We're about a year and a half into Roma's José Mourinho experiment, and throughout that time, we've pondered which Primavera players might flourish under The Special One's guidance. While Mourinho is a notoriously tricky manager to play for, he hasn't been afraid to pluck players from Roma's youth ranks during his time in the capital. From Felix Afena-Gyan to Cristian Volpato to Giacomo Faticanti to Edoardo Bove, Mourinho hasn't shied away from playing the kids.
Thanks to his heroic performance last November, in which he came off the bench in the second half to score both goals in Roma's 2-0 win over Genoa, many tabbed Felix as the kid most likely to shine under Mourinho, but the young forward couldn't capitalize on his dream debut and was sold to Cremonese last August.
While he couldn't quite match Felix's headline-stealing performance against Genoa, Edoardo Bove showed just enough down the stretch last spring to lead many to believe he could be the missing piece in Roma's midfield. Young and rough around the edges, to be sure, but intriguing nonetheless. And with Roma's midfield in desperate need of some good old fashion Roman grinta, Bove seemed poised for an extended look this season.
But here we are, four months into the 2022-2023 season, and Bove has wasted away on the bench, logging only 47 minutes in five Serie A appearances. At 20-years-old, Bove still has ample time to prove himself, but according to the Corriere dello Sport, he may incubate his considerable talents with Lecce.
Earlier today, the CdS reported that Roma and Lecce have an agreement for the young Roman midfielder, one that would see Bove move to Lecce on loan with an option to buy, rumored to be €4.5 million. The Corriere also reports that Roma will retain a counter-option/buyback clause/right of first refusal on Bove, so this could—if he actually gets a chance to play a flourish—a deal that benefits both parties.
However, the Corriere quickly pointed out that Mourinho won't sign off on the deal until the club has secured a new midfielder. Otherwise, Bove will remain with the club for the remainder of the year.
As always, stay tuned. The January transfer dominoes could start falling as soon as the World Cup wraps up later this month.
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