Late August is typically the most interesting point of silly season—not the most exciting, mind you, but the proximity to the new season makes every rumor and update feel more consequential. By now, all of Roma’s top targets are long gone, and those who have replaced them—in this instance, Malick Fofana and/or Alessio Cacciamani—are intriguing enough to keep the club (and fans) on the hook.
The problem, as we see seemingly every year, is that negotiating for these second options is incredibly difficult,
especially after Roma invested heavily in other positions. With a specific need to fill (in this case, left wing), little money to spend, and even less time to pull it off, the club has virtually no leverage in negotiations.
(Sorry, did I say this was an interesting time of year?)
According to the latest rumors, Roma has abandoned its pursuit of Fofana (which I don’t believe for a second) and is instead focusing its efforts on Fenerbahçe’s Jayden Oosterwolde. While the 25-year-old Dutchman can’t fill the void left by Fofana, he’s a handy little full-back/center-back hybrid with ample top-flight experience, including nearly 90 appearances for Fenerbahçe over the past three seasons.
Earlier today, Fabrizio Romano reported that the two clubs are working on an €18 million loan deal with an option that becomes mandatory under certain conditions. Oosterwolde may not be the most exciting name we’ve discussed this summer, but he would provide the club with the fourth wing-back they’ve pursued all summer. Additionally, his ability to play centrally could make Jan Ziolkowsi expendable, which could, in turn, generate enough capital to push the Fofana deal over the finish line.
Time will tell whether this is a ho-hum depth move or a roundabout way of acquiring the left-winger of their dreams, but Oosterwolde appears to be a solid plug-and-play option behind Roma’s top line defenders.
