D'Amico plans two moves for Malen as Roma eye the Scudetto

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is pushing for reinforcements in the January transfer window, with a meeting between the club and the coach expected in the coming days to set the strategy. The November international break arrives at the right moment for Roma, who are enjoying an exciting start to the season, sitting third in Serie A and unbeaten in the league. Gasperini has now been in charge for 521 days, and the club and its management know that making the final leap in quality will require making the most of the January market. According to Il Tempo, Roma have not lost in Serie A for 18 matches, boast the league's best attack with 31 goals, and have the second-best defence. Gasperini sees the fruits of his work and the growth of a group that functions perfectly. He is aware, however, that there are still details to improve, such as finishing and handling decisive moments, if Roma are to close the gap on Lazio and Inter. That is why the winter window, which opens early on 28 December, is a key step. The top priority is clear: Roma need a fast winger capable of providing depth and unpredictability. Gasperini considers that profile fundamental, partly because players such as Dybala and Pellegrini do not offer constant physical guarantees. In other areas, Roma feel covered. The attack is working thanks to Soulé and Mora, and on the flanks the emergence of Lulli has reduced the urgency to act. Defence and midfield also offer good certainties.

Gian Piero Gasperini's side are refusing to settle for second place after another dominant performance, with the coach's words on Saturday night seen as the clearest signal yet. Roma have scored 31 goals and conceded 10, numbers that match the best in Europe, and the atmosphere around the club is united, with fans, the club, the coach and the squad all pulling in the same direction. Roma are no longer reliant on Malen, with goals coming from across the team: defenders such as Hermoso and Balerdi, midfielders such as Cristante and Pisilli, and now also attacking midfielders such as Mora and Soulé. Gasperini has managed the recent demanding run before the international break without Svilar, Dybala, Koné and Pellegrini, the team's most representative players. Francesco Balzani, writing in Leggo, expects the first three to be back at their best when Serie A resumes, a further positive sign alongside a fixture schedule that, before the derby, favours Roma against Parma and Monza. The emergence of young players such as Lulli, Ghilardi and Mora is also giving the squad more depth. Roma's position is strengthened by the fact that the club are looking for a wide attacking player, with sporting director D'Amico admitting it yesterday. The move is expected to follow the Malen pattern: a loan with an option to buy for a player who is getting little game time elsewhere and who could flourish under Gasperini at Roma. The chase is closing in on Endrick and Gittens, who are increasingly on the fringes at Real Madrid and Chelsea. A midfield arrival is also considered likely, with Hojbjerg, who is leaving Marseille, a name to watch.

Roma are already looking to the January transfer window to strengthen Gian Piero Gasperini's squad, with the club's primary target a left-sided attacking winger who plays with his right foot. Sporting director Tony D'Amico confirmed the plan to Sky Sport in the pre-match build-up to Roma-Sassuolo. D'Amico said: "We are missing a winger with pace, a player who can counter-attack. We will try to sign one in January, evaluating the opportunities, to give these characteristics to the coach." The winger has been a long-standing request from Gasperini. D'Amico said the list of profiles includes several interesting names, some already pursued at length in the summer. Among the favourites are Gittens of Chelsea, Kvernadze of Frosinone and Endrick of Real Madrid. The international break brings mixed news for Roma. Gianluca Mancini had already complained of a muscle problem in the previous days and felt pain in his right hamstring again on the morning of the Sassuolo match, forcing him to withdraw. The injury also rules him out of Italy duty. In total, 13 Roma players have been called up by their national teams: Vásquez (Colombia), De Marzi (USA U21), N'Dicka (Ivory Coast), Ghilardi and Pisilli (Italy), Lulli (Italy U21), Balerdi, Castro and Soulé (Argentina), Koulierakis (Greece), Wesley (Brazil), Mora (Portugal) and Malen (Netherlands). Mario Hermoso has been one of the club's key figures this season, becoming a fixture in every phase of play: solid in defence, effective in build-up and dangerous in the box. He has scored three goals this season, including the one that broke the deadlock against Sassuolo. The club want to tie him down and have reportedly already opened talks over a contract extension. The Spaniard's deal is currently due to expire in June. Those talks are said to be at an advanced stage, with both sides keen to reach an agreement and close the matter quickly. On Roman radio, the focus has been on the progress of Rodrigo Mora. Fabrizio Aspri told Radio Radio: "Mora's situation tells us that Gasperini is very intelligent. Mora was not a useful player for the coach. The player is moving very well, that goal is a number 10's goal. Not everyone makes that diagonal run, and the players who are important score that kind of goal. Gasperini is wise and has re-evaluated the player. Well done Gasperini first and foremost, then a little further on, well done Mora." Andrea Pugliese added: "Mora is an attacking midfielder, he doesn't have the pace to play on the flank. In January D'Amico will find a winger with pace. Mora wasn't used to defending at Porto. Last year he had different numbers. Malen, on that missed goal, did not expect that assist from Soulé."

