Anass Salah-Eddine is facing a difficult spell at AS Roma after rejecting several opportunities to leave the club during the summer transfer window, with manager Gian Piero Gasperini making it clear that the Morocco international is not part of his plans.
The 24-year-old left-back has chosen to remain in the Italian capital and compete for his place, despite receiving interest from elsewhere. However, Gasperini’s public comments suggest Salah-Eddine will have to overturn an established pecking order if he is to secure regular football.
“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 Roma manager.
Gasperini’s statement came immediately after the transfer window closed, making Salah-Eddine’s position particularly uncomfortable. His situation is not the result of a lack of potential destinations, as the Morocco international had genuine options available to him.
West Ham made an offer to take him on loan, while Olympiakos also showed serious interest. Salah-Eddine turned down both possibilities, apparently determined to establish himself at Roma rather than pursue another temporary move.
That decision followed a similar choice last season. After spending the campaign on loan at PSV Eindhoven, Salah-Eddine opted against extending his stay in the Netherlands and instead returned to Rome in the hope of earning a role under the club’s new manager.
He is under contract with Roma until June 2028, indicating that he remains convinced he can succeed at the club. Gasperini, however, appears to have reached a very different conclusion about his place within the squad.
With the transfer market closed across the major European leagues, Salah-Eddine now faces the possibility of several months with very limited playing time. If his situation does not change, he could remain on the sidelines until the winter transfer window.
The timing is especially difficult because Salah-Eddine had worked his way into Morocco’s plans and was included in the squad for the 2026 World Cup. He is now approaching an important period ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, when regular club football could be significant to his international prospects.
Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi is currently looking to renew his squad and is monitoring a number of young players across Europe. A prolonged lack of action at Roma could therefore damage Salah-Eddine’s chances of retaining his place with the national team.
The left-back has made a clear gamble by refusing several routes away from Roma in order to convince a manager who has openly said he does not count on him. His immediate challenge is to change Gasperini’s view on the pitch.
The greater difficulty may be getting the opportunity to do so.