Revolutionizing Roma — Part II
Ahead of the 2024 summer mercato:
Since Dan Friedkin became the new owner of Roma in 2020, the club’s financial power in the calciomercato would seemingly improve considerably, despite FFP limitations. However, Roma’s careless usage of their funds has put the club in a much more vulnerable financial position since the latest change of ownership. My previous article was initially intended to go through all the ins and outs of how Roma could revolutionize their sporting project. However, as I got stuck on the subject of their managerial situation, I realized that the article would be too extensive and somewhat in-cohesive if I were to also go through how Roma could revamp their squad, following the appointment of a new manager. Thus, this will be the purpose of this article instead. In any case, my previous article remains relevant (and if you haven’t read it yet I would recommend you to do so before reading this), as I concluded that a manager such as Thiago Motta, or at least a manager of a similar tactical style, was ideal if Roma were to start a sporting revolution. Such a sporting revolution would require an overhaul of the squad, and — to return to the club’s financial situation — not only would sales be required to fund such an overhaul, but even in that case I’m not absolutely certain that the hypothetical summer mercato that I’m about to present is possible. Nonetheless, this article should at least highlight some of Roma’s squad needs going into next summer, in terms of tactical profile, and age profile. Perhaps more importantly, it will highlight a new recruitment strategy which Roma could establish if they are to change sporting direction. Therefore, the specific players named in this article are perhaps not as essential as their profile in terms of age, development status, and approximate market value.
On top of that, I may be taking on the role of Roma’s imaginary future sporting director in this article, but regarding the core topic of these two Roma articles — a potential sporting revolution at the club — I think it’s just about as imperative for the club to let sporting director Tiago Pinto leave the club as his contract expires next summer, as it is for the club to do the same with head coach José Mourinho. Many have suggested former Roma-and Milan director Ricky Massara as the potential replacement for Pinto, and even though it would hurt as a milanista who is very fond of Massara from his time at my club, I fully agree with this suggestion. With that being said, in this article I will go through how I would rebuild Roma’s squad upon the appointment of Thiago Motta as their new manager.
Cleaning house
Before going over some ideal Roma signings next summer, let’s make an assessment of their current squad, deciding who should stay and who should leave. Unsurprisingly, this hypothetical “sporting revolution” will see Roma make some big changes. Given Roma play with three defenders, under a very off-ball-oriented manager, it’s easy to assume that Roma’s squad currently isn’t particularly suited to a manager like Thiago Motta, but I don’t actually believe this is the case. In my opinion, the problem is more so the quality of the players.
Starting from the bottom, no one who even follows Roma loosely will be offended when I say the team’s weakest regular starter is Rui Patrício. There’s no reason to criticize him too harshly, or even to analyze why he’s not good enough for Roma, I think it’s just quite obvious that he needs to be replaced, and as his contract expires next summer it will be easy for Roma to let him go. Moving on to the backline, this is where I think Roma need to make the most changes, and again, it is very much due to a lack of quality, as opposed to tactical fit. In central defense, I think Marash Kumbulla can be a somewhat valuable financial asset for Roma. Given he’s stagnated in terms of his performances on the pitch, and has endured continuous struggles with injuries in his career, I think next summer will be a good time for Roma to let him go. It won’t make them nearly as much as it cost to bring him to Rome, but every penny counts, and as a player he isn’t of much value to Roma anyway. Moreover, Diego Llorente is only at the club on loan, but should Roma be looking to sign the defender permanently? Well, he has gone through his fair share of highs and lows in recent years, and we certainly shouldn’t ignore the highs, but he is another player who is very prone to injuries, which is not to mention that he will turn 31 around the start of next season, and is not even entirely reliable when on the pitch. I would look to replace him permanently with a younger defender.
Out wide, Roma frankly need a significant overhaul due to both a lack of quality, and a lack of tactical fit. Perhaps somewhat controversially, I firmly believe that Nicola Zalewski should be sold next summer. He was regarded as a very exciting prospect when he broke into the Roma first team in 2021, but I believe this was mostly due to the fact that he was playing regularly at quite a young age. In terms of his ability I don’t think he has ever excelled at anything aside from ball-carrying, at least at the senior level. Of course, he is still young, but as he turns 22 in January and is still such a limited player, I don’t see him having any significant value for Roma in the long-term. A simple explanation of my problem with Nicola Zalewski, is that he lacks the off-ball movement, final ball, and creativity to be a productive winger, while he lacks the appropriate physical profile and the defensive fundamentals to be a reliable full-back. Zalewski is a player who reads the game well, boasts good anticipation, and works hard. His ability to win duels and be effective in the defensive phase has improved, but I would even claim his defensive ability looks a lot better than it actually is, when he’s deployed as a wing-back. It is really in the middle third where Zalewski is most effective as a defender, as his stamina, speed, and anticipation allow him to intercept passes, and as he is allowed to be aggressive due to the fact that he has defensive support from the left center-back in the team. As for defending in deeper areas, and defending 1v1, Zalewski remains largely unproven. We will delve more into Leonardo Spinazzola later on, but I think he is important to bring up to explain why I don’t think Roma should keep Nicola Zalewski next season. Leonardo Spinazzola is not great defensively, in fact he frankly isn’t good at all. Despite this, I would keep him if I were Roma. Again, this will be explained in another context later on, but the simple explanation as to why I would keep Leonardo Spinazzola — but not Nicola Zalewski — is simply that Spinazzola is a better player right now. Even when you look at Zalewski’s biggest strengths — ball-carrying and dribbling — I believe the gap between him and Spinazzola in these areas is quite significant. Moreover, Spinazzola is a much more productive player going forward, while also having plenty of experience playing as a left-back, unlike Zalewski. Despite this, I don’t even think Spinazzola is a great long-term option for Roma, but merely a decent stopgap. That is to say, Nicola Zalewski is not currently good enough for Roma, and even if he develops into a player of Leonardo Spinazzola’s caliber, that is not the caliber of player I think Roma should be looking for anyway. I’m sure many romanisti would be sad to see Zalewski go since he’s a product of the club’s youth system, however I do think it would be the right call.
