Dybala Returns to Roma as Contract Renewal Nears Completion

Porto president André Villas-Boas has said the club would have closed its 2025-26 accounts with a profit if Rodrigo Mora's transfer to Roma had been completed before 30 June. Speaking at a press conference where he presented the club's financial results, Villas-Boas noted that Porto instead posted a loss of approximately €21 million for the season. Mora moved to Roma for €25 million plus 50 per cent of any future resale fee, but the timing of the deal meant it fell outside the financial year that would have swung the balance into the black. The transfer underscores the importance of window deadlines in club accounting, with even major deals capable of shifting a significant deficit into profit territory when registered at the right moment.

Porto president André Villas-Boas has reignited debate over Rodrigo Mora's transfer to Roma, stating that selling the Portuguese midfielder earlier would have prevented the club's financial losses. Mora joined Roma in the summer of 2026 for €25 million, but Villas-Boas said the timing proved costly for Porto's accounts. Speaking at a press conference to present the club's 2025-26 results, Villas-Boas said: "If the sale of Rodrigo Mora had been completed before 30 June, the economic result of the season would have been positive." Porto closed the 2025-26 financial year with losses of approximately €21 million, a shortfall partly attributed to the club's failure to qualify for the Champions League before the start of the Farioli era. The late completion of Mora's sale meant the transfer fee could not be counted in the accounting period that would have offset other losses, leaving Porto's books in the red despite the substantial fee received from Roma.

The Friedkin Group has decided to put Everton up for sale, shifting the focus of their football operations entirely to AS Roma. The Texas-based owners, who took control of Roma in August 2020, have chosen to exit their English venture after several years of ownership. The move elevates Roma to the centerpiece of their global football portfolio. With Everton no longer part of their structure, the Friedkin Group can now concentrate fully on Roma's development and ambitions. The sale marks a clear strategic decision to consolidate resources around the Italian club rather than maintain dual major projects across European football. Roma now stands as the primary asset and focus for the American ownership group's football investments and long-term vision.

Roma will play Como in the sixth Serie A matchday on Sunday at 12:30. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will hold a press conference tomorrow at 13:30 ahead of the fixture. Selection uncertainty surrounds Roma's attacking setup, with one player among Rodrigo Mora, Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini set to support Paulo Dybala behind Donyell Malen.

Gian Piero Gasperini will address the media on 10 October at 13:30 at Trigoria ahead of Roma's fixture at Como's Sinigaglia stadium. The head coach will field questions on team selection and player fitness as Roma prepare for the match. Bryan Cristante is ruled out with a knee problem. In midfield, Rodrigo Mora is expected to start as the attacking midfielder behind the strike pairing of Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala. At the back, there remains competition between Leonardo Balerdi and Evan N'Dicka for a defensive place.

Roma face Como in a tactical battle between Fabregas and Gasperini, two coaches with contrasting philosophies seeking to dictate play. Gasperini is considering deploying Rodrigo Mora on the trequarti in support of Dybala and Malen, a move with both technical and tactical significance. Against Como's four-man defence, this setup would allow Mora to exploit space between the lines and combine quickly with two players whose strengths complement each other: Dybala's ability to read situations others miss and Malen's capacity to attack space immediately. Marten de Roon is expected to anchor midfield, providing equilibrium and tactical knowledge of Gasperini's systems crucial against Como's possession-based approach. Evan N'Dicka is favoured over Leonardo Balerdi in defence, with Nahuel Molina and Wesley operating on the flanks. The match's decisive factor may lie on the wings. Como build superiority through passing and draw pressure to free players in space; Roma counterpress through individual aggression and advanced recovery. The fullbacks will be fundamental, needing to support attacking play without leaving the corridors Como exploits. Molina and Wesley could prove decisive both in pressing and by forcing Como's wingers to defend, preventing Fabregas's side from developing their game with continuity. The sides have met twice previously in contrasting circumstances. At the Olimpico, Roma imposed themselves through intense pressing, with Wesley scoring the decisive goal. In the return fixture, a side lacking clear attacking reference points gradually lost shape and ceded initiative to Como. However, this Roma present different offensive possibilities. The presence of Malen, Dybala's talent and Mora's potential deployment offer Gasperini solutions capable of troubling a well-organised team like Fabregas's. Roma must start aggressively, press immediately and prevent Como from gaining confidence in their passing patterns.