AS Roma have been missing a reliable striker, other than Evan Ferguson, to provide a heavier presence in the box and help finish the team’s chances with consistent efficiency.
It will be very important for the Giallorossi to sign a striker during this transfer window in order to continue competing for the top four spots seriously and avoid falling behind, especially with the fierce competition of the top Serie A teams.
Having a proper striker would guarantee more goals, more reliance on through passes in space during counterattacks, and more threat from set-pieces as well.
It is true that with Ferguson, Roma have not looked bad; however, bringing in a more reliable, experienced, and powerful striker would make Roma even more dangerous in attack, with Ferguson remaining as the plan B option and adding freshness in second halves, for instance.
Therefore, this AS Roma recruitment analysis will primarily focus on the three striker profiles Roma are considering for the January transfer window.
The analysis will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each profile and provide a fair comparison among the three in the end.
Joshua Zirkzee Scout Report 2025/2026
Since Joshua Zirkzee is not receiving sufficient playing time at Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United, as he is not considered a first-choice striker, this could represent a suitable opportunity for the Giallorossi to try to sign the player during the winter transfer window.
Zirkzee is a very suitable option for the role, mainly because he knows the Italian Serie A well, given his successful experience with Bologna and, before that, with Parma.
This can represent a real advantage for the Dutch player when evaluating the best possible player to be signed for that striker position at Roma, as the previous success in Serie A guarantees minimal adaptation time and direct integration within the team, as well as a guarantee for performing well starting from the first few games.
Zirkzee has all the characteristics that a head coach like Gian Piero Gasperini might need: he has a clean touch on the ball, is good at passing, playmaking, and ball control, and does not get uncomfortable when retreating or changing position.
This means that Zirkzee can be useful and reliable within Gasperini’s plan, as he already moves well without the ball and can become even more unpredictable with Gasperini’s instructions.
Leaning towards one of the wings and retreating when needed, while being good enough in duels, dribbling, and passing, will surely help Gasperini create many more attacking variations and plans, leveraging Zirkzee’s versatility and the advancement of his teammates.
While at Bologna, Zirkzee scored 12 goals and provided seven assists in his second season, which was a positive average.
However, he failed to reach those numbers at Manchester United, and the fact that he was not the confirmed starting striker did not help him much, either.
If the deal with Roma goes through, it will be crucial to have Gasperini’s confidence and to give him enough playing time to become clinical once again, after his negative period at Manchester United at the start of this season.
The following two pizza charts of Zirkzee Manchester United and at Bologna, respectively, confirm Zirkzee’s remarkable contribution in the defensive phase and his ability to win defensive duels.
They also show that Zirkzee is a striker with excellent passing skills and has the vision and key-passing abilities needed to disrupt defensive lines, especially when he receives the ball a bit behind the penalty box.
This represents a considerable asset for Roma as their actual striker, Ferguson, is not really a creative passer but rather a classic striker who loves moving inside the box, playing with his back to the goal, engaging himself in aerial duels, and playing as a stationary striker.
Zirkzee would propose an unorthodox striker type that fits Gasperini’s playing style, given that Gasperini’s preferred style and philosophy rely on interchangeable positioning and encourage players with roles that do not necessarily suit their natural positions.
In other words, Gasperini relies heavily on engaging defenders in the attacking phase and creates the space needed for them to advance and be involved in attacks in the final third.
Likewise, if he gets the opportunity to have a striker like Zirkzee, he will surely encourage his playmaking and make him move and play in unexpected areas of the pitch, while remaining the team’s striker inside the box when needed as well.
That said, it is important to note that Zirkzee’s goal contribution averages were not particularly high in the past, which suggests that Roma should not rely solely on Zirkzee for goalscoring.
In case the deal goes through, it will be crucial to work with him on finishing and on finding ways to increase his goalscoring averages, mainly by asking for the ball more often and shooting with more accuracy and intelligence.
Furthermore, failing to win a high number of territorial duels on average cannot be acceptable for a player with sufficient physical strength and, more importantly, a remarkable 1.93 meters in height.
That’s an aspect that Roma might consider when evaluating the profile of Zirkzee as well, given that Roma need a reliable finisher from set-pieces and crosses.
Joshua Zirkzee Pizza Chart 2024/2025 & 2023/2024
Joshua Zirkzee Finishing Abilities
If Zirkzee gets the playing time he needs with Roma, he could get back to his Bologna form.
At Bologna, Zirkzee was good enough with movement inside and outside the box, as well as with assist-making and goalscoring from different situations.
The following picture highlights one of his remarkable goal actions: he dropped to midfield to provide a through pass in space to his teammate on the left wing, then continued his run towards the box.
He was quick enough to get to his teammate’s pass towards the box and finish without complicating things, with an outstanding half-volley that made the action look so easy to repeat.
Having a player who drops to midfield, serves his teammates accurately before returning to the box, and makes himself available for finishing is definitely something the actual Roma squad lacks.