As for the remaining full-backs/wing-backs who I think Roma should let go of next summer, the reasoning is more simple. In fairness, Rasmus Kristensen is likely more suited to a role at full-back than at wing-back due to his defensive prowess, but the overall quality is not there. His technical ability is extremely lacking, and while he has occasionally been productive in the final third, his overall offensive skillset has proven to be lackluster for the majority of the time he’s spent in the top five leagues. Roma only signed the Danish full-back on a loan, and therefore I think the decision to let him return to Leeds at the end of the season should be quite a simple one. Another player whose time at Roma is undoubtedly running out, is Rick Karsdorp. The obvious reason why is that José Mourinho — following Roma’s final game prior to the World Cup last season — slammed one of his players for their poor attitude, and said that this player needed to find a new club in January; a player which was not referred to by name in this interview, but who would later be revealed to be Karsdorp. Ultimately, Karsdorp would not only end up staying, but would also find his way back into the regular rotation at Roma, however that is not to say that he is an exceptional player, nor fit for a new, exciting Roma project. When he was at his best, a player like Karsdorp would’ve been useful for Roma, but he will be 29 by next summer and is regressing. Largely due to his previous success in Netherlands, I would not be surprised if there were multiple clubs in Eredivisie willing to pay a few million euros for Karsdorp; it is a viable sale that I think Roma should try to see through, perhaps even as early as January.
As for the midfield, I think it’s already quite apparent that Roma will not need to worry about paying a mandatory €15m fee for Renato Sanches, which would be activated if he were to appear in 60% of Roma’s games this season (I’m sorry, but am I wrong?). At that point, it therefore becomes Roma’s choice whether or not to keep Sanches, and if you hadn’t already understood what I previously meant, the reason why Roma will undoubtedly have this choice is that Sanches is extremely prone to injuries, and has been for many years. This is also one of the main reasons why I don’t think Roma should choose to activate their option to buy him permanently. Other reasons are his high wages, and the fact that he will be 27 by the start of next season. A more controversial opinion of mine, is that Edoardo Bove should be sold by Roma next summer. Admittedly, I only started following Bove when he first broke into Roma’s first team, so I don’t have great knowledge regarding what type of player he was when he was younger. On the other hand, what I do think is clear based on how he’s since developed, and based on the player he is now, is that he doesn’t possess the technical ability to play in a possession-based team, and he likely never will at this level. The reasons for this make for a different discussion, but the point is that I don’t see any significant potential in Bove’s ability to impact a game in possession. What you cannot claim is that Bove isn’t ready to play regularly at the senior level, because he absolutely is; he’s very developed physically, and he’s really effective off the ball. On the other hand, I don’t see anything outside of that, and given how much experience he has playing for the first team of one of Italy’s biggest clubs, at a very young age, I’m sure Roma could sell him for a good amount, which I think will be necessary to properly rebuild their squad anyway.
Moving on to the attack, I think the easiest decision is to let Sardar Azmoun return on to Bayer Leverkusen as his loan expires. Azmoun was an odd signing which I believe Roma made just to make sure they had another striker in case of emergency… but then they signed Romelu Lukaku not long after, and with Andrea Belotti, Tammy Abraham and Romelu Lukaku in Roma’s squad, you wonder what purpose Azmoun really serves. Furthermore, in terms of ability, Azmoun has proven to be a decent reserve striker for Bayer Leverkusen in recent years, but not much more. Since Roma already have Andrea Belotti on a permanent basis, I see no use for Sardar Azmoun. Furthermore, as for Romelu Lukaku, I think he will continue to be greatly important for Roma this season, but he is only there on a temporary basis. It may not be impossible to sign him on a permanent basis next summer, but it will certainly cost a lot, and if Roma are to rebuild I think it would be a waste to use substantial resources to sign a 31-year old striker. I don’t have any issues with Lukaku as a player, but for financial reasons I don’t think Roma should even really consider signing him. Besides, he should only be useful for the short-term, and in this hypothetical rebuild, Roma are trying to build towards the future.
