AS Roma are stepping up efforts to sign Moroccan winger Ibrahim Salah, who has fallen out of favour with the national team just months ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 23-year-old wide man, currently on loan at Brest from Rennes, has emerged as a key target for Roma’s newly appointed sporting director Frederic Massara.
Reports from Italy indicate that the club sees Salah as a low-risk, high-reward signing, with Rennes said to be open to offers in the region of €5–6 million—a fee Roma reportedly view as reasonable.
According to Giallorossi.net, Massara’s interest stems from his brief but notable acquaintance with Salah during his time at Rennes last summer.
The director is believed to be a long-time admirer of the player’s qualities, particularly his direct style and technical ability, and views him as a suitable addition to Roma’s attacking ranks.
Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport has also confirmed Roma’s growing interest, noting that both Massara and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini are aligned in their assessment of the Moroccan international.
The club’s leadership believe that Salah’s recent experience in Ligue 1 and European competition could mark the beginning of a more mature and consistent phase in his career.
Salah’s 2024–25 campaign at Brest yielded modest returns. The winger featured 21 times across all competitions—12 appearances in Ligue 1 and six in the UEFA Champions League—scoring two goals and providing one assist.
While those numbers may appear underwhelming on paper, Roma’s hierarchy believes his overall development throughout the season has been encouraging.
There is also an underlying hope in Rome that a move to Serie A could help reignite Salah’s international prospects. Despite being called up by Morocco coach Walid Regragui in August 2023 for matches against Liberia and Burkina Faso, Salah has yet to feature for the senior side.
A former U23 Africa Cup of Nations champion, he has gradually drifted from the national radar, raising questions about his long-term role in the Atlas Lions’ setup.
The timing of Roma’s pursuit is particularly noteworthy, given the looming 2025 AFCON tournament. Salah’s potential resurgence at a prominent European club could place fresh pressure on Regragui to reconsider his selection choices.
While currently viewed as a peripheral figure, the winger’s performances in Italy could force a reassessment of his value to the national team.
Within Roma, there is cautious optimism that Salah—often labelled as inconsistent during his early career—may yet deliver on his promise with the right support and tactical structure. Gasperini’s system, which emphasises fluid wing play and attacking width, could offer an ideal environment for Salah to flourish.
With negotiations still in their early stages, no agreement has been reached, but talks are expected to progress swiftly in the coming weeks.
Should the deal go through, it could offer both club and player a much-needed turning point—Roma securing an underpriced talent, and Salah finding the platform to reassert himself both domestically and internationally.