Rodrigo Mora's time has arrived, with the Portuguese teenager scoring in a third consecutive Serie A match against Sassuolo, following earlier goals against Cagliari and Udinese. In the past few hours he has also earned his first call-up to the Portugal senior national team, in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era. The Corriere della Sera's Simone Valdarchi writes that there is no crown to inherit and no blasphemous comparison to make; this is simply the story of a teenager who has handled the normal difficulties of arriving in Italian football with brilliance, in an important city like Rome and in a season when Gasperini wants to aim for the top of the league. For weeks, things were not going so well for Mora, but he has kept working and waiting for his moment. In recent weeks, with Dybala out and set to return after the international break in Parma, Mora has found space in the trequartista role, adding flair to matches with his touches in the final 30 metres. Alongside his three consecutive Serie A goals, he produced the assist for Soulé's opening goal for Roma against Manchester United at Old Trafford last Tuesday. It was his second assist of the season, after the one against Real Madrid for Malen. Those were not ordinary fixtures. With the goal against Sassuolo, the Portuguese now has four goals, making him the club's second-highest scorer alongside Pisilli and Soulé, behind Malen, who is on 12. Valdarchi's point is that Mora is a teenager, born in 2007, who is adjusting to a new league and a demanding city. Mora's first senior call-up with Portugal marks a further step in a rapid rise, and the youngster now combines international recognition with a growing role in Gasperini's attacking options.

Roma are third in Serie A, still unbeaten in the league and just two points behind capolista Lazio, and the Gasperini side have five good reasons to believe they can overtake them before Christmas. Their 31 goals in the first eleven matchdays represent a record in Roma's history. The Gazzetta dello Sport highlights that record as the most striking statistic. Roma have scored 31 goals in eleven matches, an average of 2.82 per game. No Roma side had ever scored as many after eleven league rounds. The goals are not down to Donyell Malen alone, who already has 11 league goals this season. Gasperini has seen 14 different players score, including defenders and midfielders, and the team finds the net in many ways and through many players. Gasperini has come through a gruelling spell of nine matches in less than a month with a squad decimated by injuries. Koné has already returned against Sassuolo, while Svilar and Dybala are expected back when the league resumes, both described as fundamental to the team's balance. Mancini is aiming to return against Parma, while Rensch still has some doubts. Pellegrini's recovery will take longer, and he will not return until January. Getting back players of this calibre could significantly increase the coach's options. Beyond the pitch, there is a great deal of enthusiasm among the team, the coach, the club and the fans. The Olimpico continues to push the giallorossi, while at Trigoria there appears to be a harmony that was not always taken for granted in recent years, a unity of purpose that could prove decisive in the most delicate moments of the season. The squad also has plenty of room to improve thanks to its many talents. Soulé, Mora, Wesley, Ghilardi, Lulli, Pisilli and Castro are gaining experience and personality. The most obvious case is Rodrigo Mora, still just nineteen, already decisive in the league and also featuring in the Champions League. When the league resumes, Roma face Parma away and Monza at the Olimpico, two fixtures that look manageable on paper. In the same period Lazio play Lecce and Torino, while Inter face Atalanta and Genoa. The calendar could allow the giallorossi to close the gap on their rivals and perhaps reach December at the top of the table. Gasperini does not want to settle for second place, and the January transfer window could add further options to a squad already considered competitive.

Roma are dreaming of the Serie A summit after a dominant start to the 2026-27 campaign, with the club scoring freely and sitting third in the table. Gian Piero Gasperini's side have scored 31 goals in 11 matchdays, the best start in the club's history, averaging 2.82 goals per game. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Roma sit just behind Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Leipzig among the leading European leagues' goalscoring rankings, ahead of PSG, Real Madrid and Brighton. Dusan Malen has been the standout, already on eleven goals, but the scoring is spread across the squad: fourteen players have found the net, which the paper describes as a truly collective idea of football. Roma are third, just two points behind capolista Lazio, and both Rome clubs are unbeaten after eleven matchdays, a historic first. After the international break, Roma face what look like easier fixtures against Parma and Monza, while Lazio and Inter have tougher assignments. That scenario opens the door to Roma reaching the top of the table by December. The mood inside the club is also improving. Past tensions appear to have been put aside, and Trigoria, the team, the fans and the board are pulling in the same direction. La Gazzetta dello Sport notes that this energy is becoming the invisible engine behind a dream that is taking clearer shape with each passing day.

