Filippo Biafora
December 31, 2025
Forward without stopping to please Gasperini and to strengthen a team that is in full battle for the Champions League and not far from the top of the table. Roma began preparing for the winter transfer market months ago, with the desire to bring players to the capital who raise the technical level of the squad, even at the cost of waiting a few days longer than the opening of the transfer window. The names are the well-known ones: Zirkzee and Raspadori.
The Dutch center forward was identified in October as the ideal profile to significantly increase the attacking quality and in recent months Massara has managed to reach an agreement with his agents. The obstacle to the white smoke is Manchester United, who have made it clear to the Giallorossi that before mid-January it will be difficult to receive a yes to the loan operation with conditional redemption obligation due to the many absences in the attacking department (the African Cup of Nations final is scheduled for 18 January). So much so that yesterday Amorim, coach of the Red Devils, deployed Zirkzee from the start in the match against Wolverhampton. A sign that in England, unlike Roma, they are in no hurry. Dovbyk should make room for him: the Ukrainian has been offered in the Premier League (Everton and West Ham) and in Türkiye.
The other deal that the management is trying to close, albeit in a shorter time, is that for Raspadori. Atletico Madrid continues to resist loan offers with the right to buy and is demanding the inclusion of a mandatory purchase condition. Continuous contacts between Italy and Spain to define a framework on the modalities: Massara hopes to get the definitive yes by the first week of January. Confidence is high for both Raspadori and Zirkzee, but everyone must agree before claiming victory.
The attackers dossier is certainly the main one, but in Trigoria they also don’t lose sight of those relating to the other departments. As far as the defense is concerned, there is the intention to include a new face in the squad (Disasi, Gasperini’s favourite), giving the green light for the loan of Ghilardi. The central defender arrived from Verona on a costly loan for 2.7 million, with a redemption obligation of 7.5 million (and another 850 thousand euros in bonuses) which will materialize as soon as Roma win their first point in Serie A starting from 1 March. Basically, considering the ease of the condition, he can already be considered a Giallorossi player and there will be no problems in sending him to play. Buba Sangarè can also go and gain experience, for whom loan offers with the right to buy have arrived from Italy and Spain.
The midfield issue is less urgent, where El Aynaoui’s return from the Africa Cup of Nations is expected. Frendrup was identified last summer as a reinforcement in the event of Koné’s departure and remains a followed profile. But Genoa, in the contact they had with the Giallorossi during the match at the Olimpico, made it clear that he can only leave on a permanent basis. It’s difficult to fit everything together, given the rossoblù’s request to borrow Pisilli. Any discussion on him is postponed to the second half of January: his departure in the next few days is not a topic of discussion.
