Antonio Arena reflects on maiden season at Roma

Roma have made a late move for Luiz Henrique, the 25-year-old Brazilian left winger at Zenit, in the closing days of the transfer window. The name has surprised supporters unfamiliar with the player, prompting scrutiny of both his profile and fit at the club. Luiz Henrique is a physically powerful, left-footed winger standing 1.82 metres tall, naturally positioned on the right flank where he receives the ball wide, takes on defenders and cuts inside onto his left foot. That presents an immediate puzzle: Roma spent much of the summer hunting a left winger with a right foot, the inverse of Henrique's natural characteristics. He grew up at Fluminense before two seasons in Spain with Betis without establishing himself. His trajectory changed in 2024 when he returned to Brazil to join Botafogo, where he enjoyed the best season of his career. He won both the Brasileirão and Copa Libertadores, becoming a central figure in the squad and earning awards as South America's player of the year. That form earned him a Brazil cap and a move to Zenit in January 2025 for approximately 35 million euros. Henrique is not a lightweight winger relying on technique and flair. He is a powerful, quick, hard-to-shift operator in duels with a capacity for consistent dribbling. When he drives forward in progression he can create numerical superiority almost alone, and his physical traits appeal to Gasperini. He is not, however, a prolific scorer; he has quality in the final third but has never posted numbers of a 15–20 goal-a-season attacker. He can play on the left—Zenit has deployed him there with good results—but it remains an adaptation from his natural position. From that flank, being left-footed, he tends to drift to the byline or play combination passes rather than cut inward toward goal as players like Fofana, Nusa or Summerville would. Roma's initial pursuit focused on a right-footed left winger capable of cutting inside. Henrique does not match that profile. However, with days remaining in August, the club may be forced to compromise: if the ideal target is unattainable at the desired cost, availability and possible terms, Roma must broaden the search and evaluate alternatives. Henrique fits that logic—a player of genuine quality potentially within reach on the club's conditions, rather than Gasperini's original conception of the role.

Roma have advanced unexpectedly for Zenit forward Luiz Henrique, 25, a name not previously linked with the club's attack this summer. The Brazilian, a former Betis player, scored the equaliser in a 1–1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico and has been put forward to the Giallorossi in recent hours. Negotiations are underway on the terms with Zenit, who valued him at approximately €40 million at the start of the transfer window. The left-footed forward, noted for his physical presence, would complete the offensive department as Roma encounter difficulty closing other preferred targets such as Fofana and Gittens. According to Fabrizio Romano, the club is actively working on a structure with the Russian club to bring in reinforcement in attack.

Gigi Garzya, a former player of both Lecce and Roma, assessed the upcoming Serie A match between the sides on Monday, highlighting the challenges each team faces. Lecce secured their first away win of the season at Venezia with a strong second-half display, though Garzya noted they had to absorb the hosts' tempo for much of the match. He praised midfielder Olaf Gorter for his quality and personality, and singled out the summer arrival of Ilić as evidence of Lecce's market ambition. On Roma's preparations under Gasperini, Garzya said the squad has been reinforced with players who strengthen it, though he acknowledged the departure of Zeki Çelik as significant—though Nahuel Molina possesses sufficient quality and competitive hunger to offset that loss. He outlined the tactical challenge: "A thing Roma must pay attention to is that Lecce is a team that doesn't give you anything for free; in that it's a bit like Roma, all things considered. Rhythm, ball recovery, rapid transitions, a very mobile attack." With the Champions League now part of Roma's fixture list, Garzya stressed the need for at least six reliable defenders in the squad, given the physical demands of Gasperini's system and the volume of matches. He praised the addition of Konstantinos Koulierakis as a carefully targeted choice, reflecting Gasperini's approach of never approving signings merely to inflate numbers. On Roma's ambitions for the season, Garzya urged focus on maintaining Champions League status as a priority. "It is early to say and ultimately the transfer market might not yet be finished," he stated. "We will also see what the others do by the close. Certainly you must do everything to maintain the Champions League position, because Roma must play this competition regularly. Then we'll see if appetite comes with eating."