Salah-Eddine faces difficult fight for place at AS Roma after rejecting summer moves

Anass Salah-Eddine is facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines at AS Roma after manager Gian Piero Gasperini publicly stated that the Morocco international is not part of his plans.

The 24-year-old left-back had several opportunities to leave the club during the summer transfer window but chose to stay in the Italian capital and compete for his place. However, with the transfer market now closed, Gasperini has made clear that Salah-Eddine is currently outside his preferred selection.

“Salah-Eddine received three or four offers, but he did not accept them. I had already made my technical choices and he is not part of them,” said the AS Roma manager.

The strength of the statement is significant because Salah-Eddine’s failure to move was not caused by a lack of interest from other clubs. West Ham submitted a loan offer for the defender, while Olympiacos also showed serious interest.

Salah-Eddine turned down both possibilities, apparently convinced that he could establish himself at AS Roma. His decision represented a continuation of a strategy he had already followed after last season’s loan spell at PSV Eindhoven.

Rather than extend his stay in the Netherlands, the former FC Twente player opted to return to Rome and attempt to force his way into the team.

Salah-Eddine remains under contract with AS Roma until June 2028, suggesting he has strong faith in his ability to succeed at the club. Gasperini, however, appears to view the situation very differently and has already settled on his technical preferences.

With the main European transfer markets now closed, Salah-Eddine risks spending several months with extremely limited playing time. He could even be left out of the first-team picture for an extended period, at least until the winter transfer window opens.

The timing is particularly difficult for the defender because he had worked his way into Morocco’s plans and was involved at the 2026 World Cup.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi is currently seeking to renew his squad and is monitoring a number of young players based across Europe. In that context, a lengthy period without regular club football could damage Salah-Eddine’s prospects with the national team in the run-up to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The left-back has therefore taken a considerable risk by rejecting several possible moves in the hope of convincing a manager who has openly said he does not rely on him.

His immediate challenge is to change Gasperini’s opinion on the pitch. Before he can do that, though, he must first be given the opportunity to play.