Roma eyes Nkunku move as summer recruitment drive stalls

Roma have decided against signing free agents to strengthen their squad this summer, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini unconvinced of the approach. The club had allocated roughly €30 million for Leweling, and those funds will now be redirected to the January transfer window, with the club's strategy shaped by how this opening phase of the season unfolds. Jadon Sancho, whose transfer pursuit by Roma was revived in recent reports, will remain out of reach — the player missed Roma's opportunity a year ago and there are no remaining slots to fill. Wilfried Zaha, aged 33, initially appeared to match Roma's requirements but has suffered multiple health problems in recent years and has declined markedly from the Premier League standard of three to four seasons ago. Rafa Guerreiro was another candidate as an experienced left-back capable of playing on the offensive flank if needed, but the Portuguese player suffered recurring muscle problems last season, leaving Roma wary. Gasperini's stated preference is for a physical profile that Guerreiro does not provide.

Roma have declined an approach to sign Raphaël Guerreiro as a free agent, with director Tony D'Amico rejecting the proposal from intermediaries. The Portuguese defender and midfielder, who can operate on the left flank or in central midfield, was presented to the club's hierarchy but has not progressed beyond an initial offer. According to Fabrizio Romano, the deal remains inactive, with Roma having taken no official steps to open formal negotiations. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's priorities centre on maintaining numerical and tactical balance across key positions rather than adding depth at full-back or midfield. The 31-year-old, a former Borussia Dortmund player with extensive European experience, does not currently fit Roma's transfer strategy, and barring unexpected developments in the coming weeks, the prospect is unlikely to be revisited.

Roma rejected Chelsea's advances for Manu Koné during the summer transfer window, turning away concrete interest from the London club without fielding a formal bid. Chelsea had identified the French midfielder as their ideal replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who joined Manchester City. Despite the potential financial benefit to Roma's accounts, sporting director Tony D'Amico and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini agreed that sacrificing such a central figure in Gasperini's system would undermine the team's ambitions. For the Piedmont-born coach, Koné is an indispensable fixture, deployed consistently since arriving in the capital and only absent through injury. Koné's athleticism and ability to swing the momentum of play make him the essential cog in Roma's territorial dominance. Gasperini has relied on the midfielder heavily across Roma's opening fixtures, and he delivered a standout performance in the recent home victory against Atalanta. In that match, Koné recovered seven loose balls and made two interceptions, providing constant support on the transition while working alongside Bryan Cristante with precision in play-switching and through-balls to the forward line. The number 28's contributions since the start of the season—following solid outings against Fiorentina and Lecce—underline why Roma chose to keep him. The rejuvenation of Roma's midfield structure depends on his presence and consistency, a factor that outweighed any transfer fee Chelsea might have offered.