AS Roma have moved to address the concerns of manager Gian Piero Gasperini about his options at centre forward by agreeing terms to sign Robinio Vaz from Marseille on loan, with an option to buy the teenager for €25 million this summer.
Vaz (18) is a powerful, 6ft 1in striker who has scored four goals off the bench in Ligue 1 this season.
Injuries sustained by Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk appear to have forced Roma into the January transfer market. The Serie A side have also approached Aston Villa about signing Dutch international forward Donyell Malen.
The proposed Malen deal could be sweetened by Tammy Abraham – currently on loan from Roma to Turkish side Besiktas – going to Villa Park as cover for Ollie Watkins.
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Ferguson has scored three goals in 15 Serie A appearances, while Dovbyk has netted three in 13. Their underwhelming goal return is a constant source of chatter in the Italian media.
Ferguson is recovering from a back injury but has a chance of playing in Roma’s away game against Torino on Sunday.
His parent club, Brighton and Hove Albion, have made it clear that the 21-year-old is unlikely to return to the Premier League before his season-long loan is complete.
The Republic of Ireland striker has been linked with possible moves to Real Betis and Napoli. A switch to Napoli would pit him against Rasmus Højlund for a starting place. The Danish forward has nine goals in all competitions this season, to Ferguson’s five, with a permanent transfer from Manchester United being reported as a formality if Napoli qualify for the Champions League.
The most high-profile Irish transfer this month saw Mason Melia join Tottenham Hotspur from St Patrick’s Athletic for an initial fee of €1.9 million.
The 18-year-old is recuperating from a back issue after scoring 15 goals in all competitions for the Saints in 2025. When the Ireland under-21 international is fit, Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank will decide whether to promote him to the first team squad or loan him out.
Another Ireland under-21 international, Jack Moorhouse, has been mentioned in reports this week about a possible switch from League One side Leyton Orient – where he is on loan from Manchester United − to either Sheffield Wednesday or Bolton Wanderers.
Andy Moran may be open to a move away from Brighton as three years have passed since the 22-year-old made his one and only appearance for the Seagulls in the Premier League. The Dubliner made 10 appearances for Los Angeles FC during a brief stint at the Major League Soccer outfit last year.
Otherwise, it is likely to be a comparatively quiet window for Irish players in need of a new club, with goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu completing his loan from Southampton to Stoke City after losing his place to Israeli international Daniel Peretz.
“Gavin is a high calibre goalkeeper who has played at the top level for club and country,” said former Ireland international Jonathan Walters, who is now Stoke City’s sporting director.
“Losing Viktor [Johannson] for a period of time meant we had to act decisively and when the opportunity to bring Gavin in came along, we acted quickly.
“Gavin has played in the Premier League, has international experience and knows this division well, having been promoted out of it before. Bringing that experience into the group is valuable between now and the end of the season.”
Stoke are currently eighth in the EFL Championship, one point behind Watford in the last play-off spot.
“From speaking to Jonathan Walters and some of the players here, I know I’m joining a great club and a brilliant group of lads,” said Bazunu. “With the squad fighting for something big, it’s an exciting time for me to join. We’re in a great position and, if we can put a run of results together, I believe we can make ourselves challengers come the end of the season.”
