Il passato al Boca e il futuro da vice Ndicka: chi è Balerdi, il nuovo centrale per Gasp

Antonio Arena, Roma's young striker born in 2009, has spoken about his journey from Australia to Italian football in an interview with Vivo Azzurro. The 14-year-old Academy product began playing football at five in Australia, where both his parents were born; his grandparents are from Calabria. He moved to Europe at 14 for trials across the continent before joining Pescara, where he spent seven months on the bench before his father encouraged him to stay. "My father came with me to Italy," Arena said. "Without him, I would probably have gone back. It was difficult at first. Baldini called me to train with them one day because an attacker was missing, and from then on I stayed with them almost always. I was on the bench for 7 months. I wanted to play but I wasn't ready. I improved a lot with him." Arena recently scored for Roma against Torino in what he described as a shock. "A special evening, I was delighted, I didn't expect to play," he recalled. "Wesley's cross comes in, then the header and I don't even remember it properly — it all happened so fast. Pity about the result but it was a special night. I didn't believe it. My father told me I'd been good but that I should keep my head down and keep working." The striker has represented Italy at U17, U18 and U19 level. On his ambitions, Arena said: "My dream is to be as strong a player as possible. I want to play in the Champions League, win World Cups and Euros with Italy. I want to be among the best strikers. I want to get there."

Jayden Oosterwolde arrived in Rome with all the ceremony of a completed signing — meeting fans, heading to the training ground, undergoing medical checks. An official announcement, photoshoot and first interview were ready. Then the deal collapsed. The medical examinations revealed serious concerns: several doctors flagged a high risk of surgery to the tendons of the Fenerbahçe defender. Fenerbahçe refused to negotiate a revised offer, and Roma swiftly sent Oosterwolde back. The club chose to abandon the transfer rather than proceed with the risk. The outcome is unusual but not unprecedented in Serie A. Milan faced a similar situation with Mateta; Lazio with Bamba Dieng. Roma's own history holds comparable examples. Six months into another transfer saga, Milik encountered the same fate with Napoli: full agreement reached, then detailed instrumental checks in Switzerland on the Polish striker's knees — he had undergone two previous cruciate ligament surgeries — prompted Roma's hierarchy to harbour serious doubts about his rehabilitation timeline, ultimately breaking the deal. Unlike Oosterwolde's public arrival, that negotiation remained behind closed doors. The 2024 case of Tiago Djalo offers another parallel. The Juventus defender's transfer to Roma collapsed on 30 August, in the final days of the transfer window, despite having already completed his medical with the club. Roma hesitated, unconvinced by the deal, leaving Djalo confined to a hotel. After two days, the player chose to return to Turin.

Roma are working to complete their squad in the final days of the transfer window. Head coach Gasperini has made clear that while new arrivals have impressed, further effort is needed to expand a squad requiring quality alternatives in every position to compete in all three competitions. With the wage bill and amortisation costs calculated to the last cent, Roma are being selective in their recruitment. A move for Kessie has been ruled out due to his salary demands, while discussions with Fenerbahce over Oosterwolde have stalled without a new agreement being reached. Ziółkowski is set to leave, but only if Roma secure a replacement first; interest in Morato has cooled. Nayef Aguerd, born 1996 and currently at Marseille, is on the club's list as a loan option. Monaco's Kehrer is also being assessed.