Now, perhaps the most difficult decision Roma will have to make next summer, is whether or not to sell Tammy Abraham. With this decision, there are many different angles to consider. I will try to take the most simple approach to the issue as possible, which I think is that Roma should sell Tammy Abraham for financial reasons. It’s hard to foresee how Tammy will be regarded come next summer. Last year he was already having a very difficult season when he sustained an agonizing injury which would ensure that he would miss the overwhelming majority of the current season, as he is projected to return in March next year. Thus, this season Tammy will only be able to play football for a few months, and that is on the back of a huge injury which means we likely won’t see him at 100% until next season. By next summer, Tammy will essentially not have played football in a year, and in his most recent full season, he will have endured major struggles. He will also be 27, turning 28 later that year, and his current injury won’t have been his first one, nor his last. These are all factors which will likely decrease Tammy’s market value significantly, and at that point — if you’re selling Tammy for financial reasons — it might just be better to keep him anyway. But what do you have then? As for Tammy’s struggles at Roma, I think they largely make for another topic for another day, but sure, I do think there are reasons to believe that a new manager could bring Tammy closer to his best. However, it would be a difficult task, perhaps most importantly since Tammy’s current injury could have substantial long-term effects on his physical state. Moreover, there could be mental obstacles preventing Tammy from ever reaching his potential, and he might even have regressed in terms of ability — aside from his physical state. I think Roma need to raise as much money as they can next summer, in order to adequately address their needs, and given how many question marks there are regarding Tammy’s future as a footballer, I think they simply need to sell him to the highest bidder. Tammy Abraham is one of Roma’s most valuable financial assets, and if they keep him there are big doubts on whether or not he’ll be able to revive his career. I sympathize with Tammy, and I think his time at Roma will simply have to end quite sadly.
Here is the full list of the players who I think should leave Roma next summer:
- Rui Patrício (expiring contract)
- Rasmus Kristensen (expiring loan)
- Rick Karsdorp (sale)
- Marash Kumbulla (sale)
- Diego Llorente (expiring loan)
- Nicola Zalewski (sale)
- Edoardo Bove (sale)
- Renato Sanches (expiring loan)
- Romelu Lukaku (expiring loan)
- Sardar Azmoun (expiring loan)
- Tammy Abraham (sale)
Signings & overall team assessment
Defense
In defense, the first issue that needs addressing is obviously goalkeeper, but I really struggle with finding the perfect option; a task made no easier by the weak goalkeeper market. Goalkeeper recruitment is interesting, because the position is quite rare, relatively speaking, and you only really need one quality goalkeeper. Once you have your guy, you will likely depend on him for multiple years, before it’s time to find a new goalkeeper again. Once that time arrives, clubs often find themselves in a difficult situation, which goes back to the “rarity” point. In Roma’s case, you also have to consider their financial situation, the size of the club, and the fact that they will likely not be playing in the Champions League next season. Roma is a big club that many players would surely enjoy playing for, and they do have the money to sign good players, but with the goalkeeper position the talent pool is much smaller, and that even affects the value of goalkeepers. It will be difficult for Roma to find a goalkeeper who truly ticks all boxes, and that implies that they have to make a choice. Their next starting goalkeeper will inevitably have certain flaws, and Roma will have to decide which of these flaws they find to be the most trivial. With a hypothetical drastic change of identity — both in terms of tactics and recruitment strategy — the obvious choice would be for Roma to go for a more “modern” goalkeeper, but given the state of the market, I don’t think this would be wise. I would rather focus on signing a defensively solid goalkeeper, who can be coached into a more modern goalkeeper. If Thiago Motta can’t achieve that, maybe he’s the problem anyway. My choice is Nantes’ Alban Lafont.
In a goalkeeper market that largely lacks cheap, somewhat young, and well-rounded goalkeepers, Alban Lafont stands out. Indeed, he isn’t the epitome of the modern goalkeeper, as he is mediocre technically, and not an accomplished sweeper. However, he has been a reliable shot-stopper for the majority of his career, with a positive career PSxG +/- so far (via FBref). Moreover, he isn’t comparable to someone such as a prime David De Gea, which — in fairness to De Gea — is partly to say that Lafont is not quite as gifted of a shot-stopper, but also that Lafont’s struggles are not quite as severe as De Gea’s were. Lafont doesn’t stand out as a sweeper, nor on the ball, but he definitely isn’t outright bad in either department either, and thus I think it’s reasonable to believe that he could be coached into a more complete player. It is by all means also worth mentioning that he’s really reliable when it comes to defending crosses, a trait which should not be underestimated. As for the logistics of this signing, it’s almost impossible to get a grasp of the competition Roma would face to complete this signing, as well as how much they would have to pay, and this is due to the apparent lack of significant interest in the player in recent summers. Regardless, I would like to think that he will be in Roma’s price range, and perhaps the lack of concrete interest in the player in recent summers, is a testament to that. In any case, if there’s one signing I’d make next summer if I were Roma it would be Lafont, simply due to the lack of intriguing alternatives. With his defensive solidity, Lafont would be an immediate game-changer for Roma, and he could even be a reliable long-term option on top of that.
