Miotto’s Musings: Dovbyk Drawing Transfer Interest in England and Spain, €50 Million Price Tag for Nusa & More

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When the summer mercato started, Roma’s goal was to usher in a major reset of the squad and its ambitions under new manager Gian Piero Gasperini, with the clear goal being a long-awaited return to the Champions League. Frederic Massara was brought in to execute that vision, and the early moves like the loan signing of Evan Ferguson and the permanent transfer of Neil El Aynaoui for the midfield both felt like the start of a coherent project. Add in the glitzy signing of Wesley from Flamengo, and Romanisti

began to have faith in a top-four finish yet again.

As the window progressed, training began, and Gasperini had a chance to assess the squad. Massara’s transfer goals were further developed to fulfill current needs and facilitate potential departures. Artem Dovbyk, last summer’s marquee signing, now faces an uncertain future as Roma weigh their options up front and Evan Ferguson looks impressive.

Meanwhile, the club’s pursuit of Antonio Nusa signals a willingness to take bold risks up front to serve larger goals. Finally, with Richard Rios no longer an option for the club, Massara’s search continues for midfielders who fit Gasperini’s demanding style and Roma’s financial framework. What started as a reset is evolving into a defining summer mercato—one that won’t just dictate next season’s results, but could dictate the club's fate for the next five years.

Dovbyk Heading for the Door?

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The News: Artem Dovbyk’s future remains uncertain as transfer speculation continues to swirl around the Ukrainian striker. Dovbyk has recently returned to training following a series of physical setbacks. Still, despite that return to the pitch, the former Girona forward’s name again appears in the rumor mill.

According to Fichajes.net, Villarreal is now interested in bringing Dovbyk back to La Liga, joining Leeds United and Besiktas among the clubs reportedly tracking the Ukrainian. In addition, transfer expert Matteo Moretto recently reported that Dovbyk’s intermediaries have offered the striker to AC Milan. While any approach for Dovbyk is still in its early stages, Roma’s position is clear: the striker is not untouchable, but any deal must value Dovbyk at a minimum of €40 million, offering the club a minimal plusvalenza.

Miotto’s Musing: There’s a certain irony to Dovbyk’s situation in Rome. Artem arrived at the Stadio Olimpico last summer with a reputation as a top goalscorer in La Liga deserves. His physical presence and nose for goal had many (including myself) hoping that he was the kind of player who could seemingly thrive in Serie A. A year later, he’s not a total success story, but after scoring 17 goals during Roma’s most tumultuous season in decades, he’s pretty far from a complete bust.

The problem with being neither bust nor wild success in Rome is that Roma, and Gasperini by extension, need more than “pretty good” from their star striker. Dovbyk cost €38 million, hasn’t yet fully convinced, and now carries a €40 million valuation that no one seems willing to meet.

What makes this more complicated is timing. Dovbyk has only just returned to fitness, and his first preseason is still ongoing (he wasn’t truly afforded one in Rome last summer). While I doubt Roma would be shopping Dovbyk if Gasperini hadn’t given an okay, we still haven’t seen what he might do with a full-speed Dovbyk in his system.

All we know now is that Evan Ferguson has been mighty impressive in friendlies since transferring in from Brighton. If Roma can afford to wait, there’s a good chance that Roma has two star strikers on the books right now. But in a summer where every euro counts toward financial balance sheets, patience seems in short supply.

Nusa is an Expensive Dream—But Will Roma Bite?

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The News: Particularly with the news that the Giallorossi may part ways with Artem Dovbyk, it’s not shocking that Frederic Massara is sniffing around some of Europe’s top talents to reinforce the attack. One of the standout names on their radar from the past week is Antonio Nusa—the 20-year-old Norwegian winger currently playing for RB Leipzig. A technically gifted attacking midfielder with pace and creativity, Nusa has drawn interest across Europe, including from Liverpool and Napoli.

According to Tuttomercatoweb.com, Napoli has now withdrawn from the race due to Leipzig’s steep asking price: at least €50 million. Roma is reportedly also hesitant to invest such a high figure in the player, but Massara continues to monitor the situation closely.

Miotto’s Musing: Antonio Nusa is the kind of player who tests a club’s nerve. Raw, dazzling, 20 years old: he’s the kind of winger who dribbles past people like they’re traffic cones and makes you forget how he’s still got some way to go before becoming a world-beater. He’s not there yet, but if he ever is, €50 million will look like a bargain.

This isn’t a question of scouting; Roma and Massara see the talent. So do Liverpool, Napoli, and half of Europe. It’s simply a question of risk. A €50 million outlay on a player who can’t get a drink in the United States just yet is the kind of bet that either transforms your attack or leaves you exposed for years. For Roma, who have been on the outside looking in on Champions League football for nearly a decade, the margin for error here is thin. If this move happens, it increases the variance of Roma’s potential success (and failure) over the next several seasons.

It leaves Romanisti with a serious question on this transfer, and perhaps all of Roma’s transfers: does Roma need another jolt of risk to finally break the cycle beyond the signing of Evan Ferguson? Or is it time to resist the temptation of additional upside bets and instead choose more proven production? In Nusa, you’re not buying what he is. You’re gambling on what he might become. And in a summer where Roma needs certainty, not suspense, that gamble might just be a bridge too far.

With Ríos Gone to Benfica, Juan Nardoni the New Option in Midfield

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The News: Although Roma was unable to secure the services of their top choice in the midfield, the failed pursuit of Richard Rios hasn’t deterred Frederic Massara from looking for other options to field alongside the likes of Manu Koné, Tommaso Baldanzi, and new man Neil El Aynaoui.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, a new name under consideration is Juan Nardoni, the 22-year-old Argentine midfielder from Racing. Roma sees Nardoni as a low-cost, high-upside option with the grit and playmaking ability to potentially thrive in Gasperini’s system. One added advantage: Nardoni holds an Italian passport, easing the paperwork requirements involved in a potential move and allowing for greater roster flexibility moving forward.

Miotto’s Musing: Gasperini doesn’t just need midfielders—if he only needed bodies, the club would probably be fine with the corps Roma already has in-house. Instead, he needs his kind of midfielders. That means players with high energy, positional discipline, and a willingness to cover ground until their legs give out. Roma’s first midfield signing, El Aynaoui, has already noted the extreme levels of energy and toughness that are required for Roma’s training under Gasperini this summer. No midfield signing can afford to be lacking in those departments moving forward.

Juan Nardoni isn’t a household name, and he doesn’t even have the cache of Richard Rios, but he fits the mold of a Gasperini midfielder: tough, mobile, tidy in possession, and just 22 years old. He plays like someone who’s fought for every minute of his career, which is precisely the kind of hunger Gasperini loves to mold into something more. Throw in an Italian passport, and suddenly you’ve got a cost-effective piece that checks a lot of boxes.

If Massara pulls off this signing at a relatively low cost and Nardoni impresses as a rotational option once the season starts, it will show that sometimes the best signings aren’t the biggest names. They’re just the ones that fit the tactics.

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