Dovbyk agrees Genoa move as De Rossi targets reunion

Roma are monitoring William Gomes of Porto as a potential winger signing, though the club could explore an interim loan option in January before committing to a permanent deal next summer. Gian Piero Gasperini declined to discuss the transfer market ahead of Roma's Champions League clash with Real Madrid, but officials are actively working to strengthen the squad. The two clubs already conducted business this summer, with Roma acquiring Rodrigo Mora for €25M plus 50 percent of a future sale. Discussions are now underway to renew Mora's contract, raising his release clause from €80M to €100M and extending his deal by two years to 2031. Gomes, a Brazilian acquired from São Paulo for €9M in 2025, has quickly established himself at Porto with 16 goals and 4 assists in 67 appearances. Roma's strategy appears to involve bringing in a short-term solution on loan in January—with Endrick from Real Madrid mentioned as a possibility—before investing heavily in Gomes or another young prospect next summer. The club has already established a working relationship with Porto through the Mora transfer, which may facilitate negotiations. Regarding Endrick's compatriot at Real Madrid, Alan Redmond, the global head of football at Roc Nation, addressed the speculation surrounding his future. "There was a lot of interest in him, but leaving has never been his goal. There was only some chatter. The deals were never close to being completed. We'll see what happens in the future, but I think he'll stay at Real Madrid for a long time. The teams after him are fantastic, but I don't believe he'll transfer."

Gian Piero Gasperini deflected speculation about January transfer negotiations when asked if he would discuss Endrick with José Mourinho ahead of tomorrow's match at the Olimpico. The Brazilian forward is among the hottest names linked with Roma in the January window, though he is likely to spend the fixture on the bench. When pressed on whether he would use the occasion to broker a deal, Gasperini declined. "I don't think so," he said with a smile, before shifting focus entirely away from the market. "Right now I'm not interested in the January transfer window. We've only just started a run of matches and tomorrow's game is something we've been missing for many years," the coach added. Gasperini made clear his priorities lie solely on the pitch and away from distractions of incoming business.

Alessio Cacciamani's name dominated Roma's transfer activity over the summer, but the Torino winger ultimately remained with the club and renewed his contract. Torino's sporting director addressed the matter before his side's match against Udinese, telling Sky Sport that Roma were not alone in their interest. He stated: "Cacciamani and Roma? The giallorossi were not the only ones interested in the player. The president had said he did not want to sell the player: only an important proposal would have prompted evaluation, but this did not arrive and so we will enjoy having him." The director's comments clarify that despite sustained speculation linking Cacciamani to Roma, no offer of sufficient scale materialised to shift Torino's stance on their player. With Cacciamani's contract now renewed, he will continue as part of the Granata's plans moving forward.

Roma's loan contingent produced mixed results across European and domestic competitions this week, with midfielder Luigi Cherubini and midfielder Neil El Aynaoui delivering attacking contributions while others awaited their chance. Cherubini, on loan at Benevento with a right of option and obligation to buy, scored in the 93rd minute of Benevento's 2–0 win over Cesena. Introduced from the bench in the 79th minute, the 2004-born winger capitalized on a defensive error by Ilic, rounded the goalkeeper and finished to seal victory. He was booked in the 81st minute and initially had a goal ruled out for offside before his late winner. The performance earned him a rating of 7 from BeneventoNews24 and PianetaSerieB as Benevento secured a third consecutive victory. El Aynaoui, a midfielder on loan at RB Lipsia with a right of rescission, provided the assist for Banzuzi's opening goal after just one minute in a 6–0 Bundesliga demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt. Deployed in the starting lineup by Demichelis, El Aynaoui contributed to a dominant first half that saw Lipsia lead 4–0 at the interval, including a hat-trick from Nkunku. He was booked in the 27th minute and substituted in the 58th when the scoreline already stood at 5–0. Elsewhere, defender Filippo Reale (Carrarese, on loan with option and counter-option) played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 away win over Padova, maintaining a clean sheet. Young defender Mohamed Seck (Foggia, on loan) completed all 90 minutes in a 3–1 home defeat to Potenza and received a rating of 5, criticized for poor positioning during the opposition's counter-attacks. Forward Artem Dovbyk (Bologna, on loan with right of rescission) returned to the squad after a muscular injury to his flexors but remained unused on the bench in Bologna's 2–1 away win at Lecce. Forward Robinio Vaz (Hull City) was named in the squad for a 2–2 Premier League draw against Everton but played no part, remaining on the bench for the full 90 minutes.

