Kessié–Juventus talks stall; Roma monitoring situation

Roma's attempt to sign Malick Fofana is facing mounting competition. Hull City has already reached an agreement with the Belgian forward, and Sunderland have now entered the race after encountering difficulties with their primary target, Paixão. Lyon are demanding approximately €30 million for Fofana, but Roma can only pursue a loan deal with a right to purchase — a structure the French club have rejected. Gittens of Chelsea remains on Roma's shortlist as an alternative target.

Roma have made an approach to Cruzeiro for Brazilian winger Keny Arroyo as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini continues his search for a left-sided attacker, with three days remaining in the transfer window. ESPN Brasil reported the enquiry into the 2006-born Arroyo, who has scored 7 goals and provided 3 assists in 40 appearances for Cruzeiro this season. Chelsea's Gittens and Lyon's Fofana remain ahead of Arroyo in Roma's hierarchy, but the Giallorossi have now sounded out the Brazilian club on terms and feasibility. No formal offer has been submitted; the contact was exploratory only to establish conditions for a potential deal. Cruzeiro's position is firm: the player is not for sale at present.

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.

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.

Neil El Aynaoui's future at Roma remains uncertain as the transfer window enters its final phase. The midfielder is among the players Roma could offload in the coming days, but the terms being offered present a significant obstacle to a swift exit. Crystal Palace and several German clubs have shown interest, but all overtures so far have been structured around loan deals, possibly with a right of redemption attached. Roma will not accept those conditions. The club wants to sell El Aynaoui on a permanent basis if it chooses to part with him, rather than defer the matter to next summer. Without a concrete proposal for an outright purchase of his contract, El Aynaoui is likely to remain at the club. The final days of the window could yet shift the picture, but Roma will require a substantially different offer from those received to date before allowing him to leave. El Aynaoui joined Roma on a five-year deal from Lens last summer. The closing stages of the transfer market may still produce surprises, but the club's clear preference for a permanent sale means his departure is far from guaranteed.

Franck Kessié remains unsigned in the final days of the transfer window after failing to reach an agreement with Juventus despite being in pole position for his signature. The Ivorian midfielder, free after departing Al Ahli, has circulated in Roma's orbit for several days. Gasperini, who worked with Kessié at Atalanta, would be pleased to reunite with him, and Roma could make a move should they offload Moroccan Neil El Aynaoui. El Aynaoui is on the market but has attracted only loan interest so far, with Crystal Palace and German clubs having made approaches. Roma could pursue Kessié as a free agent in the closing stages of the window, but the operation would prove complex. The obstacles are substantial: agent commissions, a signing bonus, and wages all present barriers to a deal—the same complications that have also blocked Juventus from completing a move.