In the backline, it’s clear that reinforcement is needed out wide, however I don’t think Roma’s need for depth as a non-Champions League should be overestimated, and given the full-back market is quite weak, I don’t think Roma should sign two full-backs. Instead, I believe Ferdi Kadıoğlu would be perfect for them. Being just 24 years old and one of the better players in the Turkish Süper Lig, Roma shouldn’t expect to be able to sign Kadıoğlu on a bargain deal, but I think paying a heavy price for Kadıoğlu is worth it given his talent, profile, and versatility. If you’re not already familiar with Kadıoğlu, he is not only a key player for Fenerbahçe, but also a player who excels as both a right-back and a left-back. The effect of this is obvious: Roma kill two birds with one stone through this signing. Versatility is not the only reason I endorse this signing, however. In terms of style of play, I would describe Kadıoğlu as a mix of João Cancelo and Theo Hernández, which is of course not to imply that he matches either of these players in terms of ability. However, I do think these comparisons say something about how he’d fare in a possession-oriented team. Being right-footed, Kadıoğlu is more similar to Cancelo in terms of his positional play, close control, and dribbling, but more similar to Theo Hernández in his physical profile, work ethic, and explosiveness. He is a very skilled dribbler, ball-retainer, and ball-carrier, while also being dangerous in the final third due to solid creativity and excellent ball-striking. In the opposing half he often acts as a natural winger, which is a testament to how valuable he can be as an outlet, despite being a defensive player. Naturally, his high involvement in possession, and in attack, makes him flawed defensively, which is not only a matter of his positioning, but also a matter of him not being a very fundamentally solid defender. On the other hand, I think this is to be expected in the modern game.
I think Cancelo and Hernández are more stylistically accurate comparisons to Kadıoğlu, but in a Roma context, perhaps Leonardo Spinazzola is a better comparison. Certainly, I see Kadıoğlu’s long-term role as being a seamless replacement for Spinazzola, as he is quite similar to pre-injury-Spinazzola. I think this says a lot about how successful Kadıoğlu could be at Roma, because while many remember Spinazzola for his performances at the 2021 Euro’s, that version of Spinazzola did not exist in a vacuum, but was merely a continuation of his league form from the previous season. At that time Spinazzola was explosive and progressive in buildup, and a valuable outlet in the final third, while playing for a possession-based team. In the long-term, I think Kadıoğlu could excel in a very similar role. However, of course the fact that Kadıoğlu is completely comfortable playing on the right makes this signing more appealing for the short-term.
Going back to Spinazzola, he remains relevant as he’s obviously still playing for Roma, but what’s next? Well, he’s by no means the player he once was, but — once again — I would choose to keep him, which would only be achievable by extending his contract, which currently expires next summer. I have already explained why I would keep Spinazzola over Nicola Zalewski, but as for why I would keep him rather than letting him go, the simple reason is that Roma cannot address every single squad issue they have next summer. I still think Spinazzola is an average full-back who would probably be more suited to a possession-based team, and I always say that the full-backs are the least important positions in football, in which case that’s where you’d prefer to be vulnerable, if you had to be vulnerable somewhere. He can still do many of the things you’d want from your full-back in a team that plays out from the back and likes to create numerical advantages in the final third, so as a stopgap I think he’s fine. Again, as an alternative to Spinazzola on the left, Kadıoğlu should be great, so in terms of depth, Roma should be sorted for the left-back position. In fact, as a reserve option I even think Evan Ndicka can do a decent job as a left-back. On the other hand, I think Kadıoğlu starting at left-back is more of a long-term solution.
On the right, I would partly keep relying on a different Turkish full-back, in Zeki Çelik. He has hardly impressed at Roma since arriving, and similarly to Spinazzola I would mostly keep him since you cannot address every squad issue in one summer, and I think the full-back positions are the least important in the team. On the other hand, I don’t think Çelik should be written off completely. Like Spinazzola, I don’t think he’s bad, but just average, or perhaps mediocre. It is worth pointing out that Çelik has never been someone who has excelled going forward, but rather off the ball, so he has mostly been wasted in a wing-back role at Roma. If moved back to a deeper role at full-back, I think he would be more useful, although his mediocre technique and offensive contribution would undoubtedly limit Roma. I do think Çelik would be a bigger hindrance than Spinazzola, so if I had to choose one of these players to bench in place of Ferdi Kadıoğlu, I would choose Çelik. As a temporary depth option, I think he’s fine. At the very least, keeping him as a backup would be a financially wise decision, as there are more pressing squad issues which will naturally require as many resources as possible.
Centrally, I once again think that Roma are clearly vulnerable, but that next summer isn’t the right time for a proper overhaul. The reason is clear: they may not have the ideal quality, but they do have the quantity. Gianluca Mancini isn’t the most popular player in Italy — perhaps for good reason, as he’s a notoriously dirty and provocative player, who hasn’t impressed in terms of performances either in recent seasons. However, at least as a player, there is a side of Mancini which exists, but which we haven’t seen in a few years now. In my eyes, his performances since Mourinho’s arrival — particularly in contrast to those of Roger Ibañez — have frankly shown that he isn’t a very good defender. On the other hand, in terms of his output, he was very effective under Paulo Fonseca in 2020–21, both on and off the ball. Again, based on his complete lack of technical quality since the arrival of Mourinho, I still don’t believe in Mancini’s talent, but under the right coach and in the right setup, he can be an effective player. At that point, how much does his actual ability matter from Roma’s perspective? As a stopgap I think Mancini would be fine.
