Roma Turns to Destiny Udogie to Solve Its Left Wing-Back Problem

While teenage sensation Rodrigo Mora continues to twist in the wind as Roma and Porto struggle to agree on the finer points of a €50 million transfer, the Giallorossi remain active on other fronts, particularly the wing-back position. In addition to bringing Champions League experience from his days with Atlético Madrid, newly signed right-back Nahuel Molina gives the club a dependable trio of wing-backs, joining Devyne Rensch and our top-rated U-23 player, Wesley França.

There’s just one small problem: they’re all nominally right wing-backs. Granted, Wesley’s success on the left last season gives Gian Piero Gasperini more options at the position, but Roma still lacks a bona fide left wing-back. Earlier this summer, we discussed the possibility of signing Alessio Cacciamani, Torino’s über-talented teenage winger, only to remember what a pain in the ass it is dealing with Urban Cairo.

There have been intermittent whispers that Roma remains interested in Cacciamani, but over the past week, the club has become increasingly linked with Destiny Udogie. The 23-year-old Verona native officially joined Spurs in 2023 after a successful two-year stint with Udinese, where he scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 68 league appearances.

While he hasn’t quite matched those counting stats with Spurs, he’s been a key piece of the puzzle at Tottenham, making 94 appearances across all competitions over the past three seasons. When silly season began, it seemed Roberto De Zerbi was keen to keep Udogie in North London, but the transfer pendulum has swung the other way.

According to multiple sources in Italy, including Nicolò Schira and Alfredo Pedullà, Spurs are reportedly warming to the idea of life without Udogie.

Currently valued at €30 million by Transfermarkt, we can safely assume Spurs won’t budge for less than €35 million (if not €40). While that’s not an outrageous figure in today’s market, it still requires a leap of faith. Udogie is coming off a bit of a down year and struggled to replicate his Udinese attacking form at Spurs, so Roma would be betting big on the Gasperini bounce. Still, Udogie is young and talented enough to make this a risk worth taking.

The Mora affair has been a nightmare so far, and dealing with Premier League clubs is a headache in its own right, so the only question is whether Tony D’Amico can successfully manage two tricky negotiations at once.