After signing Evan Ferguson last week to complement incumbent striker Artem Dovbyk, Roma is reportedly seeking more reinforcements for Gian Piero Gasperini's front line. With Ferguson joining Dovbyk, Dybala, and Matías Soulé, among others, Roma's offense seems well-equipped. However, under a demanding, attack-focused coach like Gasperini, the Giallorossi will need all the help they can get.
According to several sources in Italy, including Sky Sport, Il Messaggero, and Gianluca Di Marzio, Roma has
narrowed its focus to three targets: Feyenoord forward Igor Paixao, Napoli's Giacomo Raspadori, and Wolverhampton forward Fabio Silva. Gasperini's next addition would ideally fill multiple roles, playing alongside and behind Ferguson, Dovbyk, and/or Paulo Dybala.
Paixao, a 25-year-old Brazilian forward capable of playing almost anywhere along the front line, had a breakthrough season for Feyenoord last year. In 34 league starts, Paixao scored 16 goals and contributed 10 assists, ranking among the top three in both categories and finishing the season as one of four players to achieve the double-double.
Unfortunately for Roma, the issue is quite straightforward: this kind of performance hasn't gone unnoticed. While the Giallorossi remain interested in Paixao, Sky Sport reports that newly-promoted Leeds have already bid over €30 million, potentially making it impossible for Roma to secure him.
Should Paixao prove too expensive, Roma might turn to Wolverhampton's 23-year-old Portuguese forward Fabio Silva. After struggling to establish himself with Wolves, Silva found new life on loan at Las Palmas in Spain last season, scoring 10 goals and adding three assists. While those may not be world-class numbers, Silva's versatility—having played five different positions last season—could be appealing to Gasperini, especially as injuries inevitably start to mount in the spring.
If both those options fail, Roma might turn to the domestic market. According to Il Messaggero, Gasperini and his team are growing more interested in Raspadori. The 25-year-old Bentivoglio has not quite lived up to the promise shown during his Sassuolo days, when he scored 18 league goals in approximately 4,000 minutes over three seasons, but he managed a respectable six goals for Napoli last season. Taking it a step further, Radio CRC's Marco Giordano reports that Gasperini has specifically requested Raspadori.
No matter who they land, Gasperini doesn't seem satisfied with Roma's current crop of attacking talent. In addition to waiting on Wesley, expect the remainder of Roma's transfer rumors to focus on versatile pieces Gasperini can deploy around Dovbyk/Ferguson and Dybala.
Stay tuned, but in the meantime, which of these three players would you prefer: Paixao, Raspadori, or Silva?
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