Roma face uncertain summer with Ndicka among key players at risk
AS Roma are facing a pivotal summer with the future of several key players, including defender Evan Ndicka, in serious doubt as the club's ownership and manager Gian Piero Gasperini appear to hold diverging visions. According to reports from Italy, the final seven matches of the Serie A season will set the stage for crucial talks between the Friedkin ownership and Gasperini, with the club's direction and squad composition up for debate. The central conflict stems from a financial strategy focused on reducing the wage bill, which could see high-earners depart, against Gasperini's desire to maintain the core of his team.
The future of Evan Ndicka is emblematic of this tension. The 24-year-old Ivorian centre-back, who joined Roma on a free transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, is reportedly among the players most sought after by other clubs. His consistent performances have made him a fundamental part of Gasperini's defensive setup. However, with his contract details undisclosed and the club's owners looking to manage costs, a sale cannot be ruled out if a significant offer arrives. Similar uncertainty surrounds the contract renewal situations of Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose departures would represent major savings but also a dismantling of the squad's spine.
Gasperini publicly expressed his hope to remain at the club ahead of the recent match against Inter Milan, a statement interpreted as an indirect request for technical guarantees. The manager left Atalanta with the aim of returning to the Champions League, a goal that remains mathematically possible but increasingly difficult for Roma this season. The club's sporting director, Ricky Massara, has stated that Gasperini will certainly stay, but the evident divergences in approach suggest nothing is settled.
The injury crisis that has plagued Roma since Christmas, particularly in attack, has derailed a campaign that once saw the team firmly in the top four. Key players like Dybala and new signing Dovbyk are sidelined until May, while defender Gianluca Mancini recently suffered a muscle injury expected to keep him out for weeks. This has severely limited Gasperini's options for the critical final run-in, which includes matches against direct rivals Atalanta, Bologna, and Lazio.
The coming weeks will therefore define Roma's trajectory. The club's hierarchy must decide whether to back Gasperini's project by retaining vital players like Ndicka and addressing the squad's depth, or to prioritize financial restructuring, which could trigger a significant summer exodus. The outcome will determine if Roma can build on Gasperini's first-season foundations or enter a new period of transition, with the manager's own future intrinsically linked to the promises made around the table after the season concludes.
