Dovbyk's future in limbo as Roma and Spain weigh options

Gian Piero Gasperini has revealed he feels consistent backing from the Friedkin Group but wants to see them more engaged with Roma. In an interview with Sky Sport, the coach said: "I always feel their trust and support even though they come to Rome very little. Now they have put in Galantic who certainly makes a tighter connection between Roma and them. My objective remains clear: to get them more involved, not for me but for them and for the fans." Gasperini was discussing his experience at the club while unveiling a new wine label called "3-4-3" produced in Piedmont at Cascina Gilli in Castelnuovo Don Bosco (Asti). Roma continue to pursue Endrick as an attacking reinforcement. Director Tony D'Amico has reopened decisive contact with the entourage of the Brazilian Real Madrid forward during the international break, testing the 2006-born talent's willingness to move to the capital. Endrick has signalled openness to a Roma transfer, though Milan remain strong competitors. His season at Madrid under Mourinho has been complicated, featuring limited appearances and an injury that has hampered his output—a situation pushing him to explore new opportunities for regular playing time. Midfielder Rodrigo Mora has been included in the final 25-man shortlist for the Golden Boy 2026 award, football's annual prize for the best European player under 21. Mora received his place via a wild card alongside Mastantuono, Gadou, Kostoulas and Espart. The honour, created in 2003 by Tuttosport, recognises emerging talent from across Europe's top divisions. Meanwhile, Bryan Cristante's recovery timeline has extended. According to radio commentary, the midfielder sustained a collateral ligament injury, with rehabilitation expected to take approximately one month—longer than initially anticipated. Roma's defence has been singled out as one of Serie A's strongest this season.

AC Milan are emerging as frontrunners ahead of Roma in the race to sign Real Madrid's Endrick, with signs increasingly pointing towards the Rossoneri as favourites for the deal. Both Serie A clubs showed interest in the attacker during the summer, but Milan's position appears to have strengthened significantly in recent weeks. Roma may have an opportunity to discuss a potential deal with Real Madrid when the two clubs meet in the Champions League later in the month. However, La Gazzetta dello Sport report that Milan have strong structural advantages in their pursuit. The club's RedBird ownership maintains a good relationship with Endrick's representatives at RocNation, with Gerry Cardinale himself close to the agency that would facilitate any transfer. AC Milan and Roc Nation have been united since 2020 in what was described as a "unique partnership, driven by innovation, community, integrity, and inclusion", according to the official announcement of that deal. Milan and Real Madrid have also demonstrated a friendly working relationship in the past, having previously completed a move for Brahim Diaz. Should Los Blancos require assistance with Endrick's further development, circumstances could prove favourable for the Rossoneri. Milan may also soon face challenging news regarding the fitness of Alexis Saelemaekers.

Manu Koné could have left Roma in the summer transfer window after Chelsea made a late move for the French midfielder, but head coach Gian Piero Gasperini blocked the transfer. Arsenal and Manchester United had also shown initial interest, but Gasperini was determined to keep Koné as a key part of his squad. The midfielder has since justified that decision with strong performances in the opening weeks of the season, including a brace against Inter and recent appearances for France. Gasperini has now spoken publicly about why the Chelsea deal did not materialise. "There wasn't enough time. Also because these transfers involve bringing in a lot of people, even just to draft contracts," he said. The coach backed Koné to improve further, which he believes will raise his value in the coming months. "He'll have plenty of time to increase his value, even if he's already done so." Gasperini also acknowledged the backing of the Friedkin Group, Roma's owners, in keeping Koné at the club despite the opportunity to sell. "I feel the Friedkins' support, even though they're far away and rarely come to Rome. Galantic is here, but my goal is to bring them closer together." The midfielder's form suggests Koné will prove crucial to Roma's Serie A title challenge this season.

