Barcelona open to Alejandro Balde sale as Manchester United join Roma interest

Roma are reportedly keeping an eye on Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Sara, who plays for Galatasaray, as they look to strengthen their midfield in the January transfer window. The 1999-born player, who had been linked with the Giallorossi in the past, has reportedly returned to the club's list of monitored names, according to German outlet fussball-news.de. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is reportedly seeking reinforcements in midfield after Lorenzo Pellegrini suffered a serious injury, leaving the department without an important player. Sara is said to combine technical quality, forward runs and energy, qualities that could prove useful in Gasperini's midfield. Competition, however, is already significant. Napoli have reportedly also looked at the player in Italy, while Newcastle and Everton have reportedly moved for him from the Premier League. The two English clubs are reportedly ready to offer a figure close to €30 million to persuade Galatasaray to sell the midfielder. Roma are watching and evaluating the situation for now. The need to add a midfielder has become even more pressing following Pellegrini's absence, but much will depend on the economics of the deal and the competition that develops in the coming weeks.

Real Madrid forward Endrick, who has played only five minutes across Liga's last two matches, is reportedly pushing to leave in January and continues to favour a move to Roma. He had reportedly been ready to join Roma back in June, but Real Madrid manager Mourinho refused to let him go, and the situation could now change. Endrick is reportedly even more convinced of Roma after watching them in action against his side. His late entry was decisive in Roma's final turnaround, and Gasperini's footballing philosophy greatly appeals to him. The coach has never hidden his high regard for the young player, who would reportedly find more space in the capital. An initial meeting with Endrick's entourage took place in the days after the match at the Olimpico, and contacts remain active today. Endrick has placed Roma first and has two allies in his pursuit. The first is Wesley, who had already recommended a villa in Casal Palocco, next to that of the winger. The second is Carlo Ancelotti, the Brazil head coach, who wants Endrick to play more and has not hidden this even publicly. Ancelotti knows Rome well, and his advice would reportedly not be questioned. Serious discussions are expected in about a month, close to the winter transfer window, and perhaps once Real Madrid have worked out how to replace the Brazilian in their squad. The deal would reportedly be a loan, with a notably high buy-option.

Roma have reportedly returned to the chase for Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara, according to German outlet fussball-news.de. The Giallorossi had previously been interested in the player before his move to Turkey. With injuries piling up and a crowded schedule between Serie A and the Champions League, Roma are looking at possible reinforcements for the January transfer window. The midfield is especially thin, and the club appears determined to give head coach Gian Piero Gasperini at least one new signing to strengthen the squad. Sara, born in 1999, is valued at at least €30 million. Napoli and several Premier League clubs are also following the player closely.

Cristante is in Roma's squad for the trip to Napoli, according to the squad list published by Il Messaggero. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini is short in the final third, with Pellegrini, Dybala, Svilar and Koné all sidelined. He has only Mora and Soulé behind Malen, and is considering playing Cristante further forward. The squad list names Balerdi, Ghilardi, Hermoso, Koulierakis, Lulli, Mancini, Molina, N'Dicka, Rensch and Wesley in defence; Cristante, De Roon, Mora and Pisilli in midfield; and Malen, Soulé and Castro in attack. Camara and Di Nunzio are also listed. The situation is serious enough that Roma are expected to act in the January transfer window. The club must spend to give Gasperini at least two reinforcements between attack and the flanks. Gittens and Leweling remain on the list, and the club has not ruled out the complicated pursuit of Endrick. A new left-back name has emerged: Alejandro Balde of Barcelona, who is finding few minutes under Flick and has been offered by Jorge Mendes. His name joins that of Oosterwolde. Sky Sport reports that Roma are close to the final details of a contract renewal for Lulli, which would run to 2031. The deal has not yet been officially announced, and the last points must be settled before it is formalised. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport at the Amsterdam stop of the EA7 World Legends Padel Tour, Stekelenburg was asked about Svilar. He said: "If I had to put him in the top five... no, not yet. After all, there are Courtois, Neuer and others. But he is a young lad and he is doing an excellent job. He just has to keep growing." Asked to choose between Højlund and Malen if he were a sporting director, Graziani said: "Malen without thinking twice. Hojlund I like a lot, and sometimes he looks to me like a 'little Lukaku' the way he leads the attack and the physical battles he takes on, and he has a great sense of goal; but Malen is my ideal striker, for the way he attacks space, for his dribbling, for the acceleration he has in the last twenty metres and because he can roam across the whole attacking front."

Roma are reportedly eyeing a left-sided option, and Giallorossi.net's transfer column "Consigli per gli acquisti" has picked Union Berlin left-back Tom Rothe as its latest profile. The column is looking for a left-footed, athletic, physically robust player who can operate across the full flank in Gian Piero Gasperini's system, and Rothe is presented as fitting that brief. Born on 29 October 2004, Rothe is 21 and a natural left-footer standing 1.93 metres and weighing 85 kilos, which is unusually big for a flank player. He came through at St. Pauli and Borussia Dortmund, making his Bundesliga debut for BVB at just 17 and scoring straight away. After a loan spell at Holstein Kiel, where he finished with 4 goals and won promotion to the Bundesliga, Union Berlin bought him in summer 2024 for around 5 million euros. His natural position is left-back, but he can play as a wing-back and could be developed as a left-sided centre-back in a three. The article describes Rothe as more of a physical presence than a typical winger. He is strong in the air, holds his ground in duels and has a long stride, though he is not a pure sprinter, with a top speed of around 31.5 km/h. His main asset is the ability to run the flank continually, carry the attack and offer a physical presence in both phases. The writer argues this mix suits Gasperini's emphasis on one-on-one duels, and that at 21 he has considerable room to grow, so Roma would be buying a player to develop into a starter in the coming years. Rothe is not yet a finished product. He needs to improve the quality of his final pass, the accuracy of his crosses and his attacking one-v-one play. He creates more through physicality, running and runs into the box than through dribbling. He also had a fairly long lay-off between December and March last season. The article finds no pattern that would make him a particularly fragile player, but it is still an aspect to monitor. Union Berlin paid around 5 million euros for him, and his market value is now put at around 10 million euros. Taking into account his age, first-team status and potential, the German club would presumably ask for more, but the deal would still sit within a plausible economic range for Roma. One detail needs checking: when Union signed Rothe, Borussia Dortmund kept a buy-back right. Before any negotiation, it would be necessary to establish whether that clause is still valid and on what terms. The writer concludes that Rothe is not yet ready for a major European club, which is precisely what makes him interesting now. He is 21, left-footed, 1.93 metres tall, a regular in the Bundesliga and part of the Germany Under-21 set-up. Compared with Oosterwolde, he is less explosive but taller and has greater room for growth. The column wants to highlight young, physical players who remain affordable before they become too expensive.

Roma are reportedly considering Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde as a January target to strengthen the flank, according to Il Messaggero. The club's January priorities are an attacking winger, with the club also looking at a wide midfielder or wing-back role. The interest in Balde comes alongside the possible arrival of Oosterwolde, who Roma agreed terms with before the deal fell through after he suffered a serious muscle injury. Balde is considered a perfect fit for the profile Gian Piero Gasperini wants in that position. He is not part of Hansi Flick's plans at Barcelona and has barely played for several months. Jorge Mendes, Balde's agent, could be an important ally in the negotiations. Mendes pushed last summer to bring Mora to Roma, and the super agent could therefore help facilitate this deal too.