The club missed out on Dutch striker Thijs Dallinga, who looks set to join Cologne after the German side overtook Werder Bremen in the race for his signature, according to Il Secolo XIX.
To fill the resulting gap up front, Daniele De Rossi's side have identified Moroccan forward Yassine Bentayeb, on loan at Troyes from Union Touarga and in strong scoring form this season, though Olympiacos are pushing hard for the same player.
Genoa are also working on strengthening the flanks, with Belgian full-back Ignace Van der Brempt of Como attracting serious interest — Cagliari are competing for his signature too.
Any incoming business remains contingent on departures. Genoa are demanding €20m for winger Brooke Norton-Cuffy, wanted by Everton and Hull City, with AC Milan also making enquiries; there remains a gap between that valuation and what suitors are willing to pay.
Should Norton-Cuffy still be on the books this weekend, he would in any case be left out of the squad to face Ascoli. Fellow defender Alan Matturro has returned to training at Pegli but continues to draw interest from Spain and remains available to help balance the books, as does Marco Venturino, who is expected to leave either permanently or on loan.
Further afield, Genoa have also entered the race for teenage Brazilian forward Robinho Jr, whose Santos career has stalled amid the club's well-documented financial problems.
The 18-year-old — who made his senior debut for Santos at 17 and had a €60m release clause written into his first professional contract — has featured just 12 times this season, always from the bench, with head coach Cuca his main advocate in the squad.
Santos, still weighed down by debts accumulated over recent seasons and compounded since Neymar's return to the club, are working to sanction a loan departure before the window closes, with Spanish clubs also monitoring the situation through intermediaries.
Reported valuations vary by outlet, with figures for a permanent sale ranging from roughly €8m to €13m depending on structure and add-ons; Genoa are among the interested parties, alongside Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano in Spain, though a loan with an option to buy looks the more likely structure given the financial complexities on the Brazilian side.