It was a busier winter mercato than expected
It will be several months (if not years) before we can fully assess Roma’s 2026 winter transfer market, but this much is already clear: they learned a valuable lesson from a frustrating summer transfer season. Rather than fixing their aim on a solitary target, only to fail in a lengthy and time-consuming pursuit, Roma finally learned to say when.
So far, only one of the Giallorossi’s four new signings has played a significant role, but Director of Sport Ricky Massara has supplied Gian Piero Gasperini with a range of quick, adaptable players to strengthen his underperforming attack. Now, it’s on the 68-year-old coach to incorporate these new players and upgrade the team’s performance on the pitch.
However, before we fret about squad rotation and tactical tweaks, let’s recap the club’s surprisingly busy winter shopping season.
Outgoing Transfers
Leon Bailey
Destination: Aston Villa
Formula: Early loan termination
After their summer-long pursuit of Jadon Sancho amounted to little more than bluster, Roma was forced to pivot to the Villa winger. It may not have been a bad gamble to take, but Bailey rarely saw the pitch (324 total minutes), so he will ultimately be little more than a footnote in club history.
Tommaso Baldanzi
Destination: Genoa
Formula: Loan with an option to buy
A CdT favorite, Baldanzi never managed to find a foothold in the Italian capital. Since arriving in the winter 2024 transfer window, he never truly settled into a groove at the Olimpico, managing only three goals and one assist in 69 appearances. But there is a bright side: his best spell at Roma came under Daniele De Rossi, his new manager at Genoa.
Tammy Abrahama
Destination: Aston Villa
Formula: Sold to Aston Villa via Besiktas
Bet you forgot about old Tammy Two Goals, didn’t you? I certainly did. After scoring eight goals in 15 appearances for Besiktas, the Turkish club snapped him up for €13 million and then flipped him to Villa for €21 million. He never recaptured the magic of his first season at Roma, but thirteen million is a nice consolation prize.
Buba Sangaré
Destination: Elche
Formula: Loan
The 18-year-old Spanish full-back never earned his senior debut during his two-year stint in Rome, but he’ll spend the next few months back at home with Elche. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to say beyond that. Will he be good? Who knows. He has to play to have a chance, so hopefully this is the start of a productive period.
Edoardo Bove
Destination: Watford
Formula: Free transfer
With a career as a professional footballer in Italy no longer possible due to medical restrictions, Bove signed a five-year deal with Watford in the English Championship. While this isn’t the most glamorous locale, he’ll have millions of Roma fans willing him and The Hornets back to the Premiership.
Incoming Transfers
Donyell Malen
Prior Club: Aston Villa
Formula: Loan with an option/obligation tied to certain clauses
The Dutch forward hit the ground running after arriving from Villa, scoring on his debut and starting three consecutive league matches. While Malen has had a few misses here and there, he has brought sorely needed pace to Roma’s front line and, so far, looks like an ideal complement to Paulo Dybala, Matíás Soulé, and the rest of the frontline.
Robino Vaz
Prior Club: Marseille
Formula: €22 million purchase plus potential bonuses
Although he hasn’t started a match yet, the young Frenchman has made cameos in Roma’s last three matches. It may take a minute to fully grasp what this kid is capable of, but Vaz has enormous potential and could be an ideal project for Gasperini.
Lorenzo Venturino
Prior Club: Genoa
Formula: Loan with an option
If Venturino’s pace and aggression ultimately pay dividends for Roma, we’ll have Daniele De Rossi to thank. With few minutes to spare, the teenage winger De Rossi made the difficult decision to send his “protege” to Roma, touting the young Genoa native’s sky-high potential along the way.
Bryan Zaragoza
Prior Club: Celta Vigo via Bayern Munich
Formula: Loan with an option/opiton tied to certain clauses
The diminutive but dangerous Spanish winger was a last-minute addition for Massara and Gasperini, who grabbed the 24-year-old on loan with a rumored €13.5 million option to buy that becomes mandatory under certain clauses, believed to be tied to minutes played and European qualification. With another languid performance against Udinese on Monday, we may see Roma’s newest signing this weekend.
Roma’s winter haul may lack top-shelf talent, but by leaning into speed, aggression, and dribbling prowess, the Gasperini’s attack should be more direct, entertain and, god-willing, effective.
Category: General Sports
