Cacciamani gap narrows with Torino; Ziolkowski sale could fund market push

Roma's sporting director D'Amico continues to pursue two positions ahead of the January transfer window after failing to complete moves during the summer window. The club's primary need remains an attacking winger, preferably left-footed, to operate on the left flank and provide depth, power and speed. The secondary target is a midfielder with left-sided capability who can add running, physicality and solidity to the squad. Gasperini's requests have been clear since the summer window closed. For the defensive winger role, D'Amico has identified Oosterwolde as the primary candidate. The Dutch player was sent to Istanbul by D'Amico following medical tests and is currently recovering from femoral tendon surgery, with his return to action targeted for the end of October. D'Amico is prepared to wait for Oosterwolde's recovery and will evaluate him in Fenerbahce's matches over the final two months of the year. The Roma director is unbothered by the timeline because Oosterwolde would become both the most defensive of Roma's wingers and the most structurally robust option. A loan deal can be arranged if he returns to full fitness. Looking further ahead to next season, D'Amico is also monitoring Bakola, a French midfielder born in 2007 at Sassuolo, and Kvernadze, a Georgian attacking winger born in 2003 at Frosinone. This mirrors the approach taken with Santiago Castro, who was under observation last winter before being acquired this summer.

Alessandro Romano, who grew up at Roma's Trigoria academy and made his Serie A debut under Gian Piero Gasperini, has become one of the club's most painful missed opportunities after departing on a permanent sale this summer. The midfielder, now 20, has impressed at Cagliari since his move and is already valued at 15–20 million euros by major Italian outlets—around four times the fee Roma will ultimately receive from the transfer. Roma signed Romano from Swiss club Winterthur in 2022 for 70,000 euros and developed him through their youth ranks. Gasperini gave him two brief Serie A appearances against Lecce and Sassuolo, then loaned him to Spezia for the second half of last season. This summer, however, financial pressures pushed the club to accept Cagliari's offer: a loan with an obligation to buy conditional on specific sporting targets, worth 5 million euros plus bonus payments rising to a maximum of 6.5 million. Crucially, Roma retained no future control over the player's registration. The decision was commercially rational but now reads poorly within months of the sale. At Cagliari, Romano has seized his opportunity immediately. He scored on his Serie A debut as a starter against Parma and has since attracted attention from Italy's national team. He is left-footed, technically clean, capable of playing in front of defence, and shows an unusual composure for his age, seeking vertical passes and reading situations quickly. Comparisons have already emerged; analyst Fabio Pisacane linked him to Kevin Strootman, while Davide Frattesi drew parallels to Nemanja Matic. Romano himself points to Rodri as his model. Unlike many young talents, he shows no rush for fame, only to improve—a quality that appears to be impressing observers most. Inter and Juventus are now monitoring him, alongside scouts from the Premier League. The press has suggested his value could rise sharply if his form continues. Romano says he did not experience Roma's decision as a personal slight and is content at Cagliari. For Roma, however, the transfer has opened a small wound that could grow much larger. Purchased for 70,000 euros, developed at Trigoria, sold for a maximum of 6.5 million, and now valued at up to 20 million—the arithmetic shows profit, but the pitch tells a different story.

Roma have identified Frosinone midfielder Giorgi Kvernadze as a target to strengthen Gasperini's attack, according to reports. The Georgian midfielder appeals to the Roma coach, but Frosinone—managed by Alvini—are holding firm in their valuation, demanding at least €25 million. The pursuit of other attacking options remains active: Endrick, the Brazilian currently out of favour at Real Madrid under Mourinho, continues to be monitored by Roma's sporting director D'Amico, with a potential approach planned for January. Roma's summer transfer window saw other targets slip away. Leweling, pursued by Roma until late in the window, was also on the radar of Inter under Chivu, though Stuttgart resisted both clubs' advances. The window's conclusion left gaps that Gasperini is now tasked with addressing through future recruitment cycles.