Aside from Mancini, I feel like I shouldn’t have to explain why Evan Ndicka should stay. He’s not the best defender in the world, nor even quite one of the best defenders in the league, but he is very solid, particularly defensively. I also think he’s more technical than Mancini, so if the latter can be effective under the right coach, Ndicka can be even better. As for Chris Smalling, I think a different kind of manager — like Motta — would show why he’s quickly become one of the most overrated players in the Serie A. First of all, he isn’t getting any younger, as he turns 35 next year. Aside from that, I think he’s become extremely overrated due to how suited he is to Mourinho’s tactical setup. He is solid 1v1, he is a monster in the box, and he is very risk-averse both on and off the ball, but his skillset is highly limited. Technically, I don’t think he’s good, and even defensively he mostly excels when playing in a low block. Of course, this is not to say that Chris Smalling never step ups further up the pitch, but he doesn’t step up as highly as he would likely be asked to under Thiago Motta; he doesn’t step up as frequently, and he also has a greater numerical support when he steps up in a three-back formation, compared to a four-back formation. Then again, I wouldn’t sell him as I don’t quite think Roma can afford to replace him, especially as there would still be a need for another center-back regardless. Thus, I think Roma should decrease Smalling’s role in the team, and focus on signing a new third-choice center-back.
To round up my assessment of Roma’s defense, the final signing I think they should make in this area is Montpellier’s Maxime Estève. Admittedly, I wouldn’t expect him to have an exceptional immediate impact at Roma, but overall I think it would be a really exciting signing for various reasons. This is the kind of signing that helps establish a culture and an identity. Subsequently you form an environment where players develop really well. Roma will have to sacrifice some short-term success to achieve this, but I think it will all be worth it. Based on what I’ve read in recent years, based on his development, and based on the fact that his contract expires in 2025, I think Estève could be worth around €10m next summer, and for such a price I think the return you could get is exceptional. I view Estève as someone who could be a defining player for the Roma of this very hypothetical future. As for his attributes, he remains raw technically and in the air, and I think this would inevitably lead to some unconvincing performances at the start. On the other hand, I think he does have a decent technical base, and he’s also 193 cm tall with fairly good athleticism, which should see his aerial ability improve as he gets older, although it is no guarantee. On the technical side, Thiago Motta’s technical coaching would really be tested with Estève, and while I haven’t been overwhelmed by this aspect of Motta in the past, he is growing on me as a manager as a whole — for one — but has more specifically also shown promising signs as a technical coach. In a more possession-based team, and under Motta’s coaching, Estève’s technical ability should undoubtedly improve, although it is hard to determine exactly how much. As for an overall comparison, I think Estève can develop into a similar player to Gabriel Magalhães in the future. If Roma were to get such a prospect for less than €15m, it could go down as a project-defining signing. Again, I wouldn’t expect too much from Estève in the short-term, but I think he should at least be good enough to start regularly. Regardless, Roma need to trust the process, if they are to undergo a sporting revolution.
Midfield
In midfield, it may seem like Roma don’t have much quality, and relatively speaking that may be true. However, under the right conditions I think we can see Roma’s midfield go from collectively being mediocre, to collectively being really solid, because the individual talent is there to an extent. If we look at the holding midfielders, I don’t think Roma have any ideal long-term options, but I simultaneously think they have two of the most disrespected players in the Serie A. The player who I would start between them is Leandro Paredes. He is a player who I’ve gone back and forth with in recent years, and I suppose there are many reasons why he isn’t ideal for a top team, but I don’t think his value in a team like Roma should be underestimated. Technically he remains an extremely gifted player, and even in a very off-ball-oriented Roma side his class is quite evident. If he can stand out technically in Mourinho’s Roma, I think he could become a key player under a manager like Motta.
Similarly, Bryan Cristante also has a poor reputation as a player, and he certainly isn’t ideal for Roma in the long-term — even aside from his age — but I do think he’s a decent player. Technically he is not outstanding, but I also don’t think he’s bad. His size and lack of mobility make him a player who’s bound to be limited in possession, but I don’t see him as a liability in this regard. There are many things which prevent him from being an ideal regista, but he can still contribute in possession in a deeper role, mainly through his long-range passing. Especially in previous more possession-based Roma sides, he has hardly excelled in possession, but has contributed at a much higher level than in the present. Of course, off the ball there aren’t many question marks regarding Cristante’s game. He’s relatively quick, works hard, is an exceptional duel-winner, is reliable in 1v1 situations, and his only clear flaw is that his anticipation isn’t good, especially for such an aggressive player. While on the topic of Cristante, I do think it’s worth mentioning that he has proven to be just about as competent as either a center-back or a box-to-box midfielder. These are two positions which will need to be strengthened next summer, but not only do I slightly prefer him as a holding midfielder due to his defensive prowess, but Roma would also need to sign a new 6 if Cristante were to move to a different position, and I think both a suitable center-back and a suitable box-to-box midfielder would be easier. In the short-term, I think Paredes and Cristante make for a very solid spine in Roma’s midfield. They certainly have their respective flaws, but for the first one or two seasons of this potential rebuild, I think they will be valuable assets to Roma.
