With two consecutive league starts and a goal on his debut, Donyell Malen’s transition to life in Rome has been nearly seamless. While his younger counterpart, Robinio Vaz, hasn’t experienced the same
immediate success, the young Frenchman is an ideal disciple of Gasperini’s footballing philosophy. Still, despite that intriguing mix of production and potential, not to mention the recent return of Angeliño, Roma remains on the hunt for last-minute reinforcements before the January transfer window shuts next week.
The club seems to have abandoned its earlier search for an out-and-out striker, preferring instead to focus on more mobile, interchangeable pieces in attack, particularly on the left wing; an objective that has eluded them since the summer’s ill-fated pursuit of Jadon Sancho.
With that in mind, and with the deadline day looming on Monday, let’s take a look at the latest rumors.
Bryan Zaragoza Loan Looming
Zaragoza, a 23-year-old Spanish forward, made his professional debut with Granada in 2022. After scoring 11 goals and providing two assists in his first 24 appearances, Bayern Munich felt compelled to drop €13 million for Zaragoza during the 2024 winter transfer window. However, after making only seven appearances (183 minutes) with Bayern, he was sent on loan to Osasuna and then to Celta Vigo.
Despite all that upheaval (or perhaps because of it), Zaragoza is keen on a move to the Italian capital. According to Fabrizio Romano, Roma is trying to cut short his loan at Celta Vigo and hammer out a loan-with-option-to-buy deal with Bayern.
With so many moving parts and not much time before the deadline, this could take all of Roma’s cunning to pull off, but he showed enough promise with Granada to be a viable candidate for the new-look Giallorossi.
Besides, the only thing better than one Bryan is two!
Roma Remains High on Fortini
With Fiorentina fighting for their Serie A future, the Viola may be reluctant to part with talent, but that hasn’t stopped Roma from keeping tabs on Niccolo Fortini, a 19-year-old hybrid winger/forward/wingback. Although Fortini has played only 530 minutes this season, he showed promise with Juve Stabia in Serie B last season, contributing two goals and three assists in approximately 1,900 minutes.
It may seem strange to go to such lengths to sign a 19-year-old who can’t get minutes on a relegation-battling side, but few clubs in that situation pin their hopes on teenagers. So could Fiorentina’s oversight be Roma’s gain?
Zirkzee Back on Roma’s Radar
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the wantaway Manchester United forward is back in favor at Trigoria. While Roma seemed poised to lure the Dutchman away from Old Trafford, the sacking of former United manager Ruben Amorim and the subsequent reshuffling under Michael Carrick, along with Roma’s recent acquisition of Malen, have thrown a monkey wrench into these plans.
Still, despite all the turmoil in Manchester, one thing hasn’t changed: Zirkzee wants out. With United desperate to raise funds for their dogged pursuit of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, they are reportedly eager to offload Zirkzee. While Roma remains interested, Zirkzee’s rumored €40 million price tag could scuttle the deal.
We’ll keep tabs on these stories before the transfer window closes, but it’s clear that Roma aren’t done shopping. Stay tuned!
