Can Wesley make the left his long-term role with Roma?

When Wesley bundled the ball home for Roma’s first goal of the 2025-26 season, he was an unexpected goalscorer – and he has come a long way since.

After arriving from Flamengo in a deal that made him Roma’s most expensive right-back signing of all time, there were some concerns when Wesley looked a bit raw during pre-season.

Even his goal on the opening day against Bologna back in August wasn’t the prettiest. He took a heavy first touch to control a looping pass, then managed to react as the ball deflected off a defender and, after getting it out of his feet, scruffily bundled a shot over the line.

But it was a milestone to use as a springboard – as was the player of the match award he received after.

Given their lack of fortune in the right-back position over recent years, from Alessandro Florenzi’s injury troubles a decade ago to Rick Karsdorp’s absolute rollercoaster of a Roma career, not to mention flops like Wesley’s predecessor in the number 43 shirt, Rasmus Kristensen, it was a position the club couldn’t afford to get wrong.

Hence, a fee of up to €30m for Wesley could have been seen as a gamble. But fast forward to February, and there are now reports of him attracting some big-name suitors who might be willing to pay even more.

Such speculation is beside the point of this article, but symbolic nevertheless of the progress Wesley has made in recent months. It now seems the most plausible explanation for his rusty pre-season was perhaps a lack of rest since his last appearance for Flamengo in late July (the Brazilian football calendar runs from spring to autumn, rather than vice versa).

But what’s most interesting about Wesley’s rise to becoming one of Roma’s most important players is that he hasn’t even been playing that often in the natural position he was brought in to address. Instead, Wesley has earned more appearances as a left-sided wing-back than on the right.

That has largely been down to the prolonged absence of Angeliño – again, the reasons for which are not to speculate on – but also Gian Piero Gasperini’s seeming distrust in Liverpool loanee, Kostas Tsimikas.

Roma are well stocked enough on the right-hand side not to need Wesley there week in and week out yet, thanks to the presence of Zeki Çelik and Devyne Rensch. But equally, the Brazilian is playing well enough on the left to raise the question of if he should stay on that side for the long term.

It hasn’t been unheard of for Roma to have a right-footed left-back. Indeed, they won the Scudetto with one in the shape of Vincent Candela. More recently, Leonardo Spinazzola served Roma reasonably well for a few seasons.

But both of those players were already accustomed to playing as left-backs before they joined Roma. It was always the role they were meant to fulfil. That isn’t the case with Wesley, who played exclusively on the right for Flamengo.

He isn’t the first player to join Roma and be forced to play out of position early on. But he is faring a lot better than, for example, strikers Patrick Schick and did Grégoire Defrel did when made to play as right wingers in the 2017-18 season.

Wesley’s second goal in Roma colours came in November against Cremonese, when he was playing on the left. Put through by Stephan El Shaarawy, Wesley made the most of his space and deftly dinked the ball over the onrushing keeper.

Once again, by the end of the match, he was picking up the MVP award. And this time, there was arguably even more credit behind it, since he wasn’t the only goalscorer in a 3-1 win.

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For a third time, Wesley scored and went on to be named the player of the match when his goal decided Roma’s clash with Como in December. On that occasion, he was back on the right, with the finish much more accomplished than his first of the season.

Then came the January transfer window. As stated, there were rumours about Wesley that won’t be dwelled upon here. But it’s worth remembering that the full-back Roma took a look at as a potential signing, Fiorentina’s Niccolò Fortini, is another right-footer who can play on either flank. When Roma were considering cutting Tsimikas’ stay short, it was perhaps telling that they weren’t in the market for an out-and-out left-sided player as his replacement. It was a versatile operator they were looking at, who does prefer to play on the left but is naturally right-footed.

Under the surface, they likely knew they could trust Wesley as a viable option on the left to allow them to be more flexible in their future planning, not looking at players for rigid roles.

Of course, back in his Atalanta reign as well, Gasperini gave almost 100 appearances to Joakim Mæhle, another example of a right-footed left-back. That type of player can succeed in his tactics, and Wesley has been doing increasingly well in recent weeks.

As the summer approaches, the question is whether Wesley will eventually shift back over to the right. There is the fact that Çelik is approaching the end of his contract and, due to a disparity between his demands and what the club are willing to offer in wages, looks likely to be released, which will reduce Roma’s right-back depth.

They will also have the chance to revisit interest in new left-back options once Tsimikas returns to Liverpool, potentially readdressing the balance. But as things stand, where Wesley’s long-term future lies – as long as he stays – could go either way.

There are still things he needs to improve, as with most members of this squad. But he is beginning to stand out amongst his colleagues for the chances he creates and his endeavour on the wings.

For a player who was tempted to turn his back on the sport and quit only around five years ago, Wesley’s rise to prominence deserves applauding. All he can do now is keep giving his best, whether on the left or the right, as Roma assess where his long-term future lies.