Roma move for Kessié as D'Amico seeks to beat Massara to signing

Roma have entered the race for Franck Kessié with a concrete move. On the evening of 25 August, the club met the Ivorian midfielder's agent at a hotel in Rome and presented an offer, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The development threatens to shift the transfer landscape: Juventus, who had held the advantage in negotiations and secured the player's priority, may now be forced to accelerate their efforts to avoid being overtaken. Juventus have intensified contact in recent hours and are considering closing a deal without waiting for further outgoings. Their proposal reportedly runs for two years with an option for a third season. Roma's intervention represents a concrete step with Kessié's representatives and marks them as genuine contenders. The coming hours are expected to be decisive as both clubs battle for the midfielder's signature. The competition between Roma and Juventus will now shape the final stages of Kessié's negotiations, with each side raising the stakes to secure the player's commitment.

Alessandro Romano has become the latest academy graduate to leave Roma for a substantial fee, joining Cagliari this summer for €5 million plus add-ons after scoring on his debut for the Sardinian club. The midfielder's departure exemplifies a pattern established under José Mourinho's tenure, when Roma developed and sold players including Tahirovic, Felix and Missori at significant profit. Romano arrived at Trigoria in 2022 from Winterthur for €70,000 thanks to the initiative of Vincenzo Vergine, who ran the academy from July 2021 until September 2023. The lengthy negotiations to secure the Italian-Swiss player were competitive, as Roma were not alone in pursuit; Romano has since attracted attention from national team coach Mancini, though he has represented only Switzerland's youth sides. That same year Vergine also brought Sergej Levak, a Croatian midfielder, to the club. Levak now plays for Atalanta's under-23 side and has already caught the eye of Sarri for the senior squad, but generated no transfer profit as he left Roma on a free transfer at the end of his contract this summer. Mourinho gave league debuts to 14 academy players overall, and the broader youth system proved crucial to Roma's finances in summer 2023 when several academy products were sold to balance the accounts. Romano and Levak represent the latest generation from a pipeline that has consistently delivered sellable talent.

Roma remain active in the transfer market with multiple targets in focus as the summer window enters its final phase. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, the 22-year-old winger, continues to gain ground in Roma's pursuit of a final attacking reinforcement. New contact with Chelsea is expected in the coming hours, following the club's rejection of Roma's initial proposal of a loan with a purchase option for an overall package worth around €45 million. Chelsea have declined that formula and prefer either an outright sale or stronger guarantees on any obligation to buy. Roma's sporting director D'Amico continues to push the negotiations. Malick Fofana, 21, remains another priority target. The Lyon forward has already chosen Roma and personal terms have been agreed, but the French club's €35 million fixed fee plus €5 million in bonuses has left Roma pausing to assess the financial sustainability of another major investment following the recent signing of Mora. Lyon's Champions League qualifying match against Fenerbahce could prove pivotal; an elimination of the French side could facilitate a sale. Meanwhile, defender Jan Ziolkowski, 21, has attracted concrete interest. Parma have opened talks with Roma and tabled an offer of between €7 and €8 million for a permanent transfer. Club-to-club dialogue is described as well under way, though the proposal has not yet fully satisfied Roma's demands. Monza also remain in contention but would prefer a loan arrangement instead. Neil El Aynaoui, 25, the Moroccan midfielder, is another player Roma may be willing to sell. He is not considered untouchable, and an appropriate offer in the final week of the window could see him depart. Any significant departure would give the club greater financial room to complete the squad with the final reinforcement Gasperini has requested.