Will Lorenzo Pellegrini Sign A New Contract With Roma? Italian’s Future Unclear Despite Impressive Start To 2025/26 Season

Lorenzo Pellegrini could leave Roma in the January transfer window as his current contract expires at the end of the 2025/26 season.

Will Lorenzo Pellegrini Sign A New Contract With Roma?

The Italian midfielder will be out of contract in the Italian capital as of June 2026, meaning he would be available as a free agent after the 2025/26 campaign.

Talks between Pellegrini and the Giallorossi over an extended deal appear to have hit a standstill, as the relationship between Pellegrini and Gasperini is said to be ‘frosty’.

During his time with Roma, Pellegrini has made over 300 appearances and was a vital member of the clubs’ historic Europa Conference League triumph under Jose Mourinho in 2021/22.

However, the 29-year-old’s apparent fall out with Gasperini, has impacted his place in the starting eleven after featuring in just one of the four Serie A matches so far.

Pellegrini put a marker down in this singular appearance, scoring the winning goal of Lazio in the Derby della Capitale, before coming off the bench at half-time to provide an assist for Roma’s opener against Nice in the Europa League.

Earning a spot in Roma’s starting eleven could prove difficult for Pellegrini, as Gasperini has highlighted flaws in his side and the veteran manager’s system does not fully align with the 29-year-old’s qualities.

Neil El Aynaoui and Manu Kone have been the preferred options in central midfield, while Matias Soule is the main creative spark behind either Evan Ferguson or Artem Dovbyk.

Paulo Dybala is also set to return from injury after the next international break, meaning Pellegrini will drop further down the pecking order – despite strong performances so far.

The Italian’s last contract extension came in October 2021, meaning it’s been four-years since both parties had to negotiate terms and a resolution is yet to be found.

If Pellegrini does not agree a new deal with Roma before January, he could be pushed out of the door as the Giallorossi were prepared to sell the midfielder during the summer.

Could Lorenzo Pellegrini Leave In January?

Players running down their contracts and leaving as a free agent at the end of the season is something that continues to become more common in soccer.

Kylian Mbappe and Trent Alexander-Arnold are the biggest examples of this, with both players refusing to sign new deals at their former clubs to force a move to Real Madrid.

Pellegrini finds himself in a similar position, albeit on a smaller scale, and the Italian can enter negotiations with another club in January if he does not agree a new deal.

In Serie A, players can enter ‘pre-contract agreements’ with another club if they have six months remaining on their deal, which would be the case for Pellegrini in January.

His recent performances in the Roma side will boost chances of a move to another major European side, especially after recent interest from Inter Milan.

The Nerazzurri have shown interest in the Italian midfielder for multiple transfer windows now and could jump at the chance if there is no transfer fee involved.

Bringing in an additional midfielder could be crucial for Inter, as questions continue to be asked over whether Hakan Calhanoglu will leave or not.

It’s not been revealed whether Pellegrini would leave Rome in January, or if he would agree a pre-contract and complete the move during the summer transfer window.

Completing a pre-contract agreement is known as the Bosman departure and according to reports, Pellegrini would prefer to leave the club completely – pushing against the Bosman method.

The Italian is reportedly one of the highest paid players at Roma, meaning the club may be looking to spare some funds by taking him off the books.