Boca Juniors Continue Pursuit of Dybala with Direct Contact from New Coach

Robinio Vaz has had limited playing time since joining Hull City on loan in August, with only eight minutes against Chelsea and twelve against Newcastle to his name so far this season, plus a subdued showing in the Curaçao Cup. The French midfielder has moved between benches at Marseille, Roma and now Hull City, where he arrived on a temporary deal with a buyout option. Vaz joined Roma in January on a €22 million transfer at the behest of Massara, but failed to win over head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who opted to send him out on loan rather than allow his valuation to diminish further. The club structured the deal as a €2 million loan fee coupled with a €30 million buyout clause for Hull City, which carries no performance or appearance conditions—it depends solely on the English club's judgment of the player. Despite injuries to Hull's Gelhardt and Ansah, Vaz has not broken into their starting hierarchy. The arrangement came at a time when Vaz also faced racist abuse on social media, prompting Hull City to issue a statement in his defence. The hope now, whether or not the buyout is triggered, is that the midfielder finds regular football in England and can rebuild his career after a difficult spell at the Stadio Olimpico.

Roma sporting director Tony D'Amico has reopened contact with the representatives of Endrick, Real Madrid's Brazilian forward, during the international break to explore the 18-year-old's availability. Endrick has indicated openness to joining Roma, though AC Milan remain active competitors for his signature. Both clubs had conducted extensive checks on the player during the summer transfer window, but then-Real Madrid manager José Mourinho blocked any departure. Endrick's opening weeks at Madrid have been hampered by a muscle injury that disrupted his pre-season. The left-footed Brazilian has accumulated only four minutes of competitive football in the white shirt, a shortage of playing time that has prompted him to consider alternative options. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has identified the player as his preferred solution to a long-standing search for an attacking midfielder to operate on the centre-left, behind the main striker. Gasperini envisions using Endrick in that hybrid role to support play and create chances for Donyell Malen, a pairing the coach believes would deliver unpredictability, acceleration and lethal finishing. Roma are studying a deal structure centred on a loan with a purchase option, a formula consistent with the club's commitment to financial balance. The opportunities to accelerate negotiations will come soon: Roma and Real Madrid meet at the Stadio Olimpico on 14 October for a Champions League match. The arrival of Real Madrid's leadership in the capital will allow D'Amico to enter substantive talks and attempt to move the transfer forward.

Roma are competing with AC Milan to sign Real Madrid forward Endrick, who has expressed interest in both clubs. During the current international break, Roma's sporting director D'Amico reopened contact with the player's representatives, according to La Repubblica. Endrick has played just four minutes for Real Madrid this season owing to a muscular injury and is currently with Brazil's national team. The left-footed 2006-born forward has earned the full approval of Gasperini, who has spent over a year seeking an attacking midfielder to deploy on the left behind the main striker. Roma's preferred route is a loan with a right of purchase. The Champions League fixture scheduled for 14 October could provide an opportunity to accelerate the transfer chase.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has decisions to make ahead of the trip to Como, with injuries and international commitments affecting selection in midfield and defence. Matías Soulé, who has been with Argentina, is expected back at Trigoria only on Thursday, opening the door for either Lorenzo Pellegrini or Rodrigo Mora to start alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in the attacking midfield role. Pellegrini, who has not played since 10 April, is fully fit and ready to return; a start would mark his 350th appearance for Roma. Mora, meanwhile, is currently with the Portugal U21 side and is chasing continuity after scoring an overhead kick against Gibraltar. Gasperini has built a significant strength on Roma's flanks this season—a reversal of last season's problems. The club's wingers have created 24 goal-scoring chances so far: 13 from Wesley, 7 from Nahuel Molina and 4 from Emanuele Lulli, a tally that places Roma second only to Inter. The coach is expected to field Molina on the right and Wesley on the left at Como, with the Brazilian given a more attacking brief and the Argentine tasked with greater defensive responsibility, though Gasperini has signalled he does not regard the flanks as fixed assignments and may shuffle them during the match. Defence has also emerged as a major weapon. Gasperini described Roma's back line as a "difesa di gladiatori" (defence of gladiators), and the numbers back that assessment. Roma lead Serie A with 5.8 recoveries per match in the attacking third and 141 regained possessions in the central areas, generating 17 shots from high-pressure recoveries. The coach has several defensive options in Evan N'Dicka, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Mario Hermoso, Daniele Ghilardi and Konstantinos Koulierakis. N'Dicka could return to the starting line-up at Como in place of Balerdi, who is still with Argentina and due back at Trigoria later. Gasperini's defensive philosophy is encapsulated in one of his favourite sayings: "Si difende in 11, si attacca in 11"—defence involves all eleven, as does attack.

Matías Soulé has turned a turbulent summer into one of the brightest periods of his Roma career. Within days, the forward celebrated the birth of his first child and earned his maiden cap for Argentina, coming on at half-time in a friendly against Burkina Faso alongside Roma teammate Leonardo Balerdi. The moment, witnessed by his family in the stands, marked the culmination of a dramatic reversal in his fortunes at the club. From the end of last season through the recent transfer window, Soulé had been repeatedly linked with a departure. Roma considered him both a potential source of revenue ahead of the 30 June deadline and a possible sacrificial chip to fund moves for different attacking profiles. Despite multiple approaches from other clubs, neither Roma nor Soulé's representatives received offers they deemed adequate, and he remained at Trigoria under Gian Piero Gasperini's management. A complete recovery from the pubic pain that had hampered his performances in the second half of the 2025-26 season has accelerated his turnaround. In this opening stretch of the 2026-27 campaign, Soulé has claimed a prominent role in Gasperini's tactical setup. Across six matches in Serie A and the Champions League, he has started in four of them, rotating with Rodrigo Mora as support for Paulo Dybala and striker Donyell Malen. His impact has been immediate: he has scored against Atalanta and Lecce. Since joining Roma from Juventus for an investment of nearly €30 million, he has made 87 appearances, recording 14 goals and 14 assists. After his appearance in the celebratory match marking Lionel Messi's international retirement, Soulé will return to Rome to prepare for the upcoming away fixture at Como.

Roma return to Serie A action on Sunday at Como with Gasperini facing a decision over his attacking midfield line, according to Simone Valdarchi in Corriere della Sera. The club sits top of the table after the first international break and will resume training tomorrow afternoon with focus entirely on the match against Fabregas's side. The contest for the playmaking role alongside Dybala and Malen remains open, with Soulé having featured regularly in the season's opening weeks. Soulé's Argentina commitments may work against him for the Como fixture. The midfielder will remain with the Argentina squad for one more day to face Benin—a match marking Messi's farewell to the national team—before returning to Roma, potentially limiting his readiness for immediate action on Sunday. This could give Pellegrini and Mora the chance to contest the trequarti role. Pellegrini begins his third week of training tomorrow, while Mora is away with Portugal U21, who face the Czech Republic tomorrow. Both players will find regular opportunities in the matches ahead as Roma's fixture list accelerates to a game every three days.