Dybala and Soulé: Diverging paths as Emery circles Matías

Roma are monitoring Darryl Bakola, a 19-year-old Sassuolo midfielder, with sporting director Tony D'Amico studying the prospect for a possible move in January or next summer. The French midfielder, born in Clichy on 30 November 2007, has begun to establish himself in Serie A after signing with Sassuolo in February. Roma's interest is independent of any potential departure by Manu Koné; instead, Bakola is being observed for his attributes and growth potential as a prospect in his own right. Bakola plays as a right-sided midfielder with a pronounced attacking instinct. He developed through academies at Asnières, Racing Club de France and Red Star before joining Marseille's youth system, where he made his senior debut. The profile fits Roma's recent transfer strategy of identifying young players already capable of competing at the highest level while retaining significant room for development and improvement. This season has brought early evidence of Sassuolo's confidence in him. He has made four Serie A appearances to date, three of them from the start, accumulating 297 minutes and recording one assist. Bakola combines technical ability, quality ball-carrying and the capacity to support attacking play, offering flexibility across multiple midfield positions.

Lorenzo Pellegrini will use the international break to complete his recovery and return to full fitness ahead of Roma's fixture against Como. Pellegrini was recalled to the squad for the Torino match and can become a fresh asset for Gasperini's group as he regains full sharpness. Roma continue to monitor young midfield prospects and are following Darryl Bakola, a French player born in 2007 from Sassuolo. The club will not be seeking him as a direct replacement for Manu Koné, who has demonstrated his importance to Gasperini's system in recent matches, including against Inter. Without Koné, Roma are visibly weakened in midfield.

Roma have made contact with free agent Matteo Darmian as they explore defensive reinforcements during an extended fixture break. The 36-year-old has fielded approaches from smaller clubs during the summer with no result, but would prioritise Roma over potential moves to Parma or Torino. He has also received lucrative proposals to move to Dubai and may not wait long for a decision. The Giallorossi created space after sending Anass Salah-Eddine on loan to Panathinaikos with a €7 million option to buy, despite his solid spell at PSV and a Morocco World Cup call-up. While Roma's wingback options are in reasonable condition—with Emanuele Lulli emerging as an early revelation—Gian Piero Gasperini favours adding experienced players to manage demanding roles. A left-sided defender would be the preference. The former Inter man was not retained by the Nerazzurri after six years and over 200 appearances, starting only nine times in 2025-26 owing to competition and a serious calf injury. Darmian, a Milan academy product, began his career at Palermo before flourishing at Torino. He later moved to Manchester United and returned to Italy through Parma before joining Inter. His veteran status and experience align with Gasperini's preferences, though questions remain about his physical condition after a difficult previous season.

Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro have linked up with Argentina's national team for a training camp during the international break. All three Roma players were called up by head coach Scaloni for friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin. Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina, also Roma squad members, were not selected and will continue working at Trigoria during the international pause. Castro expressed his delight at the call-up on social media, writing: "Happy for all of this." Soulé, who returns to the Selección after a lengthy absence, posted early training footage with the caption: "Nothing better than being here."

Roma continued their conditioning work at Trigoria on 22 September, refusing to ease off during the international break. The squad's next match is scheduled for 11 October against Como, but Gasperini kept the players sharp with athletic sessions despite the pause in fixtures. Among those training were Paulo Dybala and Mile Svilar, alongside several players using the stoppage to rebuild match fitness after recent struggles or late arrivals to the squad. Nahuel Molina, Marten de Roon and Lorenzo Pellegrini were the focus of Gasperini's attention during these weeks without competition. Molina, an Argentine midfielder, suffered fatigue from a long World Cup campaign but had recently rediscovered sufficient form; Gasperini aims to have him at peak condition for a demanding run of fixtures in October. De Roon, who joined late in the transfer window after being sidelined in Maurizio Sarri's plans at Atalanta, follows a similar recovery path. Pellegrini, the captain and number 7, earned his first squad call-up this season in the match against Torino and must complete his athletic rehabilitation after missing the summer preparation alongside his teammates. He will use these weeks without matches to conduct a mini pre-season programme. Also training were Pierluigi Gollini, Devyne Rensch, Vasquez and Giorgio De Marzi under Gasperini's close observation. Three players were absent: Bryan Cristante due to lower back pain, Donyell Malen with a knee complaint, and Wesley sidelined by a muscular strain.

Roma radio stations have dissected the team's opening weeks of the 2026-27 season, focusing on attacking output, midfield deployment, and the defensive lapses that cost them against Inter. Gianluca Piacentini noted that while the team has impressed overall, Santiago Castro has yet to score despite solid performances, and the attacking group has contributed only three goals total—two from Matías Soulé and one from Rodrigo Mora—leaving room for improvement. Donyell Malen, who remained in Rome during the international break, has been the standout performer among the forwards. The consensus is that Roma's attackers, particularly Castro, Soulé and Mora, would have benefited from staying at Trigoria rather than joining their national teams for what several commentators dismissed as unnecessary international fixtures. Francesca Ferrazza explained that criticism of Paulo Dybala's reduced shooting is misplaced: "Now they're criticising Dybala because he doesn't score and doesn't shoot, but in my opinion it's precisely a deliberate choice to shoot less in goal. A choice shared with the manager, by the way. To extend his season and his career, he plays for others more than for himself." The discussion around Lorenzo Pellegrini centred on tactical fit. Lorenzo Pes raised concerns about how Pellegrini will adapt to Gasperini's intensity: "What intrigues me is how he might fit into certain systems. When you play with a trequartista, that is his best position, perhaps in that role he's the best you have, but when you line up differently on the pitch I'm not sure how much he can adapt. Last season he did reasonably well but in a very different Roma—now it's much more intense. Gasperini says he can see him in midfield too, but in that role he's never actually put him there." Mario Corsi challenged the narrative around Gianluca Mancini's role in Inter's goal, pointing out that four Roma defenders were on the pitch yet failed to function as a unit. He argued the real issue is a lack of a player who can beat his man consistently. Piero Torri stressed that after the international break, Roma will need all available players, with Gasperini having stated the team must operate with a squad of 20 across a seven-match stretch. Roberto Pruzzo offered a positive assessment, noting that Malen's presence this season—absent last year—and Dybala's apparent full recovery give Roma credible tools to challenge Inter, especially once the remainder of the transfer window closes. Luigi Salomone suggested that had Roma's previous manager substituted a different forward earlier against Lazio, the result might have shifted dramatically. The international break will resume mid-October, after which Roma face a compressed fixture list in both Serie A and the Champions League that will test squad depth and tactical flexibility.