The signing of a new striker usually generates more enthusiasm than for any other position, especially if they come from a strong background.
In Roma’s history, some of the best strikers have been signed from other clubs in Italy or Europe, whereas the number of strikers they have signed directly from English clubs – not counting wingers like Gervinho from Arsenal, for example – can be counted on one hand.
As a new one arrives, here’s the full list:
Evan Ferguson
After ending the 2024-25 season on loan at West Ham United without a goal to his name, Ferguson returned to Brighton, where he was once regarded as a player with the potential to be worth £100m, facing an uncertain future.
Roma stepped forward to offer him a new challenge in Italy, agreeing a season-long loan deal with Brighton with the option to buy him in 2026.
With 13 goals from 60 Premier League appearances for Brighton behind him, and still aged just 20 at the time of his move, Ferguson would be hoping to revitalise his career in Serie A.
For starters, he would likely have to play second fiddle to Artem Dovbyk, but as the first Irish player in Roma’s history, Ferguson would be hoping to break new ground given time.
Romelu Lukaku
Two strikers joined Roma on loan late in the summer 2023 transfer window; first, Sardar Azmoun arrived from Bayer Leverkusen to a muted reception, and then Lukaku came from Chelsea to much more enthusiasm.
Lukaku had set Serie A alight before with Inter, more so in his first spell there than the one directly before his Roma switch. After reuniting with José Mourinho, the Belgium international made a fairly strong start to his spell in the capital.
Lukaku ended the 2023-24 season with 21 goals from 47 games, but became out of reach for a permanent transfer and Chelsea subsequently sold him to Napoli, where he won the next available Scudetto.
Tammy Abraham
Forced into finding a new striker in the summer of 2021, Mourinho became fixated on the idea of luring Abraham to Italy, even though there was some slight reluctance at first from the Chelsea number 9.
Roma paid Chelsea €40m to seal the deal for Abraham, who soon bought into his new environment and enjoyed a scintillating first season in Italian football, with 27 goals in all competitions and a Europa Conference League winner’s medal to show for it.
But Abraham wasn’t the long-term striker Roma thought they had landed. His second season was underwhelming before a serious injury ruined his chances of bouncing back, leading to loan exits for AC Milan and Beşiktaş.
Edin Džeko
As is so often the case, finding an elite striker was classed as the move that could take Roma to the next level after consecutive runners-up finishes under Rudi Garcia.
In 2015, there was euphoria as the Giallorossi welcomed Džeko from Manchester City, where he was a two-time Premier League champion.
But Džeko struggled to live up to the hype in his first season, only scoring eight goals in Serie A. Roma’s overall fortunes didn’t improve, either; rather than rising to 1st, they dropped to 3rd in the table.
Nevertheless, his loan move became permanent and what followed was the stuff of legend. Džeko scored 39 goals in all competitions in his first season after his permanent transfer and would go on to climb to third place in Roma’s all-time goalscoring chart.
John Charles
The only striker Roma signed from an English club prior to the Premier League era from 1992 onwards was one who was already well-known to Italian football in the shape of Charles.
The Welshman was playing for Juventus for five seasons before returning to Leeds in 1962, only for his second spell in West Yorkshire to be short-lived.
Roma gave the Gentle Giant another chance in Italian football, but despite some early promise, he seemed to be past his best and left at the end of the 1962-63 season with four Serie A goals to his name.
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