Gian Piero Gasperini's side are refusing to settle for second place after another dominant performance, with the coach's words on Saturday night seen as the clearest signal yet. Roma have scored 31 goals and conceded 10, numbers that match the best in Europe, and the atmosphere around the club is united, with fans, the club, the coach and the squad all pulling in the same direction. Roma are no longer reliant on Malen, with goals coming from across the team: defenders such as Hermoso and Balerdi, midfielders such as Cristante and Pisilli, and now also attacking midfielders such as Mora and Soulé. Gasperini has managed the recent demanding run before the international break without Svilar, Dybala, Koné and Pellegrini, the team's most representative players. Francesco Balzani, writing in Leggo, expects the first three to be back at their best when Serie A resumes, a further positive sign alongside a fixture schedule that, before the derby, favours Roma against Parma and Monza. The emergence of young players such as Lulli, Ghilardi and Mora is also giving the squad more depth. Roma's position is strengthened by the fact that the club are looking for a wide attacking player, with sporting director D'Amico admitting it yesterday. The move is expected to follow the Malen pattern: a loan with an option to buy for a player who is getting little game time elsewhere and who could flourish under Gasperini at Roma. The chase is closing in on Endrick and Gittens, who are increasingly on the fringes at Real Madrid and Chelsea. A midfield arrival is also considered likely, with Hojbjerg, who is leaving Marseille, a name to watch.

Roma are already looking to the January transfer window to strengthen Gian Piero Gasperini's squad, with the club's primary target a left-sided attacking winger who plays with his right foot. Sporting director Tony D'Amico confirmed the plan to Sky Sport in the pre-match build-up to Roma-Sassuolo. D'Amico said: "We are missing a winger with pace, a player who can counter-attack. We will try to sign one in January, evaluating the opportunities, to give these characteristics to the coach." The winger has been a long-standing request from Gasperini. D'Amico said the list of profiles includes several interesting names, some already pursued at length in the summer. Among the favourites are Gittens of Chelsea, Kvernadze of Frosinone and Endrick of Real Madrid. The international break brings mixed news for Roma. Gianluca Mancini had already complained of a muscle problem in the previous days and felt pain in his right hamstring again on the morning of the Sassuolo match, forcing him to withdraw. The injury also rules him out of Italy duty. In total, 13 Roma players have been called up by their national teams: Vásquez (Colombia), De Marzi (USA U21), N'Dicka (Ivory Coast), Ghilardi and Pisilli (Italy), Lulli (Italy U21), Balerdi, Castro and Soulé (Argentina), Koulierakis (Greece), Wesley (Brazil), Mora (Portugal) and Malen (Netherlands). Mario Hermoso has been one of the club's key figures this season, becoming a fixture in every phase of play: solid in defence, effective in build-up and dangerous in the box. He has scored three goals this season, including the one that broke the deadlock against Sassuolo. The club want to tie him down and have reportedly already opened talks over a contract extension. The Spaniard's deal is currently due to expire in June. Those talks are said to be at an advanced stage, with both sides keen to reach an agreement and close the matter quickly. On Roman radio, the focus has been on the progress of Rodrigo Mora. Fabrizio Aspri told Radio Radio: "Mora's situation tells us that Gasperini is very intelligent. Mora was not a useful player for the coach. The player is moving very well, that goal is a number 10's goal. Not everyone makes that diagonal run, and the players who are important score that kind of goal. Gasperini is wise and has re-evaluated the player. Well done Gasperini first and foremost, then a little further on, well done Mora." Andrea Pugliese added: "Mora is an attacking midfielder, he doesn't have the pace to play on the flank. In January D'Amico will find a winger with pace. Mora wasn't used to defending at Porto. Last year he had different numbers. Malen, on that missed goal, did not expect that assist from Soulé."

AS Roma have already opened talks over a contract extension for defender Mario Hermoso, according to La Repubblica, with the Spaniard's current deal due to expire in June 2027. The discussions are reportedly at an advanced stage, with both sides keen to reach an agreement that would secure the defender's long-term future at the club. Hermoso has become one of the fixed points of Gian Piero Gasperini's side this season. He has earned the coach's trust through consistent performances and his ability to contribute in attacking phases, a level of form that is carrying growing weight both in team selection and in the club's thinking about the future of the squad. Gasperini is reportedly the main driving force behind keeping the player, having already pushed for him to stay at Trigoria last season. The coach's faith has been repaid on the pitch, and a renewal would strengthen one of the key figures in the back line. The report does not contain any details on the length of a new agreement or its financial terms. Hermoso joined Roma in July 2024 as a free transfer from Atlético Madrid, and his contract expiry in June 2027 makes the renewal a priority for the club as the season progresses.

