At this point in the summer, with less than a month to go before the new season begins, I suspect my Roma routine isn’t too different from yours: I wake up, crack a few eggs for breakfast while the coffee percolates, and pray there are new transfer rumors to discuss. No offense to Niccolo Tresoldi or Antonio Nusa, but the former is too expensive for a backup striker, while the latter is just flat-out too expensive.
So, my friends, it is with great pleasure that we can finally drop a new name into
the rumor mill:
According to Ekrem Konur, who has written for several high-profile publications, including ESPN and the BBC, Roma are interested in Fenerbahçe winger Kerem Aktürkoğlu. A 27-year-old Türkiye international, Aktürkoğlu has spent the bulk of his career in his homeland, coming up through the ranks at Galatasaray before being sold to Benfica for €13 million in September 2024. While he only spent one year in Portugal, with 11 goals and nine assists in 30 league appearances, it was one of the most productive seasons of his career.
Nominally a left winger, Aktürkoğlu has amassed 71 goals and 44 assists in 239 career appearances, including six goals in 18 Champions League appearances. Considering that Fenerbahçe paid nearly €23 million for him only a year ago, we can safely assume that the bidding would begin in the €30 million neighborhood.
He may not have the same cachet as some of the other names we’ve discussed this summer, but he’s had a productive career and has the same combination of pace, agility, and close control that Gasperini desires in a winger.
So, if Roma has to lower their sights this summer, Aktürkoğlu may be one of the best upside plays on the market.