Rome's radio stations dissected Lorenzo Pellegrini's prospects and Santiago Castro's playing time in depth on 8 October, with studio hosts split on whether the midfielder can justify his renewed contract under Gasperini's high-tempo system. Mario Corsi stated bluntly: "Pellegrini knows inside himself that this is the moment where he either succeeds or fails. This is his last chance, because if he has another opaque season I don't think he'll stay at Roma. From a player like Pellegrini it isn't enough to have one good match — he was Roma's captain, and people expect him to make a difference." Lorenzo Pes offered a contrasting view of the tactical fit: "I'm very curious to see how Pellegrini will slot into a Roma going at full speed. He seems a player who is a bit removed from how this team is shaped. He managed the damage in a Roma that wasn't playing at this rhythm, but honestly I struggle to imagine him in this squad." Paolo Cosenza countered that Pellegrini's ability to play vertically and his vision suited Gasperini's approach. Alessio Nardo framed the renewal as a high-stakes gamble: "The society has placed this squad and its fate in Gasperini's hands. All the players were approved by the coach — he and D'Amico are jointly responsible for the players signed, sold and renewed. Dybala has proved he deserved his renewal 100 per cent. Now we will evaluate Pellegrini on the pitch. If Pellegrini doesn't deliver, we will have to hold Gasperini to account for it, because he has always defended him." CCastro's limited first-team action also drew comment. Checco Oddo Casano explained the transfer fee: "Castro cost 35 million partly because Bologna was the only club willing to take Dovbyk, a player with continuous physical problems, absorbing his entire wage and including a purchase option. When a young but promising player has a low wage, he often costs you more in transfer fee." Gianluca Piacentini observed that Donyell Malen was scoring a goal per game, making him a regular starter, but argued Castro deserved playing time to develop. David Rossi advocated for Castro's inclusion: "He's an ambitious player, and you can see it when he takes the pitch. If at the end of the season Malen plays 38 times as a starter and Castro comes on 38 times for five minutes, he'll tell you he made a mistake, because he wants to be the main man." Roberto Pruzzo highlighted the tactical duel in the upcoming Como match: "Think of Nico Paz and Dybala — that could be the key to the game. Pisilli is in form and can give you a midfield alternative in a very static situation, because if De Roon plays, it becomes very readable against Como, who make their quality their best weapon." Nando Orsi predicted Paz would be benched, saying Fabregas uses the bench to punish occasional indolence. The match is scheduled for 12:30, with Orsi defending the early kickoff as standard in English football for years.

Roma's loanees made their mark during the international break, with Mohamed Seck delivering a commanding defensive display, Luigi Cherubini scoring for Italy's Under-21s, and Neil El Aynaoui clocking over 240 minutes for Morocco across three matches. Seck, a 2007-born defender, started the full 90 minutes in Foggia's 2-0 victory at Cosenza, keeping a clean sheet and earning praise from local media. The Corriere della Calabria awarded him 6.5, while Foggiacalciomania highlighted an almost flawless performance. He picked up a yellow card in the 28th minute but remained unaffected. Radoslaw Zelezny continued his fine form between the sticks for Perugia, playing all 90 minutes in a 3-1 derby win over Gubbio; he conceded little that was preventable and earned a 6.5 rating for his security in possession and distribution. Federico Nardin also impressed at Pescara, completing the full match in a 1-0 win at Livorno achieved by a late Sardo goal, and has now been called up to Italy's Under-19 squad for friendlies against Scotland on 10 and 13 October. Cherubini made the most impact during the break. After coming off the bench in the 79th minute of Italy U21's 1-0 win in Armenia, he was introduced again at the same stage against Poland on 4 October and scored just seven minutes later to seal a 6-2 victory and confirm Italy's direct qualification to the Under-21 European Championship final tournament. El Aynaoui started all three of Morocco's matches—a 2-0 win over Gabon (90 minutes), a 2-0 victory against Lesotho (67 minutes), and a 1-1 draw with Mali on 4 October (full 90)—demonstrating his standing with the national team. Anass Salah-Eddine also featured for Morocco, starting the full 90 minutes at left-back in the Mali friendly. Marash Kumbulla entered Albania's 3-0 Nations League win over San Marino at half-time and played the full second half. Artem Dovbyk, on loan at Bologna, skipped his Ukraine convocation to continue recovering from a muscular problem affecting his hamstring and has already resumed full training with the Bolognese squad ahead of the league's resumption.