Roma's Young Players Drive Balance Sheet: From Felix to Romano Through Tahirovic
Transfer News·29 June 2026·52d ago

Roma's Young Players Drive Balance Sheet: From Felix to Romano Through Tahirovic

Source: Forza Roma

Roma has relied heavily on selling young academy graduates to balance its books over the past four years, generating substantial revenue while protecting its established squad. Since 2022, the club has disposed of numerous youth products, including Felix Afena-Gyan (€6 million plus bonuses to Cremonese in 2022), Riccardo Calafiori (€2.5 million to Basilia with 40% resale clause), Benjamin Tahirovic and Cristian Volpato (€7.5 million each to Ajax and Sassuolo respectively in 2023), and Joao Costa (€9 million to Al-Ettifaq in 2024). Most recently, Alessandro Romano transferred to Cagliari for €5 million plus performance bonuses. This strategy aligns with the Friedkin Group's approach to comply with UEFA's Settlement Agreement, reducing accumulated losses and restoring financial sustainability—the club prefers paying UEFA penalties over accepting roster limitations rather than conducting fire sales of its key players.

The Calafiori situation illustrates the long-term value creation from these sales. Roma pursued legal action against Basilea over resale percentages following the defender's move to Bologna and subsequently Arsenal, ultimately securing a settlement of approximately €6–6.5 million. Similarly, Edoardo Bove's 2024 loan to Fiorentina (over €11 million with performance clauses) may yield Roma €10–15 million from insurance recovery following his medical emergency. José Mourinho's tenure significantly enhanced the club's ability to market young talent effectively, securing profitable exits even with minimal first-team appearances.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

Volpato, Joao Costa, Zalewski: altri giovani che hanno lasciato la Capitale portando denaro prezioso nelle casse giallorosse. Oltre ai capitoli Calafiori e Bove Marcello Spaziani 29 giugno - 10:46 Romano a Villa Stuart per le visite. Poi il volo per Cagliari: "Saluto i romanisti" Il 30 giugno si…

Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.

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