Roma's transfer window closed on 1 September with significant late-hour movement across outgoing and incoming deals. Hopes of landing winger Leweling from Stuttgart fell through after the player declined the move despite Roma raising their offer to €30 million plus bonuses and arranging transport to the capital. Robinio Vaz completed a departure to Hull City on a loan worth €2 million with a €30 million purchase option, while Neil El Aynaoui's move to Leipzig became uncertain at the last moment and may not proceed. Mannini joined Benevento on loan with a right of redemption. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini proved decisive in blocking any sale of midfielder Manu Koné, whose defensive prowess made him a target for Chelsea; the club rejected the Blues' opening bid of €60 million.
Koné's resistance to departure underscored Roma's resolve to keep their midfield core intact despite late Chelsea pressure following Enzo Fernandez's departure from Stamford Bridge. Chelsea had formalised the €60 million offer and suggested including winger Gittens on a free loan as part of a wider deal, while also exploring replacements including Fofana, Hojbjerg and Keita should Koné leave. Roma's ownership made clear they would not sell the French midfielder hours before the window shut. The transfer window had stretched throughout the summer with persistent interest in attacking options—Gittens and Luiz Henrique remained under consideration earlier in the window, and Roma sounded out Colombian winger Cabal, who ultimately rejected moves to both the capital and Atalanta to remain at Juventus.
Other notable activity saw Belgian winger Malick Fofana complete a €30 million-plus-bonus move to Sunderland after accepting their offer, with medical examinations scheduled for 1 September followed by his official confirmation. Dutch full-back Salah-Eddine rejected a West Ham loan approach. Juventus had offered Nico Gonzalez and Koopmeiners to Roma the previous week, but those discussions collapsed quickly. Free agent Renato Sanches, the former Roma player, terminated his Paris Saint-Germain contract and became available on a free transfer.
With the 20:00 deadline passing, Roma's transfer activity concluded with uncertainty hanging over El Aynaoui's status, pending official club confirmation of his destination.
Story Coverage7 sources on this story
Roma's pursuit of Stuttgart winger Jamie Leweling ended in failure on transfer deadline day, with the German rejecting the club's advances despite an improved financial offer and a private jet positioned to fly him to Rome. All outlets confirm that Leweling ultimately chose to remain at Bundesliga side Stuttgart rather than join Gian Piero Gasperini's squad, ending Roma's last hope of securing the attacking winger the manager had specifically requested before the 20:00 window closure on 1 September. The collapse came after Roma reached agreement with Stuttgart but could not overcome Leweling's reluctance to complete the move. TeleRadioStereo and GialloRossi.net report that the player's lack of full conviction about joining Roma proved the decisive factor, while Gianluca Di Marzio and Fabrizio Romano indicated insufficient time remained to finalize the deal once Leweling requested space to consider his future.
Outlets differ slightly on Roma's final offer. GialloRossi.net reports the bid as €30 million fixed plus €5 million in bonuses, while Il Messaggero cites approximately €35 million plus add-ons. Leweling had been summoned to Stuttgart's offices on the morning of 1 September after training and initially appeared open to the transfer following Roma's accelerated push, but ultimately reversed his position. Sky Sport Deutschland's Florian Plettenberg confirmed the winger rejected not only Roma's proposal but also a concrete offer from Everton that came during the night, opting to continue his career in Germany instead.
The failure to land Leweling left Roma without the positional reinforcement Gasperini had identified as essential. Other attacking targets including Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Malick Fofana proved unavailable, with Fofana nearing a switch to the Premier League according to multiple outlets.
AI synthesis of all sources below — always check the originals.
Testo Originale / Source Text
“Ultimo giorno di mercato. Il calciomercato alle 20 chiude e la Roma è ancora a caccia del tanto ricercato esterno d'attacco. Leweling si complica, sullo sfondo rimangono Gittens e Luiz Henrique. I giallorossi, intanto, hanno alzato un muro per Koné che è finito nel mirino del Chelsea.
E' arrivata…”
Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.
