Rios remains Number 1 choice for Roma as work continues | OneFootball

Richard Rios remains the number one name on Gian Piero Gasperini’s list for the Roma midfield, ahead of Neil El Aynaoui, and work continues to strike a deal with Palmeiras.

Much has been said over the last few days about the position that Rios holds in the hierarchy of transfer targets, but we can assure you that he has always been stable at the very top.

Finding an agreement to sign him is another matter, especially if he wants to wait and see if there are any strong proposals coming in from the Premier League.

Rios will cost Roma a little more

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JUNE 23: Richard Rios #8 of Palmeiras walks out of the tunnel prior to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group A match between Internacional CF Miami and SE Palmeiras at Hard Rock Stadium on June 23, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Roma had promised an initial proposal worth €25m plus another €5m in add-ons, but continued to work in the meantime to whittle down those details, knowing that the starting point for Palmeiras was €30m fixed fee plus bonuses.

Now we enter into the decisive phase of the negotiations, where Roma will try to get closer to the Palmeiras demands.

It is true that the Giallorossi also like El Aynaoui, and the player has opened the door for a move to the Stadio Olimpico, but RC Lens are standing firm and want to spark a bidding war for their player.

In terms of characteristics and more, Rios is the preferred candidate for Gasperini and Roma will continue working non-stop to reach a positive solution.