Who are the Roma transfer targets and which players are likely to play in the Italian capital this coming season?
Many expected Jose Mourinho to leave Roma after two seasons in the capital with the funds seemingly lacking to allow his team to really kick on and challenge the sides at the top of Serie A.
However the Portuguese coach is staying put and will be hoping to land some of the top Roma transfer targets.
He may be a bit frustrated by the lack of activity so far, but Evan N'Dicka and Houssem Aouar appear to be astute additions on free transfers. Roma also look to be targeting at least one new midfielder and a striker to bolster their options heading into the 2023/24 season.
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Who are the Roma transfer targets?
Let’s look at some of the Roma transfer targets that could be heading to the Italian capital in the coming days and weeks.
Romelu Lukaku
Has there been a single player this transfer period that has been at the heart of more transfer rumors than Romelu Lukaku? It seems that the stories surrounding this player switch from one day to the next. Yet finally, as we enter the last week of the summer transfer period, it looks as though we may have some concrete movement in relation to the Belgian striker. That's right – he's now officially one of the Roma transfer targets that Jose Mourinho is desperately trying to bring to the club. Assuming these reports are true, it seems as though Roma could be poised to submit a loan bid to bring Lukaku to Roma for the full season.
With that said, Roma is not the only team that’s looking to make an attempt to secure Lukaku’s services. In addition to Roma, it looks as though Tottenham is also considering a move to try and snag the 30-year-old forward, so we are expecting the competition to be fierce over the coming days. Yet with Tottenham being a direct rival of Chelsea in the Premier League, and with Mourinho hoping to secure a reunion with Romelu Lukaku, it goes without saying that Roma are the favorites to win this race.
Mason Greenwood
Mason Greenwood has endured his fair share of negative press in recent weeks and months. The 21-year-old has been at the center of some seriously controversial allegations and stories, and these have seen him sidelined at Manchester United for quite some time. However, it now looks as though Greenwood can finally move forward from these rather dark days, as he has been told that he has no future at Manchester United. This naturally opens up the door for Greenwood to transition away from the Premier League and join a different club. In fact, he has publicly stated that he wishes to move far away from Manchester to put all of these negative things behind him.
So, why exactly is he one of the Roma transfer targets at the moment? Well, he was part of the Manchester United youth program while Jose Mourinho was the manager several years ago. According to reports, Mourinho was incredibly impressed with Greenwood when he saw his talents during his time in Manchester. Therefore, with Greenwood now being available for a move, and given Mourinho’s stance on this forward, it wouldn't be at all surprising if Roma and Mourinho swept in to try and bring him to Italy for the 2023/2024 season.
Renato Sanches
AS Roma, insisting for Renato Sanches as expected – it was in José Mourinho plans since last week. Roma are hoping for PSG to allow Renato to leave on loan. 🇵🇹
Negotiations will continue in the next days but it's up to PSG. Mourinho wants Renato. pic.twitter.com/ffF5kiFgS6
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 27, 2023
Roma have been pursuing PSG midfielder Renato Sanches for several weeks and finally there appears to be some progress with the 25-year-old midfielder closing in on a loan move to the Italian club.
The former Benfica, Bayern Munich and Lille man struggled to break into the PSG first team last season, making just six starts in Ligue 1.
That has opened the door for Sanches, who still has four years to run on his PSG deal, to leave on loan. Any move would likely include a purchase option and the nature of that clause appears to be the main sticking point which is holding the deal up.
Fabian Ruiz
Sanches may not be the only midfielder swapping Paris for Rome this summer. Fabian Ruiz is another reported Roma transfer target. This deal may be a bit tougher to pull off with interest likely to come from other clubs in the Spaniard who previously shone for Napoli in Serie A for four seasons.
Ruiz was a more central part of PSG’s plans last season, starting 21 league games but he was only afforded 3 starts in the Champions League. The 27-year-old is well known to new PSG boss Luis Enrique given the duo frequently worked together with the Spanish national team but it’s unclear just how important a role he’s likely to have should he remain in Paris.
Gianluca Scamacca
A new striker is another clear priority for Roma with Tammy Abraham suffering a serious knee injury that will keep him out for most of the 2023/24 season. Perhaps the most realistic target is Gianluca Scamacca, although they could face competition from the Milan clubs for his signature.
Scamacca has struggled to adapt to the Premier League, scoring just three times in the English top flight for West Ham last season following a big money transfer from Sassuolo. It was 16 goals in Serie A 2021/22 which attracted the Hammers to the imposing forward in the first place and a return to Italy is now a strong possibility for Scamacca.
Alvaro Morata
An alternative option for a new striker at Roma is Alvaro Morata. The 30-year-old Spaniard has played for a number of Europe’s top clubs without ever really finding a long-term home for himself.
Morata netted 20 times in all competitions on loan at Juventus during the 2020/21 season and bagged 13 in La Liga last term for Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone has suggested he is keen for Morata to stay put, describing him as an “important player for us”, however Jose Mourinho is believed to be a big fan of Morata and should Roma be able to table a sizable offer, Atleti would most likely be willing to consider it.
