Roma target Chelsea's Bynoe-Gittens with improved offer as Robinio Vaz nears Hull exit

RB Leipzig have submitted a formal proposal to Roma for midfielder Neil El Aynaoui, offering a loan with an obligation to buy. According to Fabrizio Romano, the German club has tabled the offer and talks between the parties are ongoing to establish whether a deal can be reached. El Aynaoui had been flagged as a potential departure in the final stages of the transfer window. Roma had previously shown greater openness to a permanent sale, so the club must now decide whether to negotiate on Leipzig's loan-plus-obligation formula or push for different terms. The structure of the proposal represents a key consideration for the Roma hierarchy, as it differs from the outright transfer the club had indicated as preferable in recent days. El Aynaoui was among the squad members identified as potentially leaving before the close of the window. The coming hours will reveal whether Leipzig can move closer to Roma's demands and convert the initial inquiry into an agreement.

Roma are accelerating their search for an attacking reinforcement this summer. Beyond ongoing talks over a midfielder, the club is pushing to secure an offensive signing. Jamie Leweling of Stuttgart has re-entered their radar, with contacts reported between the two parties. The 2001-born winger was already on Roma's list and now features alongside Luiz Henrique of Zenit and Gittens as a striker target, for whom a fresh attempt is planned. Leweling is one of three candidates being actively considered. Roma had explored other options but found some difficult to pursue: Gittens presents complications, while Fofana did not warrant a firm approach. The club will make one more push for Gittens before drawing final conclusions on their attacking priority. According to Alfredo Pedullà, the Stuttgart forward's profile has come back into focus as Roma weigh their options across multiple positions in the final weeks of the transfer window.

Roma have reopened discussions over Colombian midfielder Richard Ríos as the transfer window enters its final hours. The Benfica player, previously tracked by the club, has returned to the agenda of director Tony D'Amico in recent days. According to Sky Sport and Gianluca Di Marzio, Benfica are open to allowing Ríos to leave on loan, a formula that could make the deal attractive for Roma. Besiktas are also competing for the player's signature. The move is directly linked to Roma's ongoing efforts to offload Neil El Aynaoui, with whom Leipzig are in contact. If the Moroccan midfielder's departure is completed, it would free up important squad space under Gian Piero Gasperini and create an urgent need for reinforcement in the centre of the park. Roma have already initiated concrete talks with both Benfica and Ríos's representatives to establish the conditions for bringing him to Trigoria. Ríos represents a familiar solution to Roma's management and has suddenly become viable thanks to Benfica's willingness to discuss a temporary arrangement. Much depends on how the El Aynaoui-Leipzig negotiation unfolds; if that sale goes through, director D'Amico will need to deliver a new midfielder to Gasperini quickly. With Besiktas in the running and minimal time remaining in the market, the coming hours could prove decisive.

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.

Roma are in the final stages of securing Leonardo Balerdi from Marseille as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's chosen central defender. The Argentine is expected in the capital for medical tests and to sign a contract. The move is structured as an initial loan fee of between 1 and 2 million euros with a conditional obligation to buy; overall valuations range between approximately 16 and 20 million euros. Should Roma exercise the purchase clause, Balerdi will commit to a contract until 2031. The 27-year-old recently dealt with a calf injury. Simultaneously, Roma continue to push for Chelsea's Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Gasperini's first choice to complete the attack. Negotiations with the Blues have intensified in recent hours through an intermediary, with Roma proposing a costly loan with a conditional mandatory purchase obligation totalling more than 40 million euros. Chelsea have resisted opening the door to a temporary transfer, but fresh contact is scheduled for today to seek a breakthrough. Malick Fofana of Lyon remains a secondary option; Lyon have categorised the 21-year-old Belgian as a potential departure following their Champions League elimination and demand an outright sale rather than a loan. Roma and Lyon had previously worked on a base of 30 million euros plus 3 million in bonuses, though the club's ownership is yet to greenlight the investment. Outgoings are also progressing. Robinio Vaz, 19, is on the verge of departing to Hull City on a loan deal worth 2 million euros; discussions over the purchase obligation range between 18 and 30 million euros, and the striker has not trained with the squad due to transfer activity. Neil El Aynaoui, the 25-year-old Moroccan midfielder, remains in limbo; Roma expect official proposals in the coming hours and have made clear they will only sanction a permanent sale at the right price. Crystal Palace and several German clubs have shown interest, but only loan offers have arrived so far. Roma also scouted Keny Arroyo, 20, an attacking winger from Cruzeiro, as a possible alternative to Gittens and Fofana. The Brazilian, who recorded 7 goals and 3 assists last season, arrived at Cruzeiro from Besiktas for 8.5 million euros and is under contract until 2029; Rome have made no formal offer and Cruzeiro show no willingness to sell at this stage. André Trindade, a 25-year-old Brazilian midfielder at Wolverhampton, has entered Roma's midfield shortlist following an initial inquiry, though no formal negotiation has been reported. Franck Kessié's link to Roma has cooled significantly, with the Ivorian set for Atalanta instead, and journalist Matteo Moretto confirmed that Roma consider their midfield complete unless departures occur.

Roma are poised to complete a defensive reshuffle with four days left in the transfer window. Jan Ziółkowski will join Monza on loan with a €18 million purchase option, clearing the way for Gonzalo Balerdi to arrive from Marseille. The 1999-born Argentine, who holds Italian citizenship and captains Marseille, will bring experience to Gasperini's back line and becomes the fifth Argentine in the squad. The deal moves forward after Adriel Oosterwolde's proposed transfer collapsed following his medical at Fenerbahce, to which he has returned. Gasperini still requires two further signings: a left-sided midfielder and a left winger, with the latter the priority. Negotiations with Chelsea over Atalanta's Mateo Gittens have continued, with an intermediary working to persuade the Blues to accept a costly loan with a conditional mandatory purchase totalling over €40 million. Bosnian midfielder Mohamed Fofana remains a target despite his desire to leave Lyon, though a deal for Franck Kessié is judged too expensive. Neil El Aynaoui's agent has fielded only loan offers from clubs in Germany and England. In outgoing moves, Robinio Vaz is close to joining Hull City on a loan worth €2 million with a €30 million purchase option.