Gian Piero Gasperini's side are refusing to settle for second place after another dominant performance, with the coach's words on Saturday night seen as the clearest signal yet. Roma have scored 31 goals and conceded 10, numbers that match the best in Europe, and the atmosphere around the club is united, with fans, the club, the coach and the squad all pulling in the same direction. Roma are no longer reliant on Malen, with goals coming from across the team: defenders such as Hermoso and Balerdi, midfielders such as Cristante and Pisilli, and now also attacking midfielders such as Mora and Soulé. Gasperini has managed the recent demanding run before the international break without Svilar, Dybala, Koné and Pellegrini, the team's most representative players. Francesco Balzani, writing in Leggo, expects the first three to be back at their best when Serie A resumes, a further positive sign alongside a fixture schedule that, before the derby, favours Roma against Parma and Monza. The emergence of young players such as Lulli, Ghilardi and Mora is also giving the squad more depth. Roma's position is strengthened by the fact that the club are looking for a wide attacking player, with sporting director D'Amico admitting it yesterday. The move is expected to follow the Malen pattern: a loan with an option to buy for a player who is getting little game time elsewhere and who could flourish under Gasperini at Roma. The chase is closing in on Endrick and Gittens, who are increasingly on the fringes at Real Madrid and Chelsea. A midfield arrival is also considered likely, with Hojbjerg, who is leaving Marseille, a name to watch.

Roma are already looking to the January transfer window to strengthen Gian Piero Gasperini's squad, with the club's primary target a left-sided attacking winger who plays with his right foot. Sporting director Tony D'Amico confirmed the plan to Sky Sport in the pre-match build-up to Roma-Sassuolo. D'Amico said: "We are missing a winger with pace, a player who can counter-attack. We will try to sign one in January, evaluating the opportunities, to give these characteristics to the coach." The winger has been a long-standing request from Gasperini. D'Amico said the list of profiles includes several interesting names, some already pursued at length in the summer. Among the favourites are Gittens of Chelsea, Kvernadze of Frosinone and Endrick of Real Madrid. The international break brings mixed news for Roma. Gianluca Mancini had already complained of a muscle problem in the previous days and felt pain in his right hamstring again on the morning of the Sassuolo match, forcing him to withdraw. The injury also rules him out of Italy duty. In total, 13 Roma players have been called up by their national teams: Vásquez (Colombia), De Marzi (USA U21), N'Dicka (Ivory Coast), Ghilardi and Pisilli (Italy), Lulli (Italy U21), Balerdi, Castro and Soulé (Argentina), Koulierakis (Greece), Wesley (Brazil), Mora (Portugal) and Malen (Netherlands). Mario Hermoso has been one of the club's key figures this season, becoming a fixture in every phase of play: solid in defence, effective in build-up and dangerous in the box. He has scored three goals this season, including the one that broke the deadlock against Sassuolo. The club want to tie him down and have reportedly already opened talks over a contract extension. The Spaniard's deal is currently due to expire in June. Those talks are said to be at an advanced stage, with both sides keen to reach an agreement and close the matter quickly. On Roman radio, the focus has been on the progress of Rodrigo Mora. Fabrizio Aspri told Radio Radio: "Mora's situation tells us that Gasperini is very intelligent. Mora was not a useful player for the coach. The player is moving very well, that goal is a number 10's goal. Not everyone makes that diagonal run, and the players who are important score that kind of goal. Gasperini is wise and has re-evaluated the player. Well done Gasperini first and foremost, then a little further on, well done Mora." Andrea Pugliese added: "Mora is an attacking midfielder, he doesn't have the pace to play on the flank. In January D'Amico will find a winger with pace. Mora wasn't used to defending at Porto. Last year he had different numbers. Malen, on that missed goal, did not expect that assist from Soulé."

Roma closed their last Serie A fixture before the international break with a win over Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico, and defender Leonardo Balerdi was quick to celebrate on social media. The Argentina international shared his satisfaction with the team's performance and turned his attention to his next commitments with his national side. The result came as a welcome lift for Gian Piero Gasperini's side, who had been left disappointed by their European campaign against Manchester United. Roma have regained their enthusiasm in front of their home crowd, and the victory is also a boost to the morale of the squad as they prepare to say goodbye to the players called up by their national teams. Balerdi wrote: "One last night at the Olimpico before the international break. A great victory and so many reasons to be proud. Now our focus is on Argentina."