AS Roma set to be big cause of striker mix up in January

AS Roma are having one of their strongest seasons in recent Serie A history. A coaching change leading to the appointment of Gian Piero Gasperini and Claudio Ranieri as a sporting director. This has the main reason that Roma are fighting for their first Serie a title since 2001.

One of the main causes of this is how Gasperini and Raineri worked together meticulously to recruit new talent. This lead to excellent signings such as fullback Wesley from Flamengo, and Neil El Aynaoui in centre midfield from Lens. However, one signing who hasn’t managed to do well is Evan Ferguson.

Ferguson was bought in on loan to Roma from Brighton and has failed to start well in Serie A. He hasn’t fit into Serie A and Gasperini style of play at all. To make it worse he has struggled multiple injury set backs to which has mean’t he has struggled to get consistent game time.

For these reasons AS Roma will look to send him back to Brighton before the end of the season according to Gazzetta Dello Sport. Roma are hoping to send him back in January, even if they are forced to pay his termination fee, but first they need to find a replacement for him.

Evan Ferguson of AS Roma in action during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and AS Roma at Stadio Sant’Elia on December 07, 2025 in Cagliari,…

Roma have already beginning to look for replacements, and could look to the Premier League for their next striker. This is what reports from Il Messaggero state that Roma are after Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee. Gian Piero Gasperini is the most keen on the dutch striker, requesting his purchase to the Roma board.

However, the Roma board do have a back-up plan who is within Serie A. This comes from title rival Napoli, who will look to sell Lorenzo Lucca in January according to Sky Sports. Lucca hasn’t started well for Napoli this season and Romelu Lukaku will recover from injury soon, making Lucca unneeded.

This is why Lucca is a backup option for Roma, if a move for Zirkzee falls apart. However, Lucca has also received interest from AC Milan in January. They are looking to replace mexican striker Santiago Gimenez, who is not wanted by head coach Massimiliano Allegri and will be sold.