Further up in midfield, I think it’s clear that Roma already have their more creative number 8’s sorted. Lorenzo Pellegrini has played in more advanced, off-ball-oriented, and direct roles since Mourinho’s arrival, and his talent has largely been wasted. Due to how frequently he’s featured as a kind of left attacking midfielder, it’s natural to think that he should be put on the left wing if Roma transition to a 4–3–3. Make no mistake about it, though: Lorenzo Pellegrini is an 8, and under the right conditions I think he can truly establish himself as one of the best midfielders in the Serie A again. The work-rate, tenacity, intelligence, dribbling, ball-carrying, creativity, ball-striking, and movement off the ball, make Pellegrini a very interesting 8 profile, and I believe he would have been much better by now if he’d left Roma before the arrival of Mourinho. However, he is Roma through and through, and I don’t think it’s too late for him to redeem himself at all. In Pellegrini’s case, he is not merely someone who seems more suited towards a different role, but someone who is already proven in this particular role, and his best, most consistent performances have came in this role.
Roma also have a similar profile to Pellegrini in Houssem Aouar. Aside from thinking Aouar shouldn’t be paired with Pellegrini, since he’s simply too stylistically similar, I also think Aouar has very quickly become underrated. It is no secret that Aouar hasn’t developed as expected in recent years, but he is by no means a failure, and does remain very talented. I was highly critical of Roma’s decision to sign Aouar last summer due to how poorly he currentlyfits the team tactically, and while that doesn’t necessarily mean that he would be a perfect fit for a manager like Thiago Motta, I personally feel as though he would be a good fit. He’s not as electric in possession as he once was, but remains very gifted nonetheless, and while his end product isn’t exceptional nowadays, it is far from non-existent, and his contribution off the ball remains impressive. Two technical, and well-rounded midfielders who are perfectly suited to the 4–3–3; I think Houssem Aouar and Lorenzo Pellegrini could be symbolic of a new tactical identity at Roma, if it were to change.
In Lorenzo Pellegrini and Houssem Aouar, Roma have the two more creative interiors they need, but to balance the midfield out I think they also need a starting midfielder who is more complete. There are many different players to choose from in Italy alone, but my favorite choice is Adrián Bernabé of Parma. While he currently plays in Serie B and remains untested in any of the top five leagues, he is arguably the best player in Serie B at the age of just 22. That is to say, Bernabé is certainly ready to play in Serie A, and he is yet to reach his potential. Furthermore, he is appropriately more of an all-phase midfielder than Houssem Aouar and Lorenzo Pellegrini. Looking at Adrián Bernabé’s heat map from last season, and comparing it to Pellegrini and Aouar’s respective most recent seasons in which they primarily played in their ideal role, this becomes quite evident, as you can see below.
Even Aouar, who is a more buildup-oriented player than Pellegrini, is clearly much more positionally advanced than Bernabé. On the other hand, note that Bernabé primarily played in a double pivot last season, and that his role at Roma would be different. So what does the heat map actually indicate? Well, I would say it is a testament to Bernabé’s ability to h contribute all over the pitch. Based on his output and eye test, I also see him as being quite effective off the ball, primarily as a ball-winner. More importantly, he is excellent on the ball in all phases, and it is this aspect which would be the most important in balancing out Roma’s midfield. Despite his ability to contribute in deeper areas, he is also fully capable of contributing in the final third as well, through occasional third man runs, dangerous passes, and attempts from range. Bernabé suits a more balanced number 8 role really well, and given how dominant he’s been in a Parma side that has actually been quite underwhelming since his arrival — despite currently sitting on top of Serie B — I think he could perform at a high level in Serie A. Especially when you consider how physical and gritty the Serie B is in comparison to Serie A, I think it’s rather the intensity and pace which Bernabé would have to get used to upon a move to Roma. In my opinion, he’s already good enough to start for Roma in a 4–3–3.
Going back to the Roma-Napoli comparison from my previous article, youth development is a department in which Roma should have a significant advantage over Napoli. Historically, Roma have always had a strong youth sector, and this has even remained the case in recent years. However, if you look at Roma’s first team, the only regular appearance makers who came up through the club’s youth sector are Nicola Zalewski, Edoardo Bove, Gianluca Mancini and Lorenzo Pellegrini, the latter two of which were born in 1996. This is a testament to one of many problematic aspects of the club’s sporting project in recent years. With José Mourinho as the head coach, youth development simply hasn’t been a focus for the club, and it’s not because Mourinho actively dislikes young players, it’s because youth development isn’t a priority for him. For instance, Cristian Volpato is perhaps the best prospect to come out of Roma’s youth academy in recent years, and he was sold last summer. As for Mourinho’s handling of Volpato, his thought process was probably that he saw him in training every week, and he was rarely ever better than either of Paulo Dybala or Lorenzo Pellegrini. Before each game, Mourinho selects the XI that he thinks will give his team the best possible chances of winning.