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at the Festival dello Sport on 2 October about the foundations of his Roma project, the character of his squad, and the club's ambitions this season. The coach outlined how he has built the team around a clear playing philosophy focused on taking the ball rather than waiting for opponents, and how he has shaped the personalities of senior players to match that vision. Gasperini praised his defensive line as "one of the best in Europe," highlighting Mario Hermoso and Gianluca Mancini as examples of players with both technical quality and the fighting spirit he demands. He also emphasised Bryan Cristante's importance as a player who sacrifices individual prominence for the collective good. On Paulo Dybala, Gasperini said the Argentine has enjoyed an exceptional start to the season with no injuries disrupting his availability: "He still has the enthusiasm to play football, you can see he is well. There have been years of physical fragility, with injuries that held him back. I always thought it was a training matter... He has remarkable fibre, he started training properly and this start to the season is extraordinary. He doesn't miss a minute." Gasperini suggested Dybala's reluctance to shoot from distance stems from past injuries but believes he will regain that ability soon. On young players, Gasperini explained his approach to developing Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli. He brought Lulli into the first team after observing his characteristics in pre-season training. Regarding Gianluca Romano, whom Roma have sold, Gasperini said: "Another young player grown in Roma, very interesting. I was sorry he was excessively criticised after his first Nazionale match, but it is adults who must be more cautious in their judgements. Romano's sale is a capital gain; often societies are forced to sell young players, this is not a good thing. In football the finest jewels must be allowed to grow." On Donyell Malen's arrival and early goal-scoring form, Gasperini explained: "At times planets align and things happen you think are unrealisable. We needed a striker because Dovbyk was injured. There were several names, then I came to know of this opportunity. He was leaving Aston Villa for a tactical reason, he wanted to play as a centre-forward and I have always thought he must play in the penalty area. This his ability to make three very quick touches is his weapon." When asked if Malen could match the 36-goal tallies of Gonzalo Higuaín and Ciro Immobile, Gasperini replied: "I hope so, I've told him that to motivate him... If he reaches 30 goals I would be happy anyway." On Roma's prospects and the atmosphere at the club, Gasperini said: "It was a very positive surprise; outside Rome it is described as an environment that swings back and forth. I found passion and enthusiasm, beautiful but also mature attachment. At this moment the fans are happy and recognise themselves in this squad, then clearly the maximum result would be extraordinary. But the environment is beautiful, there is a desire to play well to enthuse them." He also commented on the new stadium project, saying he had seen the rendering and it was "fantastic" but that the Olimpico in Roma's colours is already "beautiful, though the stands are far from the pitch." Regarding Roma's centenary in 2027, when the first stone of the new stadium will be laid, Gasperini reflected: "A hundred years is a milestone of experience and for me also of emotion. Think of how many people have carried this society forward, how many fans have dedicated their lives to Roma. You must carry all the history without renouncing it, to have an even better future. Roma's second centenary will be even more beautiful than the first."

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at the Trento Sports Festival on 2 October, discussing the foundations he has laid at Roma since his appointment and his vision for the season ahead. The Roma head coach outlined his tactical philosophy and explained how he has worked with the squad over the early weeks of the 2026–27 campaign. "My objective was to create something new, to lay new foundations straight away," Gasperini said. "We never spoke about my past; we had to create something new, based on new concepts of play that were different from what several players were used to. There are two ways in football: waiting for your opponent to lose the ball, or the other way—going to take it. This was the first concept, not to wait for the opponent, and everything else came from that." Gasperini praised his defensive options, singling out Mario Hermoso and Gianluca Mancini as key figures. He described the defence as his "gladiators," adding that Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka have been among Europe's best in recent months. On Mancini specifically, Gasperini revealed he had worked to improve the centre-back's attitude: "I knew Mancini, but when I was his opponent I'd think to myself, 'Why is he so unpleasant?' and I tried to tell him straight away, 'Look, this is hurting you—for many years you haven't gone to the national team because of these attitudes.' It was the first thing I worked on. He had a fantastic season, people started talking about Mancini as a player again, and he's returned to the national team." Gasperini offered extensive insight into Paulo Dybala's resurgence, attributing the Argentine forward's improved fitness to his training methods. "He's started as hasn't happened to him for years. I knew him at Palermo when he was very young; many years have passed but he, like all great players, still has enthusiasm and strength," Gasperini explained. "He had years of physical fragility. I thought it was a training issue. Many told me he had silk muscles, that I had to preserve him, and he kept getting injured. He has remarkable fibre; some injuries were random. This season's start is extraordinary physically. He doesn't miss a minute of training or matches. This shows what I've always believed: through training you can improve durability and performances." Regarding Dybala's reluctance to shoot from distance, Gasperini noted: "That's a legacy we'll get over soon. He got injured shooting with Milan and Torino last year and it stayed with him. Now he's overcoming it; he stopped sprinting and to see him jumping past opponents again... we'll return to shooting like before." When asked if he has coached better poets than Dybala, Gasperini responded: "I have a long career and have trained many strong players. Dybala is among the top, if not the absolute top. Ilicic and the Papu too—they're poets because they touch different strings from everyone else." Gasperini discussed young academy prospects Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli, explaining his approach to youth development: "I grew up in the youth sector, coaching 11-year-olds through to the Primavera. I've maintained that approach and it's taught me to see the boy not as something to evaluate but as something to imagine how he might become. Pisilli already had value and experience; Lulli wasn't even always a starter in the Primavera. I have the habit of bringing a few boys from Primavera into training. I saw important characteristics in him and this year I brought him to the retreat. He played against Borussia Dortmund, a demanding match. These are the boys who tell you by how they play if they're ready. The answers come from watching them on the pitch." On Bryan Cristante, Gasperini confirmed a knee injury: "He had a knee problem but when you play many matches, if you're out two weeks you risk missing five matches. He'll miss the first games but will recover quickly." Donyell Malen's arrival was described as unexpected: "Sometimes the planets align and things happen you don't think about. He was a known player; we'd had a friendly where I saw his characteristics. These things happen during the market where you sometimes don't plan anything. We were looking for a striker because Dovbyk and Ferguson were injured. There were several names and suddenly I learned of this opportunity. He was leaving Aston Villa for tactical reasons; he wanted to be a centre-forward and I've always seen those characteristics in him. He has three fundamental touches—the closer he is to the box, the more deadly he is."

