Roma new signings: Confirmed ins and outs for summer 2023

Who are the Roma new signings and which players have they let go? Look no further, we've got you covered in this article.

It’s season three for Jose Mourinho in Rome where the Portuguese boss has gone some way to restoring his reputation as one of the game’s elite managers.

Back-to-back European Finals have been a big reason for that and they’ll be targeting another strong Europa League run this term. Below, we’ll take a look at the Roma new signings so far.

Without the pull of Champions League football or the funds to match some of the other big Italian clubs, Roma haven’t been hugely active so far this transfer window but they are working on some deals.

They have already extended the loan deal that saw Leeds United’s Diego Llorente represent the club last season. They’ve returned to Yorkshire for another loan signing and also snapped up a couple of free agents.

Here are the confirmed Roma ins and outs.

Roma new signings: Summer 2023 arrivals

Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)

In pursuit of the Scudetto, Roma’s men in charge managed to give coach Jose Mourinho an early Christmas gift by signing one of the most efficient goalscorers of our time. Romelu Lukaku might be in a bit of a rut recently, but there’s no denying that the Belgian forward knows his way around the opposition’s penalty box.

Despite being deemed unworthy to play for the Blues from London, Romelu keeps on bagging goals every chance he gets. During the Euro Qualifiers, Lukaku bagged eight goals and provided a teammate with an assist in the five games he was featured in for Belgium. Romelu spent the 2022/23 season playing for Serie A’s Inter Milan, scoring 10 times and assisting six. Surely, Jose Mourinho is thrilled to have such a prolific finisher at his disposal during the tiresome 2023/24 campaign.

Romelu Lukaku put pen on paper at the beginning of September, and he will stay at Estadio Olimpico on a season-long loan deal. Should the Belgian prove efficient, Roma will get the opportunity to buy him out from Chelsea. According to rumors, the release clause in Lukaku’s contract is set at £37m. American businessman Todd Boehly received a sum between £7m and £8m for Romelu Lukaku’s services. Another huge win for Chelsea is the fact that Roma will cover Lukaku’s wage, as the Belgian previously agreed to a salary cut on his remaining three-year contract with Chelsea.

Houssem Aouar (Lyon)

Midfielder Houssem Aouar arrives on a free transfer from Lyon. Now 25, Aouar progressed through the youth ranks at Lyon before making his debut as a teenager in early 2017. By the following season, he’d established himself as an important first team player for the French club, showcasing his talents as a technically gifted attacking midfield player.

He would go on to make 233 appearances for the club, scoring 41 times, but the 2022/23 season saw him fall out of favour somewhat at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Aouar made just 6 starts in Ligue 1 last term and will relish the opportunity of a new challenge, stating “I think it's the right project for me” following his move to the Italian capital.

Evan N'Dicka (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Another high-profile free transfer that Roma have managed to pull off is the capture of Evan N'Dicka from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Paris-born centre-back has established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s brightest young defenders over the past five seasons and his presence will certainly be missed at his old club.

Roma will no doubt have been attracted to his experience on a European stage too with N'Dicka a Europa League winner in 2022 while he was an ever present in the Champions League last term. Still only 23, the Frenchman is already an experienced player who should be a strong candidate for a starting role in Mourinho’s favoured back three.

Rasmus Kristensen (Leeds – Loan)

Rasmus Kristensen is another player who could potentially feature in Roma’s central defence, but he’s more likely to be used as a wing-back after securing a loan move from Leeds. The 26-year-old made 21 starts in the Premier League last season and also featured three times for Denmark at the World Cup.

While his debut Premier League season didn’t entirely go to plan, Kristensen brings with him plenty of European experience having previously spent three seasons with Austrian side RB Salzburg.

Leandro Paredes (PSG)

You have to give it to Jose Mourinho, the Special One has quite the eye for talent and business alike. Booking a World Cup champion for a lackluster €2.50m is a crazy-good deal for any club. Leandro Paredes joins Roma on a two-year deal, with a possible extension if the two sides want to continue this partnership.

Leandro Paredes was never a key part of how PSG played, and it was only logical that the 29-year-old midfielder opted for changes. Paredes is no stranger to Serie A football, so he’ll need no time to adjust to his new surroundings.

Leandro played for the team from Rome from 2014 to 2017, for Empoli in the 2015/16 season, and for the Old Lady in the 2022/23 campaign, during which he scored one goal in 25 league appearances. With 95 Serie A games, Leandro Paredes has the potential to make an instant impact on how Roma performs this season. He already made his second official debut for the club, and the good news is that there’s no pressure to prove anything – the €2.50m price tag is hardly an estimate of his skills.

Renato Sanches (PSG – Loan)

Another world-class negotiation example of Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese manager will have 26-year-old Renato Sanches at his disposal during the busy 2023/24 schedule in front of Roma.

Renato is a player that needs no introduction. Despite injuries constantly plaguing him, you can’t deny that he’s an unstoppable force on a good day. Roma signed PSG’s Sanches on a €1m season-long loan deal for the Portuguese attacking midfielder.