Wesley and Malen, both sidelined by minor physical issues and without international commitments, remained in Rome to recuperate ahead of the squad's return to training on Tuesday. The pair made use of a training session cancelled by Gasperini to spend the evening at AROMA, a Michelin-starred restaurant with a terrace overlooking the Colosseum, before Roma resume preparation for their Serie A match against Como on 11 October, which may include friendly fixtures to maintain match sharpness. The two players are working to regain full fitness for the fixture. Roma will prepare with a reduced squad during the international break, with Gasperini managing their workload carefully. The restaurant visit included the customary photograph with the restaurant's staff.

Roma's coaching staff and media commentators are divided over whether Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina should travel to Argentina for Lionel Messi's farewell friendly, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini having reportedly forbidden both players from attending the event. The fixture is scheduled to take place in Argentina, and the pair were expected to be involved — Dybala as a fellow Argentine and close associate of Messi, and Molina as his national teammate — but Gasperini has restricted their travel ahead of Roma's Serie A match against Como. The controversy centres on the sporting and logistical consequences of the trip. Commentator Carina suggested that if Dybala asked Gasperini directly to attend the event, the coach "would have difficulty saying no", given its singular importance. Roberto Pruzzo acknowledged it as "an unrepeatable opportunity", while Andrea Orsi criticised the restrictions as "exaggerated", calling the farewell a global event unlikely ever to occur again. However, Giancarlo Agresti supported Gasperini's decision, arguing that respect for the club paying their salaries should take priority, and that the fatigue from a long journey could harm their performance against Como. He noted that Wesley, Donyell Malen and Bryan Cristante had already missed the international break through injury, and warned: "If Dybala doesn't touch the ball or is tired against Como, what happens?" Paolo Ordine framed the issue in terms of professional priority, stating: "In these cases there shouldn't need to be a diktat from the coach — the players themselves should understand and identify the priority, which is the society that pays them." Giuseppe Torri reinforced the club's position on air, saying Roma and Gasperini "have every right to prevent them from making a long journey and returning just hours before the Como match", while acknowledging how difficult it is to refuse such an invitation. Torri added context that Messi's presence in Argentina had limited Dybala's international opportunities throughout his career, as he was often the backup option. He also criticised Roma's transfer strategy, suggesting the club had made an error by not securing a buyback clause on a recently sold player, leaving no safety valve.

Roma's radio stations have weighed in on the club's decision to prevent Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina from travelling to Argentina for Lionel Messi's farewell match, with most voices backing Gian Piero Gasperini's stance but expressing sympathy for the players' position. The core issue centres on fixture congestion and recovery time. Gasperini has reportedly blocked the pair from making the intercontinental journey because they are needed for Roma's upcoming match against Como, with the travel and the nature of the trip—a farewell party as much as a football occasion—presenting a fatigue risk. Dybala and Molina played in last summer's Copa América with Argentina and featured in the same World Cup squad as Messi, making the event emotionally significant. Multiple commentators acknowledged the difficulty of saying no to a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, yet sided with the coach's reasoning. Francesco Balzani (Tele Radio Stereo) noted Roma face a potential UEFA fine in November that could affect the January transfer market, though there is no concern at the club's headquarters about European competition exclusion. Alessandro Fusco (Radio Radio Mattino) argued neither player should even request permission, stating they should prioritize the club paying their wages. Franco Ordine added that Roma has already faced criticism from the Dutch national coach over the Donyell Malen situation, where it remained unclear what physical issue kept him unavailable. Stefano Agresti supported Gasperini, pointing out that Wesley, Malen and Bryan Cristante had already missed international action due to fitness concerns. Nando Orsi dissented, calling it excessive to prevent them attending a one-off farewell. Roberto Pruzzo suggested common sense would ultimately prevail. Simone Valdarchi summarized Trigoria's three pending questions: whether friendlies will be scheduled, when injured players return, and whether Dybala and Molina will depart for Messi's match—with the unofficial answer leaning toward no. Piero Torri criticised the scale of praise surrounding Matteo Nicolò Messi's departure from Roma, stating: "It seems like an exaggerated level of excitement about Romano. Certainly Roma made a mistake in not securing a buy-back clause on this player—they didn't leave themselves a safety valve." The official word on Dybala and Molina's travel plans remained pending as of match day.