“Roma’s Marash Kumbulla Nears Shock Move to Espanyol as Summer Exodus Continues”
Roma are on the verge of losing another first-team player this summer, following Paulo Dybala’s potential exit. According to Fabrizio Romano, out-of-favor defender Marash Kumbulla is close to securing a season-long loan move to Espanyol.
The two clubs reached an agreement on Friday, and Kumbulla is already en route to Spain. With only the final details to be completed, the transfer is nearly finalized, pending a routine medical examination.
Kumbulla fell out of favor at Roma after suffering a long-term injury and was not part of Jose Mourinho’s plans, nor did anything change when Daniele De Rossi took over last January. After spending the second half of the 2023/24 season on loan at Sassuolo, who ultimately decided against making the move permanent following their relegation, Kumbulla returned to Roma earlier this summer. However, his stay will be brief as he is set to start a new chapter in La Liga with Espanyol.
This will be the first time Kumbulla plays outside of Serie A in his senior career. Espanyol, having earned promotion back to La Liga under Manolo Gonzalez, are determined to avoid a quick return to the second division and have been active in the transfer market. Kumbulla’s move to Catalonia could prompt Roma to seek another defensive reinforcement late in the summer, as they have yet to bolster that area of the squad in recent months.