I’ve watched Roma’s midfield get overrun in 17 matches this season. Seventeen. That’s not a rough patch—it’s a structural failure. Whether it’s against top-four sides pressing high or relegation battlers sitting deep and countering, the middle of the park has been our weakest link for months now. If the club doesn’t make midfield reconstruction the absolute number one priority this summer, we’re looking at another season of treading water.

Where It’s Gone Wrong

The problems aren’t hard to identify. Paredes is 32 and his legs have gone. He still reads the game beautifully and his passing range remains elite, but he can’t cover ground anymore. Watch him in the second half against Milan two weeks ago—he was jogging while Reijnders ran through the space he should’ve been occupying. You can’t build a modern midfield around a regista who physically can’t press.

Cristante’s been a loyal servant but he’s a utility player, not a genuine solution. He does a bit of everything without excelling at anything. When he’s your starting central midfielder, you’re essentially admitting you don’t have better options.

Pellegrini’s form has cratered. I don’t know if it’s confidence, fitness, or tactical confusion, but the player who was captain and creative heartbeat just twelve months ago now looks lost. He’s operating in spaces that don’t threaten anyone, receiving the ball facing our own goal, and his pressing has been inconsistent at best.

The result is a midfield that can’t control tempo, can’t win the ball back quickly, and can’t transition effectively. It’s why we’re so reliant on individual moments from Dybala (when fit) or Dovbyk. The system doesn’t create—individuals do.

What Roma Actually Need

Three things, specifically. First, a modern box-to-box midfielder who can press, carry, and contribute in both phases. Someone in the mold of a younger Barella or Koopmeiners—physically dominant, technically comfortable, and tactically intelligent. This is the hardest profile to find at a price Roma can afford, but it’s non-negotiable.

Second, a genuine replacement for Paredes as the deep-lying playmaker. Not immediately—Paredes can still play 60 minutes of lower-intensity matches—but someone being groomed to take over that role. A young regista with better mobility who can develop behind Paredes before inheriting the position.

Third, a creative midfielder who can operate between the lines and link with the attack. If Pellegrini doesn’t rediscover his form over summer, Roma need someone who can fill that gap. An attacking midfielder with vision, movement, and the ability to find pockets of space.

Realistic Targets

Roma aren’t spending €80 million on a single player. The budget will probably be €40-50 million total for the midfield, which means smart scouting and creative deals.

Samuele Ricci at Torino keeps coming up in Italian reports. He’s 24, Italian (helps with homegrown quotas), and his profile fits that box-to-box role. Torino would probably accept €25-30 million, though they’ll fight to keep him. His pressing numbers are in the top 15% for Serie A midfielders, and his ball progression stats are excellent.

From outside Italy, Florian Wirtz would be the dream but he’s going to a bigger club. More realistic might be someone like Lovro Majer at Wolfsburg—technically gifted, creative, and available for a reasonable fee since Wolfsburg are languishing mid-table in the Bundesliga. He’d cost around €18-22 million.

For the young regista role, Cher Ndour on loan from PSG could work, or looking at the Portuguese league where several promising deep-lying midfielders are available for under €15 million.

The folks at Team400 recently published some interesting analysis about how AI-driven scouting is changing transfer market dynamics in football. It’s worth reading if you’re curious about how clubs with Roma’s budget constraints are finding value in an inflated market.

The Tactical Implication

A rebuilt midfield doesn’t just improve one area—it transforms the whole team. When your engine room works, your defenders have less to do because the ball gets won higher up the pitch. Your attackers receive the ball in better positions because transitions happen faster. Your wingers get more service because the midfield can actually find them.

Look at how Atalanta play with a functional midfield. They press as a unit, win possession in dangerous areas, and launch attacks immediately. Their midfield does the dirty work that makes everyone else look good. Roma need that energy, that intelligence, that relentless engine.

Don’t Repeat Past Mistakes

Roma’s recent history is littered with transfer windows where they bought names instead of profiles. Players who looked good on paper but didn’t fit what the team needed tactically. We don’t need another ageing star looking for a final payday in the Italian sun. We need players who run, fight, and move the ball with purpose.

This summer’s midfield rebuild will define whether Roma are a genuine top-four contender next season or just another team hoping for the best. The talent’s out there. The question is whether the sporting director has the vision and the backing to go get it.

Forza Roma. But Roma needs to help herself first.