Bologna weigh ending Dovbyk loan as Roma talks loom

Roma are already looking beyond the expiry of Marten de Roon's contract, with the club reportedly keen to extend the Dutch midfielder's deal for next season if he continues playing at his current level. Il Corriere dello Sport reports that the board would be prepared to retain him beyond his current contract, should the 35-year-old decide to keep playing and the season continue at the current standard, a scenario considered likely at present. De Roon arrived in the summer to reunite with Gian Piero Gasperini and bring experience and reliability to the new Giallorossi project. He has shown important qualities both technically and physically, and he will turn 36 in March, an age that does not appear to be an obstacle. The former Atalanta player has shown he can meet the demands of Gasperini's football, quickly becoming a reference point for the midfield and the dressing room. The financial side is not expected to complicate any agreement. Over the summer the player had already preferred the chance to work again with Gasperini, who had personally contacted him to convince him to move to the capital. De Roon's priority, the report says, remains to be useful to Roma and to his longtime coach. After his first weeks were devoted mainly to recovering his best condition, following a complicated summer, De Roon has gradually settled into his new daily life. He has moved to Casal Palocco, close to some of his teammates, and his relationship with Roma and the environment at Trigoria is strengthening. The first assessment is therefore already strongly positive, and according to the newspaper, should De Roon decide to continue his career, agreeing a renewal could become little more than a formality.

Roma are looking to bring in attacking reinforcements before the winter transfer window closes, with Endrick and Leweling still firmly on the club's list after being discussed in the summer. Lookman and Kvernadze have also been named as possible options. The club's need is both numerical and qualitative: in some important fixtures, Roma have lacked the attacking back-up needed to change the outcome, particularly in terms of pace and depth. Lookman is struggling for minutes at Madrid, where he has been affected by the 4-4-2 system used by Simeone, which limits his room to manoeuvre. He has scored just one goal this season in 600 minutes and is more of a squad player than a regular starter. A move in the style of Raspadori could open up in January, but recent reports from Spain stress that the Spanish club want to keep Lookman until at least June. Kvernadze is a different case. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Gasperini, who already followed him in Serie B, has been impressed by his impact in Serie A, citing his physical power, technique, assists and several goals. He is the most affordable option in terms of price and wages, and Roma may try to get ahead of strong competition by making a move in January. Leweling and Endrick remain live targets, with Stuttgart more willing than Mourinho to let Leweling go. An operation for these two would cost considerably more. Roma are gradually narrowing down their main names, with the aim of completing at least two attacking deals in January.

Roma radio pundits used the latest edition of the On Air roundup to debate the club's January transfer plans, with Daniele Lo Monaco of Radio Romanista claiming that Roma would win the Scudetto if they could sign Gittens and Endrick. He added: "If I could have Gittens and Endrick today, Roma would win the Scudetto. Or at least they would fight it out until the last matchday with Inter." The Italian headline also carries comments from Lorenzo Pes and Checco Oddo Casano on the UEFA financial verdict and its effect on the market. The main backdrop is the Financial Fair Play case. Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport said the UEFA ruling will come in May, and that the parameters had already been reported: the reduction of the squad cost and Roma's virtuous process, helped by Champions League money. He said: "I take it as good news, Roma are on a virtuous path." Casano disagreed on the market impact, saying: "Nobody has ever talked about a blocked market. Nobody at Trigoria is certain of a budget to spend in January, regardless of the UEFA matter." He added: "Not knowing what kind of verdict you will get, you cannot go to Real in January and say: 'Here are 70 million for Endrick'. You would risk worsening your position in the eyes of your judge." On the squad, Roberto Pruzzo said: "Roma have reacted well to the absences: Soulè has played very well and has at times taken the team in hand, while the striker up front has dropped off a little, but it seems to me you have absorbed the injuries well. Now you can restart with more certainties." Lo Monaco argued that Castro and Malen struggle to play together, as they do more or less the same things, and that Endrick could be the alternative to Dybala with Mora as a trequartista. Andrea Pugliese said Soulè and Dybala do their best work on the right and asked where Soulè would play once Dybala returns to the starting line-up, adding that Dybala would be almost certain to start in Parma. Petruzzi said Mora has scored 4 goals and Soulè has also scored, and that Dybala will play whenever he is at 100%. On Lookman, Mario Corsi said: "With Gasperini I would take Lookman. He has scored only one goal at Atletico Madrid, and maybe that is why they are ready to sell him." Pes said: "If I had to sign someone who can really help you, it would be Lookman. If there were the chance to work together again, the old grudges would be smoothed over." He also said that Gasperini does not want a Greenwood-type player but someone who can help, and that a midfield reinforcement may be needed given Koné's injury record and Pellegrini's absence. Pes added that a major sale is hard to see at this point of the season. Pes said the official FPF sanction will arrive in the spring, but that Roma will probably know something in the coming weeks. On the January window, he said: "We cannot take anything for granted, but something will be done." Nando Orsi, also of Radio Radio, defended Svilar, arguing that his absence has not cost Roma points in Serie A or the Champions League, and that the only goalkeeper without blame against Real was the goalkeeper himself.