This truly emphasizes his old rivalry with legendary former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. Mourinho and Wenger didn’t just seem to have a mutual disdain for each other as people, but were — perhaps above all– ideological rivals. As for Arsène Wenger’s view on youth development, this is what he had to say back in 2017:
As implied earlier, if Roma are to undergo a sporting revolution, this very principle should be essential; you need to trust the process, you need to make sacrifices, and you need to strive for sustainability. In fact, Wenger’s point does not merely apply to players in the primavera, but young players in general. But what does all of this have to do with Lorenzo Pellegrini, Houssem Aouar, Adrián Bernabé, and Roma’s midfield? Well, Roma have always had the talents, and they’ve even done quite a good job of giving their top talents their first taste of senior football quite early on. Riccardo Pagano and Niccolò Pisilli (both born in 2004) exemplify this, with the duo having amassed 85 minutes in both the Serie A and Europa League so far. What Roma have failed at is the next step: integrating the players into the starting XI, and into the project. Given what has already been established about Mourinho, it is no surprise that Roma have failed at this step, and that they’ve subsequently sold the majority of the best talents they’ve produced/helped develop in recent years. However, as also brought up in my previous article, Mourinho is not the only culprit, and this is all a part of the club’s current sporting strategy, which needs to change. As for Pagano and Pisilli, I am bringing them up because Roma would need more depth in their interior midfield than merely Lorenzo Pellegrini, Houssem Aouar, and Adrián Bernabé. Both Pisilli and Pagano turn 20 next year, and I think at least one of them is good enough to be a long-term starter for Roma. As for who they are as players, it would be somewhat excessive to go into great detail, but Pagano is the more advanced midfielder out of the two, whereas Pisilli is the more complete midfielder. This means that Pisilli would be more suited to playing in a deeper interior role than Pagano, however Pagano seems to be the more developed player at the moment. Nonetheless, with a midfield quintet of Lorenzo Pellegrini, Houssem Aouar, Adrián Bernabé, Niccolò Pisilli and Riccardo Pagano, a fluid rotation should be possible, which would ideally see the latter two at least take on sporadic roles in the first team; sacrifices are necessary. Perhaps, Pisilli and Pagano could form a midfield duo in the future, as Pellegrini and Aouar fade out, because their qualities seem like they could complement each other quite well.
Attack
With a transition to a 4–3–3, Roma would commit to a front three with true wingers for the first time since before Mourinho’s arrival. Roma have favored a 3–4–3 during Mourinho’s time at the club, in which the front three has more so consisted of two number 10’s, as opposed to two wingers. With the change to a 4–3–3, Roma would need wingers, and quite a few of them at that. Starting with the right wing, the player I think Roma should prioritize signing here is Celtic’s Liel Abada. Despite having just recently turned 22, Abada has averaged 0.76 non-penalty goal contributions per 90 since joining the club in 2021 (via FBref). In a weak market for wingers, Abada is not the most proven one out there, but his skillset really stands out. Abada is perhaps mainly a goal threat — due to his excellent off-ball movement and ball-striking — but he is also a fully capable creator, and a sharp, direct dribbler. Standing at 168 cm tall (via Transfermarkt), Abada is very quick, while also not struggling particularly with being undersized. Another young player, Abada helps build towards the future, but not necessarily at the sacrifice of immediate quality. As for the transfer fee, it’s hard to determine what Roma would have to pay, but Abada would have to be one of their priority signings due to how weak the right winger market is; Abada is a player you’re likely going to want to overpay for if necessary, although only to a certain extent, of course.
Roma’s pragmatic signing of this hypothetical summer mercato would be Matteo Politano, who was born and raised in Rome, and brought up through Roma’s youth system until the age of 20. With his contract expiring in 2024 and Napoli having considered a sale the past two summers, Politano is likely to become a free agent next summer. With Roma then being in the need of a right winger, being on a limited budget, and with Politano likely being very open to the idea of coming back home to where it all started, this is by all means a viable transfer. As for how good it would be, I wouldn’t expect the impact of Politano to be profound. As a backup option, a more experienced alternative to Liel Abada, and on a very limited budget, Politano is about as good of a fit as you can find. Especially nowadays, Politano’s final third contribution is very underwhelming, but as a ball progresser he is second to none, and defensively he is also really reliable. He wouldn’t be the most exciting signing of this summer, but would be a solid stopgap. On the other hand, he would need to adapt his style of play in the final third to being less centered around creativity, and more centered around attacking the goal, as will soon be explained.
