With the transfer sagas involving Richard Rios, Wesley, Evan Ferguson, and now Neil El Aynaoui still ongoing in the typical Roma fashion, the fact that the club still needs at least one more center back has gone unnoticed. Only Gianluca Mancini and Evan Ndicka appear to be guaranteed starters in what is expected to be a three-man backline under Gian Piero Gasperini. Although Zeki Çelik performed well as a third center back down the stretch for Claudio Ranieri, he is currently viewed more as a flex
option—able to play centrally or on the wing.
Couple that with the retirement of Mats Hummels and the uncertain futures of Mario Hermoso and Max Kumbulla, and Roma is a bit short on center back depth. Depending on what happens with that pair, Roma could need to look for two central defenders to build some depth.
But if reports from Gianluca Di Marzio are accurate, Ricky Massara has identified his primary target to play alongside Ndicka and Mancini: Hellas Verona center-back Daniele Ghilardi. According to Di Marzio, Roma has made an offer for the 22-year-old Italian defender. The report doesn’t specify an amount but indicates that Roma’s bid exceeds that of Real Betis, which is also interested in the player. (For what it’s worth, his valuation on transfermarkt.com is currently €5 million.)
The youngster who also just competed with the Italian U-21s in the recently completed Euros is coming off his first full season in Italy’s top flight, making 21 starts and playing just over 2,000 minutes for the Veneto-based Mastiffs. Previously, he spent the 2023-24 season on loan with Sampdoria in Serie B.
While previous rumors had linked more experienced players like West Ham's Aguerd, a move for a young, talented Italian center back makes sense. Although he’s known as an attack-minded manager, Gasperini has had success developing center backs in the past, with Mancini, Cristian Romero, Andrea Bastoni, and Giorgio Scalvini coming to mind.
We’ll see if more develops on this story through the weekend, but if Massara has his way, Gasperini will soon have a new center back at his disposal.
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