Roma's pursuit of Leweling ended in failure on the final day of the transfer window. Gianluigi D'Amico, the club's negotiator, had intensified efforts for the German winger in recent days, viewing him as the perfect profile for a Roma squad targeting the Serie A title. The deal appeared to be progressing well until Leweling himself applied the brakes, his initial refusal to move to the capital cooling negotiations.
On 1 September, however, Roma reopened everything. The club raised its offer to €30 million plus €5 million in bonuses and, according to Sky Sport, secured Leweling's openness to a transfer to the capital. Roma believed in the move and committed fully to closing it before the 20:00 window deadline. To underline their intent, the club chartered an aircraft to transport Leweling to Ciampino airport, with departure scheduled for 16:00 from Stuttgart. The plan was in motion—until it abruptly was not.
The flight was cancelled, and from that moment everything unravelled. The negotiation cooled completely and ultimately collapsed. There were no longer the technical procedures available to complete the operation. Leweling will not be Gasperini's new left-winger. Roma tried until the last moment, raised their offer, secured the player's willingness to move, and gave everything. But it was not enough. The transfer window closed without that final push, without the left-sided attacker the head coach had pursued until the very end.
Story Coverage2 sources on this story
Roma's pursuit of Stuttgart winger Leweling collapsed on transfer deadline day despite a last-ditch effort by the club. Roma raised their offer to €30 million plus €5 million in bonuses and secured the player's willingness to join, with the club even chartering a flight to transport him to Ciampino airport for a 16:00 departure on 1 September. However, the flight was cancelled, and negotiations unravelled completely. Without time to complete the necessary procedures before the 20:00 window deadline, the deal fell through entirely.
Elsewhere on deadline day, Roma proved far more decisive in defence of their squad. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini blocked any sale of midfielder Manu Koné despite Chelsea's formal €60 million opening bid, with the Blues even offering winger Gittens on loan as part of a wider package. Roma's ownership made clear hours before the window closed that Koné would not be sold. The club also completed several outgoings: Belgian winger Malick Fofana left for Sunderland in a €30 million-plus-bonus deal, while full-back Robinio Vaz joined Hull City on loan with a €2 million fee and €30 million purchase option. The status of Neil El Aynaoui's move to Leipzig remained uncertain as the window shut.
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“Leweling non sarà la nuova ala di Gasperini. La Roma ci ha provato sul serio. Fino all'ultimo. Ma alla fine il mercato potrebbe chiudersi senza quell'ultimo colpo tanto voluto da Gasp. E non solo. Ma procediamo con ordine. D'Amico, negli ultimi giorni, aveva virato con forza sul tedesco. Era il…”
Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.
