AS Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini has sidelined Moroccan left-back Ismail Salah-Eddine, 23, saying he “does not fit and will not fit” into his plans, after a €7 million plus €1 million move to Olympiakos collapsed when Salah-Eddine rejected the terms.
The 23-year-old, under contract until 2028, has been training separately at Trigoria. He was left out of Roma’s pre-season trip to Wales and did not feature in any friendly matches.
Salah-Eddine joined Roma in January 2025 from FC Twente for around €8 million plus bonuses. He spent the 2025-26 season on loan at PSV Eindhoven, but the Dutch club opted against triggering its purchase option, returning him to Roma this summer.
Despite limited playing time under both Claudio Ranieri and Gasperini, and despite Roma’s apparent need for a left-footed full-back, he has not been given a sustained run in a rotation that currently includes Wesley, Rensch, Molina and Lulli at that position.
Gasperini said Salah-Eddine “does not fit and will not fit” into Roma’s plans, adding that the player has turned down three or four transfer opportunities already. He also dismissed the idea of signing a free agent to fill the void, indicating Roma is not seeking an internal solution and remains focused on moving Salah-Eddine on.
This summer, Roma reached an agreement with Olympiakos worth €7 million plus €1 million in bonuses for a permanent transfer. Negotiations were advanced, and the Greek club was seen as the most concrete path toward an exit.
The deal collapsed, however, after Salah-Eddine rejected the terms despite the agreement in principle between the two clubs.
Roma have kept him on their transfer list and are now waiting for new offers, with no clear timeline for a resolution.
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