stricter financial parameters.

Oosterwolde embodies the prototype of the modern full-back for Gasperini: pure centre-back physicality combined with high running volume and an appetite to influence the final third—a profile Arsenal has long deployed in players such as Hincapié and former Roma man Calafiori. The statistics from his last season at Fenerbahce tell the story. In both the Super Lig and Europa League, Oosterwolde ranked among the best for crosses and crossing success rate, averaging 0.21 crosses per match with a 43% success rate in the Super Lig, alongside a high volume of potential assists (0.07 per match, an exceptional figure for a centre-back) and ball recovery in the opponent's third. Roma require varied weapons to trouble opponents. Gasperini's plan is to deploy a left-sided defender who operates either as part of a three-man defence in the Mancini mould or on the left flank as a Wesley replacement with a profile closer to Molina's—combining defensive solidity with attacking threat.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini confirmed in a press conference that the club still has two vacant squad slots to fill with ten days remaining in the transfer window. "Whoever arrives is strongly desired and wants strongly to come and play for Roma," Gasperini said. He acknowledged the shift in transfer strategy imposed by Financial Fair Play constraints. "We started with very high-profile names, that is no secret. But we had to confront the need to keep the wage bill under certain limits. So you cannot go and pick established players." Roma face Fiorentina in their Serie A campaign opener in less than 48 hours. On Paulo Dybala's fitness, Gasperini expressed optimism: "He will have a great season. The hope is that no anomalies happen like last year." The club continues to pursue reinforcements before the August deadline, with the recruitment focus now shifted toward more cost-effective targets that fit within stricter financial parameters.

Gian Piero Gasperini held his pre-match press conference at Trigoria two days before Roma's season opener against Fiorentina, addressing the squad's current state and the club's transfer strategy. The coach confirmed the squad remains incomplete, stating: "We still have two vacant slots for four players", but expressed satisfaction with the new arrivals and their commitment to the club. On young midfielder Rodrigo Mora, Gasperini said: "He is a very young lad, but has already reached important levels. He is a very important investment for the society." Dybala and Soulé are in excellent condition, while Gasperini was emphatic about Manu Koné's future: "For me at Roma he is a fundamental player." On the broader challenge ahead, the coach said: "We start from zero every year" and stressed the priority of making a strong opening: "What we don't lack is the will to start strong immediately." Gasperini acknowledged the constraints of financial fair play, explaining that further signings will arrive only if they represent genuine added value to the squad. The club remains active in the transfer market as the window approaches its close. Left-back Jayden Oosterwolde is now close to joining Roma from Fenerbahce on a loan deal with a right of purchase set at €17–18 million, which can become an obligation under certain conditions. The negotiation is in an advanced stage as the club works to finalise the remaining details. Chelsea has closed the door on any exit for winger Jamie Gittens, refusing to consider the loan formula Roma requested. That pursuit therefore remains blocked. Away from the pitch, radio analyst Pugliese noted that the current leadership differs from last season's Massara–Ranieri administration, which had repeatedly stated a significant sale would be needed to respect UEFA's financial rules and avoid European competition exclusion. No major departure has occurred, raising the prospect of substantial fines and squad restrictions. Analyst Marcacci warned that sales of Neil El Aynaoui and Jan Ziółkowski would represent a significant financial benefit but a notable technical loss, particularly in El Aynaoui's case.

Roma's recruitment this summer has been solid without delivering the transformational signing head coach Gasperini believed would unlock scudetto ambitions. The club secured a Champions League return and approaches its centenary in a position of genuine hope, yet the window carries an air of incompleteness. Gasperini had nursed real title dreams and was convinced that one or two top-tier additions could lift Roma out of the dreamlike state that has gripped the club since 2001. Players such as Greenwood, Summerville, Nusa and Fofana were mooted—names that offered greater guarantees than the squad possessed—but none arrived. Roma instead finds itself in a crowded midfield battle alongside Como, Milan, Juventus and Atalanta, unable to close the gap with Inter and Milan. The squad is measurably stronger than last year's. The article cites positional switches: Castro replaces Dovbyk, Molina comes in for Çelik, and Mora arrives for Bailey. Gasperini acknowledged both D'Amico's serious work in the transfer market and the communication difficulties with the Friedkin ownership. Crucially, Roma held firm by not selling any major players, but equally failed to move on the fringe figures who might have opened the door to genuine transformation. The absence of a headline signing—the kind of arrival that might force police to station units at Rome's airports—leaves the club without that superhero figure to lean on during difficult moments. Gasperini knows the squad is not title-contenders material, perhaps not even Champions League material despite finishing third last season. The coach had hoped the previous miracle result might unlock previously blocked spending channels, constrained by UEFA regulations that have clouded Roma's waters for years. That reckoning will arrive in the coming months. Much depends on Paulo Dybala's form, on the promises Mora delivers and on Donyell Malen's consistency. Ten days remain before the season begins. Until then, the sense of wanting but being unable to act lingers unresolved.