Jeff Ekhator Scout Report 2025/2026
Jeff Ekhator is another option that Roma are considering and might sign during this transfer window, and the Italian striker would not be a player to underestimate, either.
He actually plays for Genoa and has already participated regularly with them last season; however, the main challenge with the potential signing of Ekhator is that he lacks senior-level experience.
Jeff Ekhator Back-Heel Goal
That said, Roma can gamble on the 19-year-old striker mainly because he has already impressed and convinced at Genoa and with the Italy U21 team, and that’s why he has been used within the senior team even before having 19 years old.
It is sufficient to note that he has scored a magnificent back-heel goal against Napoli lately, resisting and anticipating the marking of Sam Beukema in a remarkable way and highlighting his ability to score goals even when put in complex situations.
Ekhator has not yet had the playing time needed to ensure consistency in numbers at the senior level, so it’s somewhat risky to sign him.
But at the same time, the fact that Ekhator was already useful and dangerous most of the time he played for Genoa means that Gasperini can exploit and further develop Ekhator at Roma.
In fact, one key factor that might make Roma lean towards signing Ekhator would be Gasperini’s preference for young talents and his mastery in developing their skills and boosting their performances in a significant way.
Gasperini loves young talents and deals with them better than he deals with experienced or “star” players, and that’s why it would not be surprising for Roma to sign Ekhator at the expense of Zirkzee or else, especially if Gasperini is convinced by the potential of Ekhator.
Jeff Ekhator Passing Potential
Another crucial aspect that might serve to the advantage of Ekhator is the latter’s ability and willingness to retreat and be actively involved in the playmaking process, with accurate passing and potential for becoming an even more dangerous key passer.
Until now, he has not been remarkable enough in terms of assist-making; however, with extensive work under Gasperini’s management, he has the potential to become extremely dangerous in this regard.
Ekhator’s physical strength allows him to protect the ball well even in complicated situations, and when retreating, he would automatically be less marked than when positioning himself inside the box.
This can make Ekhator much more dangerous when coming from behind, as he can use the space he left inside the box through key passing to one of his teammates, as he did in this action against Inter Milan.
Beto Scout Report 2025/2026
The third alternative that is being considered by Roma’s management is Everton’s Beto.
Although the signing of Beto remains complicated in terms of possibility, the Guinea-Bissau international can be considered as the most complete and convincing striker profile among the three suggested players.
First, he is tall and has got physical strength that allows him to beat direct opponents in duels.
Second, he is excellent at playing with his back to the goal and, more importantly, is usually capable of receiving the ball, turning despite marking, and advancing while relying on his pace and dribbling skills.
Third, Beto is outstanding at dribbling and does not hesitate in 1-v-1s, even against goalkeepers, which makes him a reliable goalscorer.
That said, his inconsistency in form and his inability to remain consistently successful at Everton make this player a bit risky.
But at the same time, it would be sufficient to consider his Serie A goal contribution when he was playing for Udinese to understand that Beto fits the Serie A playing style perfectly and has already succeeded in that league.
In fact, Beto can be extremely useful in aerial duels as he scores a lot with headers, and is also very dangerous in counterattacks thanks to his pace and excellent striker movements without the ball.
Signing Beto would provide the needed depth in the final third for Roma, as that’s what they lack in their team right now.
Roma should keep an eye on the player’s disappointing run of form with Everton this season, however, as they need to know the reasons for his downgrade before signing the player.
Scoring only twice from 20 appearances is definitely worrying and is something that needs to be seriously considered when making the choice.
As the pizza chart of this season shows, Beto’s goal contribution averages were disappointing, especially if we compare them to the expected goal contribution rate, and the same applies to his number of shots and dribbles per game.
The pizza map does not reflect Beto’s true potential and qualities, but it is essential to consider it mainly because it highlights his current season’s form and alarms Roma about his potential failure this season.
At the same time, it is enough to look at his last few seasons to know that Beto can still turn the tables and succeed at Roma if the deal goes through, given that he is more than capable of doing well in Italy as he did before.
Beto Pizza Chart 2025/2026
Conclusion
Some other names, like Lorenzo Lucca and Giacomo Raspadori, may be considered as well, but signing one of these two players might be more complicated than the suggested three.
For Zirkzee, Ekhator, and Beto, Roma would benefit most from Beto, mainly because he guarantees a heavy presence inside and outside the box and can be extremely useful in all phases.
The second alternative would be Zirkzee, mainly because he fits Gasperini’s ideas even more than Beto and can help the head coach apply his philosophy in a more remarkable way.
And just like Beto, both players will need to reconfirm their abilities in Serie A, knowing that they shone mostly in Serie A previously.
The third option will obviously be Ekhator, mainly because the Italian striker is the least experienced among the three players, and also because he is yet to be consistent for a whole season in terms of performances and goalscoring.
That said, opting for him would not be considered a failed signing, mainly because Gasperini knows how to develop young talent, and Ekhator is already an extremely talented striker.