Paulo Dybala turns 31 next year, and due to his age, injury issues, and tactical profile he isn’t quite ideal for this Roma project presented in this article, however I think Roma have no choice but to exploit his talents in the short-term. His market value isn’t very high, so a sale would not be greatly beneficial anyway, and he could help make up for some of the shortcomings caused by the younger, more raw players. Dybala isn’t ideal for the 4–3–3, but as a false nine I do still think he could do very well. Under Mourinho we’ve seen Dybala as more of a goal threat and a creator through set pieces, but in a false nine role Dybala would be asked to roll the years back and wreak havoc between the lines. Especially today, I think Dybala isn’t quite dangerous enough in the final third to be a top forward, and not quite creative and technical enough to be a top attacking midfielder. However, he could still be a huge difference maker for Roma in a false nine role. For the standards of a forward, he is extremely progressive, creative, and efficient, while not being useless as a goal threat. At least due to his skillset, Dybala wouldn’t be asked to be a goal threat, but would rather allow the wingers to function as goal threats. For this reason, it would be important for Roma to be careful when assessing the appropriate winger profiles if they were to use Dybala as a false nine. On this topic, Abada certainly fits the profile, and while Politano isn’t a natural inside forward, I think he can be coached into being more of an off-ball threat than he typically has been in recent seasons.
On the other hand, if Politano making an adjustment to his style of play isn’t convincing enough, I think my selected second-choice striker Andrea Belotti would provide a bit of balance to the attack, by allowing for more of a traditional front three. Of course, Belotti has been completely written off at this point, but throughout his career he has been quite a complete striker, who can create chances and contribute in buildup, aside from being a goal threat. Aside from how hard the striker role at Mourinho’s Roma is as a whole, I don’t think Mourinho plays to Belotti’s strengths whatsoever, and we should see a completely different version of Belotti under a new manager. That is not to say that Belotti would go back to 2016–17 form, but I do think he would perform like an average Serie A striker at worst, and likely even better. As a backup, you can’t complain about that, especially not with the tactical flexibility he would allow.
Moving on to the left wing, another new signing would be needed, and my choice is Nicolò Cambiaghi, who is currently on loan at Empoli from Atalanta. Last season, Cambiaghi was also out on loan at Empoli, and while his output from this time may not be exceptional on a surface level, he was 21–22 years old and he and Tommaso Baldanzi were really the only redeeming qualities of Empoli’s attack that season. It is worth noting that then-Empoli manager Paolo Zanetti was the first manager in Serie A to be sacked this season, after the team scored 0 goals and conceded 12 in its first four league games of the season. It is not a climate you ideally want to be in as a young attacker, yet Cambiaghi has shown plenty of signs that he can become a great inside forward in the future. For one, his ball-carrying and contribution out of possession are both exceptional already. However, more importantly Cambiaghi’s movement off the ball is fantastic, often not dissimilar from a striker, and he frequently also possesses the classic striker’s instinct when in the box. For now, Cambiaghi remains an unproven player, but if you look at some of the goals he’s scored I think it might actually be unfair to characterize him as an unpolished player. Instead, he just hasn’t been in an environment where his biggest strengths can be exploited, and in a setup that would demand the wingers to be greater goal threats than the central forward, this would not be the case. Cambiaghi is relatively technical, quick, shifty, tenacious, and intelligent, which I think would fit really well for this team. Ironically enough, Roma would have to snatch Cambiaghi away from Atalanta in order to sign him, and this signing very much feels like a Sartori-era Atalanta signing. The output is not all there, but this is very excusable given the team he’s had to play with, and there are some really important traits which I think Sartori clearly possesses. I think he could be an exceptional long-term option as a left winger for Roma in this tactical setup, and he could have a shockingly big short-term impact.
If Cambiaghi raises concern due to how unproven he is, I do think Roma would have quite a reliable alternative to rely on in Stephan El Shaarawy. El Shaarawy has not lived up to his potential, and hasn’t even been a starting player for Roma since 2019, but as a rotational piece he’s become extremely efficient. He primarily serves as a wide goal threat, which he’s done impressively well considering he’s largely been playing as a wing-back, in a team that struggles to create chances. Aside from being a goal threat, El Shaarawy is also quite capable in most other areas of play aside from creativity. Nonetheless, having him as a secondary option on the left wing would be really positive for Roma, and in a more creative team I think people could come to actually appreciate the player Stephan El Shaarawy is today. He is the unsung hero of Roma.
To round up, here is the full list of players I think Roma should sign next summer:
- Alban Lafont
- Ferdi Kadıoğlu
- Maxime Estève
- Adrián Bernabé
- Liel Abada
- Matteo Politano
- Nicolò Cambiaghi
Here is a possible depth chart following these signings:
- Goalkeeper: Alban Lafont, Mile Svilar
- Right-back: Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Zeki Çelik
- Center-back: Evan Ndicka, Gianluca Mancini, Maxime Estève, Chris Smalling
- Left-back: Leonardo Spinazzola, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Evan Ndicka
- Holding midfielder (6): Leandro Paredes, Bryan Cristante
- Central midfielder (8): Lorenzo Pellegrini, Houssem Aouar, Nikola Moro, Riccardo Pagano, Niccolò Pisilli, Bryan Cristante/Leandro Paredes
- Right winger: Liel Abada, Matteo Politano
- Center forward: Paulo Dybala, Andrea Belotti, Nicolò Cambiaghi
- Left winger: Nicolò Cambiaghi, Stephan El Shaarawy
