Roma pursuing Manna for sporting director role with alternative candidate identified

Gianluca Mancini has reached a historic milestone in AS Roma's defensive records, moving past Aldair into second place among the club's all-time defenders. The achievement underscores Mancini's significance to Roma's squad and his lasting impact on the club's legacy. His ascent through Roma's defensive hierarchy reflects both his consistency and importance to recent team strategy.

Gianluca Mancini has moved into second place on Roma's all-time list of highest-scoring defenders after netting against Fiorentina. The centre-back reached 21 goals in a Roma shirt, surpassing Aldair, who finished his Roma career with 20. Only Christian Panucci stands ahead, with 31 goals to his name. Mancini's goal-scoring contribution has been a notable feature of his Roma career, which began in 2019 with his first strike against Brescia. Among his most significant goals are a derby della Capitale strike in 2024, a Juventus goal in 2023, and multiple goals in European ties against AC Milan. His emergence as a consistent scoring threat from defence underscores his importance to the club's recent campaigns. Other defenders who feature prominently in Roma's historical scoring ranks include Sebino Nela (19 goals), Vincent Candela (16), Philippe Mexes (15), and Juan, John Arne Riise, and Walter Samuel, all with 11 goals each. Mancini's progression through the rankings reflects his development as a complete defender capable of contributing meaningfully in attack.

The Friedkin Group is actively pursuing Giovanni Manna, currently sporting director at Napoli, to become Roma's next sporting director. Dan Friedkin and Ryan Friedkin have personally engaged with Manna to convince him to move to Rome, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini pushing for the appointment. However, negotiations are complicated by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who has no intention of releasing Manna and intends to enforce his contract. Manna and Gasperini already have a working relationship from discussions about a possible managerial move to Napoli during Atalanta's Europa League final period. Roma is seeking to resolve its sporting director position following Massara's departure. Should the Manna deal fall through, Tony D'Amico emerges as the primary alternative—he has previously worked with Gasperini at Atalanta and maintains a positive relationship with the coach. Cristiano Giuntoli, currently a free agent who previously considered Gasperini for a role at Juventus, also remains under consideration. The appointment of a new sporting director is viewed as urgent by the club as it shapes squad planning and recruitment strategy under Gasperini's new coaching tenure.