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at the ninth edition of Il Festival dello Sport in Trento alongside new Roma CEO Galantic, discussing the club's strong start to the season and his first months in charge. The coach explained his vision from day one: "My objective was to create something new, to lay new foundations immediately. We never spoke of my past—we had to build something fresh, founded on new concepts of play that were different from what several players were used to. There are two ways in football: waiting for the opponent to lose the ball or going to take it. This was the first concept, not waiting for the opponent, and everything else stemmed from that." Gasperini praised his defence, singling out Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso as standouts. On Mancini specifically: "I knew him, but when I was his opponent I'd think 'why is he so disagreeable?' and I told him straight away 'this penalises you—for years you haven't gone to the national team because of these attitudes.' It was the first thing I worked on. He had a fantastic season, people started talking about Mancini as a player again, and he returned to the Nazionale." Hermoso, he said, brought defensive grit combined with Spanish quality and important experience from his time at Atlético Madrid. Gasperini also highlighted Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka, noting they had been Europe's best defence for months. On Paulo Dybala's remarkable form, Gasperini revealed his belief that the Argentine's previous injury problems stemmed from training rather than fragility. "Lots of people told me he has silk muscles, that I had to preserve him, and he kept getting injured. He has remarkable fibre—some injuries were just bad luck. This season's start is extraordinary physically. He doesn't miss a minute of training or a match. It's proof of what I always believed: through training you can improve resilience and performance." When asked if Dybala's recent shot from distance showed progress, Gasperini explained: "That's a legacy we're overcoming soon. Last year he hurt himself shooting against Milan and Torino and it stayed with him. Now he's getting past it—he wasn't sprinting anymore and to see him jumping over opponents again is great. Soon we'll be back to shooting like before." He also offered high praise for Dybala's overall quality: "My career is long and I've coached many strong players. Dybala is among the top, if not the absolute top. Ilicic and the Papu too—they're poets because they touch chords different from everyone else." Gasperini discussed some younger squad members who have impressed him. On Emanuele Lulli, who was not always a starter in the Primavera: "I have the habit of bringing some young players from the Primavera into training. I saw important characteristics in him and this year brought him to the retreat. He played against Borussia Dortmund, a challenging match. The young players tell you through how they play if they're ready. The answers come from watching them on the pitch." He also defended recent criticism of another academy product: "It's another young man who grew through our youth system. He's very interesting. I was sorry about what happened last week—it seemed we'd found the player to fix the Nazionale and then he was excessively criticised. Perhaps it's the adults who need to stay calm in their judgment." On Santiago Castro's arrival, Gasperini said: "Sometimes the planets align and things happen you don't plan. He was a known player—we had a friendly where I saw his characteristics. The market is a place where sometimes you don't plan anything. We were looking for a striker because Dovbyk and Ferguson were injured. There were several names and suddenly I learned of this opportunity. He was leaving Aston Villa for tactical reasons; he wanted to be a centre-forward and I've always seen those qualities in him. He has three fundamental touches, and the closer he is to the box the more lethal he is." When pressed on whether Castro could surpass Gonzalo Higuaín's records, Gasperini said: "I said that to motivate him—I'm joking a bit. Let's say if he reaches 30 I'm happy." Gasperini reflected on his decision to leave Atalanta for Roma, calling it a major turning point in his career—comparable only to his shift from playing to management and his move to Crotone in Serie C. "I arrived with the conviction it was something owed rather than wanted, and that it was time to cross the Rubicon. You do it with lots of doubts, but you know when you make that choice you don't go back, and it's gone well." On the season's challenges ahead, he rejected the idea of being solely focused on rivals: "I always look at our path. Depending on the moment, Hannibal could be someone else. Before it was Juventus, now perhaps Inter, who is the best team in Italy. If you always chase the strongest you can lose yourself. The objective is to look at ourselves and improve."