Report: Roma Are Interested in Benfica Forward Gonçalo Ramos

On the list of Roma's summer transfer priorities, a backup for striker Tammy Abraham may not feel like a major necessity, especially not when you consider the club's long-standing need for a proper defensive midfielder, a topic we've covered ad nauseam over the past several months. However, when you consider the fact that Abraham has made nearly 40 appearances in all competitions and is very likely to approach the 4,000-minute mark by the end of the year, providing the club's 24-year-old star striker some relief suddenly becomes less a luxury and more a priority.

While many Roma fans are still dreaming of a reunion with Sassuolo forward and Roman-raised Gianluca Scamacca, manager José Mourinho and GM Tiago Pinto may have a slightly different idea in mind. Rather than bringing in a hulking striker to compete with Abraham (and possibly supplant him if Chelsea exercises their buyback option after next season), Roma's brass are looking for a player with a slightly different profile, one not only capable of backing up Abraham but potentially playing alongside him.

Enter Benfica forward Gonçalo Ramos, who, according to Portuguese outlet Record, is Roma's latest object of affection. Ramos, a 20-year-old Portuguese forward, is a Benfica lifer, having come up through the club's youth ranks before making his senior debut against Aves on July 7, 2021. Since then, Ramos has logged a total of 40 appearances for Benfica, hitting his stride this year with seven goals and one assist in 26 Primeira Liga appearances, including 15 starts; he's also scored once and provided one assist in seven Champions League appearances.

Standing a shade over six feet tall, Ramos, a natural righty, has logged time at center-forward and attacking midfielder, where his passing, dribbling, and vision have proven to be tremendous assets for Benfica. Valued at €10 million by Transfermarkt, Ramos recently re-upped with Benfica through 2026, so Roma may have a hard time driving that price down, though he remains within their presumed transfer budget.

At only 20-years-old, Ramos has plenty of room to grow and given his positional flexibility, he fits the bill as a backup/complement to Tammy Abraham; a role he's filled all season long with Benfica, playing alongside, in support of, and as a backup to Darwin Nuñez.

A backup striker won't have the same immediate impact as a standout defensive midfielder, but a player like Ramos gives Mourinho more tactical flexibility while providing Abraham time to rest and recover as the season progresses.

This remains nothing more than an intriguing rumor for now, but all signs point towards Roma improving their depth behind Abraham, so we may see Ramos’ name spring up this summer.