Roman radio pundits have been debating Roma's interest in Real Madrid forward Endrick, with several saying a loan is the likely route. Andrea Pugliese on Radio Radio Pomeriggio (104.5) said: “La Roma a gennaio va alla ricerca di un prestito secco, massimo con diritto di riscatto per motivi finanziari. Per Endrick era tutto fatto in estate ed è una cosa che confermano anche in Spagna. Mourinho continua ad opporsi a una sua cessione per egoismo. La Roma potrebbe lavorare anche per Gittens perché al Chelsea non gioca. So con certezza che Fonseca prenderebbe Endrick al volo e allo Sporting il brasiliano si troverebbe bene per la lingua e per il rapporto che ha con il tecnico. Endrick alla Roma? Firmerei non domani ma ieri.” Ugo Trani on Tele Radio Stereo (92.7) turned to Mora, saying Roma currently pay 25 million to Porto for him, and that acquiring 100% of his rights would take the total to 50 million. He added: “Mora sta facendo bene in campionato e in Champions, il problema sono i rendimenti di Vaz e Dovbyk. Quando il Bologna ti rimanderà indietro Dovbyk potrai cederlo solo in prestito, i problemi della Roma sono questi. Endrick allo Sporting? Stanno parlando con più club perché Mourinho non vuole darlo ai Friedkin. A Endrick se metti 5 club davanti sceglie comunque la Roma. I dirigenti della Roma si sono mossi con quelli del Real Madrid con il Procuratore del calciatore e con lo stesso Endrick. Lo scoglio Mourinho resta, se può fare uno scherzetto ai Friedkin lo farebbe. Non è stato contento che ha vinto contro la Roma? Certo, ma non per i tifosi, per i Friedkin.” Roberto Pruzzo (Radio Radio Pomeriggio - 104,5) said: “Endrick vuole giocare. Il campionato italiano è diventato di seconda fascia, i giocatori vengono qua da noi a fare tirocinio. Dumfries all’Inter faceva la differenza, nel Real non gioca mai. Endrick è forte, qua troverebbe una collocazione. Sarebbe una bella sfida anche per lui trovare la titolarità in una squadra che sta andando molto bene…” Piero Torri (Radio Manà Manà - 90,9) said: “Serve porsi una serie di domande su Endrick. Lo considero una punta. Secondo me non è il giocatore che la Roma sta cercando come caratteristiche.” Filippo Biafora (Radio Manà Manà - 90,9) focused on playing time: “La questione per Endrick è una sola: deve giocare tanto. Mi domando se con Gasperini giocherebbe tutte le partite. Non ne sono certo. Sicuramente entrerebbe più in campo di quanto non faccia oggi al Real Madrid. Credo che il tecnico di Grugliasco lo vedrebbe sul centro-destra.” Lorenzo Pes (Teleradiostereo - 92,7) was more focused on Roma's current attack: “La gestione di Dybala mi incuriosisce. L’assetto migliore potrebbe essere quello visto con il Real Madrid con Soulé a destra e Paulo a sinistra. Con Dybala Malen rende al massimo ma la produzione offensiva non è diminuita. Il giocatore migliore in questo inizio di stagione è Hermoso.”

Fidelis Castro's goal and assist, earned in two starts at home to Genoa and Cagliari, have revived debate over the striker's place in the Roma squad and the money spent on him. The Argentine, fresh from a call-up to the national team, has once again drawn criticism from those who question whether Roma needed him at all, and whether he is worth the reported €35 million outlay. Some critics said last summer that Roma should have targeted Robinio Vaz instead, and that the money spent on Castro was wasted. The article notes that Vaz, who is described as a well-paid bit-part player at Hull City, would have been a better investment, and suggests that Dovbyk, who after just three months had worn out much of Bologna's patience, could have been kept. Against this, the writer argues that Castro has the hardest job among Roma's forwards. He plays almost exclusively in place of Malen, and when he comes on, the team is often more tired and less composed than when Malen is leading the line, leaving Castro to chase the ball alone and run down opponents mounting comebacks. Castro made his first start against Genoa, where he scored the first goal, decisive for the win, with a moment of magic. In his second start, against Cagliari, he struggled, as did the whole side, which came from behind to win and only really hit form in the closing stages. The writer contends that this was enough to revive the criticism seen over the summer, when the transfer market was labelled a disaster partly because the backup striker had cost so much. The article argues that it is too complicated for critics to consider that Malen is a cannibal who leaves his backup only a few minutes, and only when he has no energy left. The writer draws a comparison with the 1985-86 season, when Eriksson's Roma came close to the Scudetto. Pruzzo was the prolific starter, with Bruno Conti and Boniek alongside him, while Graziani and the young Tovalieri provided cover. Tovalieri was a key figure in the Coppa Italia that season and scored three goals in 22 appearances in the league, the writer notes, because Pruzzo left few scraps. The point is that Roma have an outstanding striker and a very good deputy, and that critics should be grateful rather than anxious. The article adds that last season, Ferguson and Dovbyk were the forwards, and that in January, before Malen arrived, Roma had brought in Vaz and tried to sign Füllkrug.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma are scoring far more goals than a year ago, with 19 more in their first eleven matches of the season and 12 different scorers, compared with eight last season. The comparison, drawn during the international break, shows a clear improvement across the board. Last year at this stage Roma sat first in the table alongside Inter, but with fewer points: 24 then, against 27 today. The attack has changed most noticeably, moving from the pairing of Dovbyk and Ferguson to Malen and Castro. Roma are also creating more. They are taking 19.4 shots per game against 13.2 last season, with 6.5 on target against 4.7, and they are getting into the opposition box more often, with 37.2 touches per game against 26.2. Their expected goals (xG) have nearly doubled, rising from 1.32 to 2.38 per match. The one negative is goals conceded, which have risen from 5 to 10. Gasperini is willing to accept that cost. The figure is also affected by the absences of Svilar and Koné. When both are on the pitch, Roma's average is lower than it was a year ago. The numbers point to a team that is both more potent and more consistent than the one that finished last season, with the new attacking set-up at the heart of the gains.