Bergomi hails Malen as title-calibre talent, compares movement to Ronaldo

Abel Balbo, the club's former striker, has backed Roma to challenge Inter for the Serie A title, praising Gian Piero Gasperini's squad as capable of competing for the championship. Speaking to Il Messaggero, Balbo said: "It's a beautiful Roma to watch, entertaining and getting results. It's a pleasure to go to the stadium to see them and I think they will have an extraordinary season." Though he acknowledged Inter's broader depth, Balbo identified Roma as their principal antagonist: "Inter is still superior because they have a more complete squad, but Roma is the only one that can compete for the title." Balbo urged the club and fanbase to embrace ambition rather than hide from it. "The season is long, there are the cup competitions and Inter can also make mistakes. The important thing is to take advantage of them at the right moment. Why not believe in it? Not always the strongest win. You also need a bit of luck," he explained. Roma's title ambitions rest significantly on Donyell Malen's goalscoring, which Balbo praised for its simplicity and effectiveness. Balbo highlighted Malen's ability to score in varied ways—including a strike against Torino—and his capacity to function as an atypical striker who roams beyond the penalty area to support Gasperini's system. "He's a simple and effective player, and the most difficult thing in football is to play with simplicity. He does it better than anyone. He's fast, he knows how to move, he attacks space and sees the goal with ease. He's very strong," Balbo said. The Argentine stressed Malen's willingness to help the team under pressure and his instinct for finding the net in any situation—qualities Balbo believes can sustain Roma's bid to narrow the gap to Inter and establish themselves as genuine title contenders.

Radio pundit Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport has raised questions about whether midfielder Kvernadze would be the right fit for Roma in January, questioning whether Gasperini wants a ready-made player or would accept a gamble on potential. Torri said: "I don't know if Kvernadze is the right player for January. You have to understand if Gasperini wants a ready player, or if he'll settle for the gamble too. The player seems interesting, seems like a Gasperini type…but is he ready?" He estimates Frosinone would demand €20–25 million, and believes Roma could negotiate a better price if they move quickly. The comments reflect broader questions about Roma's midfield recruitment strategy and the role of Gasperini's playing style in shaping targets. Torri stressed the importance of external factors beyond the market: "You'll also have to see what UEFA tells Roma in mid-November, and what position Roma will be in come December." These references point to Roma's ongoing UEFA compliance situation and their league standing, both of which could influence winter spending capacity and priority. The discussion formed part of a wider radio roundtable on Roman football. Other contributors included Angelo Mangiante of Radio Manà Manà, who addressed Francesco Totti's position with the club, and Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo, who discussed Roma's youth development and midfield depth.

Rome's radio stations have weighed in on three key issues facing Roma as the season progresses: the speculation around midfielder Kvernadze, the development of Rodrigo Mora, and the decision to sell Niccolo Romano to Cagliari. Alessio Nardo criticised the timing of any potential move for Kvernadze. "If you were smart, you would have gone to get him in July or mid-August," Nardo said. "Now he's had an extraordinary start to the season, and after three weeks Frosinone will make you pay triple. Now it's foolish to go and get Kvernadze." Piero Torri added context: Frosinone are likely to demand €20–25 million for the player, but the price could rise further if Roma move slowly. Torri also flagged that Roma's position in the league table in December, and UEFA's verdict on the club's situation by mid-November, will determine whether the ownership feels obliged to invest in January. On Mora, Daniele Lo Monaco offered a technical assessment tempered by concerns about readiness. "From a technical standpoint I think Rodrigo Mora is superior to Matías Soulé," Lo Monaco said. "For me, Mora has only Dybala above him, because he does extraordinary things that others can only imagine. But from a physical point of view you have some doubts, because when he goes into a challenge, opponents push him around. And every so often during the match he loses focus, and with Gasperini you cannot afford that. Today he is not quite ready to play with Gasperini, but he will become ready soon, especially if he does not have the pressure on him of having to prove he is worth €50 million, because otherwise it becomes a problem." Fabio Petruzzi framed the Romano sale as a difficult but necessary choice. "Romano is a good player, I do not say otherwise, but I would be cautious," Petruzzi said. "He would not have played at Roma. Roma had to make a choice: either Pisilli or Romano." Stefano Carina highlighted the oddity of Romano's sale: the initial asking price was €9 million, but the player departed for €5 million. "If you were asking nine million then perhaps this lad is worth something," Carina noted. "Cagliari saw further ahead, and now it seems like a big regret."

Gian Piero Gasperini has granted Roma an additional day off, cancelling training and rescheduling the squad's return to Trigoria for Tuesday afternoon. The head coach will spend the intervening days away from Rome. Lorenzo Pellegrini is back fit and ready to feature in the trip to Como on 11 October after sitting out the last two consecutive matches against Torino and Inter. Wesley, Bryan Cristante and Donyell Malen are all available with no fitness concerns. The main talking point, however, centres on a potential trip to Argentina for Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina. Both players have received official invitations from the Argentine Football Association to attend a tribute ceremony for Lionel Messi's international retirement on 6 October at the Monumental stadium, an event open to all members of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad. Gasperini would prefer to avoid the lengthy intercontinental journey for the pair just days before the Como league fixture, particularly given that neither would feature in that match. Dybala and Molina are both keenly motivated to attend an occasion of profound emotional and historical significance to Argentine supporters. Discussions between the club, coaching staff and players are set to continue in the coming days.

Donyell Malen has scored 20 goals in 23 Serie A appearances across the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons, averaging a goal every 91 minutes on the pitch. His latest strike came against Turin, underlining his prolific form. Gasperini, however, is determined not to rely solely on Malen's finishing and is searching the squad for attackers capable of matching his pace. The approach mirrors Gasperini's nine years at Atalanta, where he consistently fielded multiple prolific forwards. Between 2018-19 onwards, Atalanta registered at least two players with 10 or more goals in every season, peaking at four double-figure scorers in 2023-24—the campaign they won the Europa League—when Scamacca, Koopmeiners, Lookman and De Ketelaere all scored in double figures in Serie A alone. Last season at Roma, Matías Soulé was the second-highest scorer with six goals, while all other attackers lagged behind Wesley, who managed five. This season, only Soulé and Rodrigo Mora have opened their accounts, while Paulo Dybala remains without a goal, as does Lorenzo Pellegrini, who is awaiting his debut. From the Como fixture onwards, those players face the task of sharpening Roma's attacking edge and lifting the overall potency of the forward line.

Gasperini has cancelled training on 25 September, giving the squad an extra day's rest before Roma's match at Como on 11 October. The head coach will spend the coming days away from Rome. Lorenzo Pellegrini's physical condition is improving and he should be available for the Como fixture after two spells on the bench during matches against Torino and Inter. Wesley, Bryan Cristante and Donyell Malen are not a concern. The central issue, however, is the planned Argentina trip by Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina. Both have been invited by the Argentine Football Federation to attend Messi's farewell match for the national team on 6 October at the Monumental stadium. All members of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad will be present, but Gasperini would prefer not to release them. With Roma's fixture at Como scheduled for 11 October, the coach wants to avoid an intercontinental journey for two players who would not even be taking the field. Both Dybala and Molina are keen to attend an occasion that will be historic for all Argentines.