The Challenging Beginnings of Jonathan Rowe: A Story of Resilience and Determination

After just one season, Jonathan Rowe’s journey with Olympique de Marseille is coming to an end. The 22-year-old winger, who was initially signed on loan in 2024 before making a permanent move for approximately €16 million, struggled to make a lasting impact. He recorded 3 goals and 4 assists in 31 appearances before being let go as the summer transfer market opened in 2025. An altercation with Adrien Rabiot following the Rennes-OM match hastened his departure to Bologna. Marseille managed to negotiate a lucrative deal, selling him for €19.5 million and securing 10% of any future transfer fee.

Struggling to Make an Impact

Rowe expressed contentment in joining Bologna, stating, “I’m very happy to be here. This is an important step in my career. I’m ambitious and eager to contribute. The team is strong, and I’ve been welcomed warmly.” However, his performance has been underwhelming since arriving in Emilia-Romagna. Rowe has played in seven matches without scoring or assisting a goal. Out of those appearances, he has started only two games and averages just 31 minutes of playing time. On October 1, his coach, Vincenzo Italiano, reflected on Rowe’s progress after his first start against Lecce, saying, “I don’t know what you expected. I liked his first half. He needs time to adapt… I believe he’ll score goals in the coming weeks.”

Substituted Shortly After Coming On

Since then, Italiano has dealt with health issues, having recently recovered from pneumonia, and his assistant, Daniel Niccolini, took over coaching duties. Things didn’t go well for Rowe during a match against Fiorentina on October 26. After coming on in the 64th minute, he was substituted just 22 minutes later. His frustration was evident as he reacted negatively, showing visible signs of disappointment. Niccolini commented post-match, “It’s not always easy to understand players’ minds. At that moment, we felt it was necessary to make that choice.” Rowe was also absent from the following Serie A match against Torino, which ended in a 0-0 draw. Despite this, there are indications he may have a chance to redeem himself in the upcoming game against Parma.

The reasoning behind this lies in the underperformance of Argentine winger Benja Dominguez against Torino. As reported by Il Corriere dello Sport, “It felt like Bologna played the last 28 minutes with ten men. Dominguez contributed very little to the team.” It’s unclear whether Rowe’s prior absence was a tactical decision to reinstate Dominguez or a response to Rowe’s visible frustration during his last substitution. Nevertheless, reports suggest Rowe still has potential to shine, even with his rocky start. “Rowe might need more guidance to improve. This is a concern, but it’s essential to note that Bologna needs Rowe not just to justify a €20 million investment, but because he has the technical and physical potential to be another Ndoye on the left wing.” The ball is now in Rowe’s court.