The former Benfica and Bayern Munich star has another chance to sign a professional contract with one of the top teams in Europe during his one-year spell in Rome. Renato is still officially a part of French giants PSG, but should he manage to impress his new manager with his performances, the season-long loan deal might transform into an official bid for his services.

Roma’s transfer departures

Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth)

Roma have been busy raising some funds by letting some players leave the club. The biggest fee they’ve received is the £9.6m that Bournemouth have paid for the services of Justin Kluivert. The winger spent last season on loan at Valencia having spent the previous year on loan in Ligue 1 with Nice.

While that still represents a loss on the fee Roma paid Ajax for Kluivert’s services five years ago, the cash could prove useful as Jose Mourinho seeks fresh additions.

Carles Perez (Celta Vigo)

Another Roma loanee in La Liga last term was Carles Pérez. He managed 3 goals and 5 assists for a Celta Vigo side that secured survival on the final day of the season. New Celta boss Rafa Benitez was clearly happy to sanction a permanent move for a player who struggled for game-time during his spell in Rome.

Benjamin Tahirovic (Ajax)

Roma have also received a fee of around €7.5m from Ajax for Benjamin Tahirovic. The 20-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international was restricted to just 4 starts in Serie A last season and will be hoping to get more game-time at his new club who have a fine record when it comes to developing young midfielders.

Cristian Volpato (Sassuolo)

Another midfielder to have departed Rome is Cristian Volpato. He also departs for a fee in the region of €7.5m but will stay in Italy to join Sassuolo. That’s the third-highest fee that has ever been paid for an Australian footballer, although Volpato has opted to represent Italy at youth level. The 19 year old made 11 appearances for Roma last season in all competitions but should get more minutes at the Mapei Stadium.

Eldor Shomurodov (Cagliari – Loan)

Uzbek international forward Eldor Shomurodov, who spent last season on loan at Spezia, once again departs Roma. This season he’ll be playing for Serie A new boys Cagliari. The deal includes an option to turn it into a permanent transfer if all goes well.

Ebrima Darboe (LASK – Loan)

The 22-year-old Ebrima Darboe is another player to move on loan. The midfielder is heading to Austria to play LASK Linz. The Gambia international didn’t feature at all in Serie A last season but should see more game-time for LASK who qualified for Europe after a 3rd place finish in the Austrian Bundesliga.

Roger Ibanez

Brazilian defender Roger Ibanez is the latest player to join the Saudi Pro League. He was a vital part of Jose Mourinho’s strategy during the past three seasons, during which he made 97 Serie A appearances and scored six goals.

Roma don’t have the financial capacities to afford to dismiss such lucrative offers for their players, and it’s no wonder why the board opted to accept Al-Ahli’s €15m offer for Roger Ibanez. The 24-year-old defender already made his official debut for the Saudi club and even managed to open his score tab for his new team.

Nemanja Matic

Coach Jose Mourinho insisted on the Nemanja Matic transfer last year, and the board was swift to sign the Serbian legend. However, it seems that the 35-year-old veteran’s services are no longer needed at the club, as Roma sold him on a €2.50m deal to Ligue 1’s Rennes. It was a surprising transfer move on Roma’s part, as Nemanja Matic was featured in 35 Serie A games for Roma last season, scoring twice and assisting on two occasions.

Bryan Reynolds

22-year-old US player Bryan Reynolds parted ways with Roma as well. The up-and-coming right-back joins Belgium Pro League’s KVC Westerlo on a €3.50m deal. The defender will defend KVC Westerlo’s jersey until 2026, with a possible one-year extension.

Filippo Missori (Sassuolo)

19-year-old Filippo Missori is one of the latest Roma starlets to leave Estadio Olimpico in search of regular first-team action elsewhere. Filippo Missori is a promising right-back but there was no way he’ll get minutes for Roma this season. After all, coach Jose Mourinho will likely count on the likes of Rasmus Kristensen, Zeki Celik, and Rick Carsdorp for the right-back position. However, Roma did manage to squeeze Sassuolo for a basic pay of €2.50m for Missori’s services.

Gonzalo Villar (Granada)

Granada CF and Roma negotiated the transfer of 25-year-old Gonzalo Villar recently. The talented central midfielder will strut his stuff at Nuevo Estadio de los Carmenes until 2026. In exchange for Gonzalo Villar, Roma got €1.80m from the La Liga club.

Ola Solbaken (Olympiacos – Loan)

During the 2022/23 Serie A campaign, Ola Solbaken did get plenty of chances to prove to coach Jose Mourinho that he has the required arsenal to be a part of Roma. However, the Portuguese manager’s sharp eye didn’t see why he should keep Ola Solbaken next year. That’s why Roma opted to send Ola Solbaken on a season-long loan with Greek giants Olympiacos. Roma received a €1.50m pay for their player’s services, and the Greek side will have to cover a percentage of Solbaken’s salary throughout the campaign.

Ruben Providence (TSV Hartberg)

At the young age of 21, Ruben Providence has his entire career ahead of him. He wasn’t getting any minutes under coach Jose Mourinho’s rule so a transfer to TSV Hartberg could be considered a positive move on his part. In exchange for their starlet, Roma received €300k.