El Aynaoui transfer to Leipzig stalls; Roma midfielder may stay

Roma remain interested in Issa Doumbia, the midfielder now at Sporting Lisbon after his summer move from Venezia. Doumbia, born 2003, had already caught Roma's attention last summer, but Sporting's deal was already substantially agreed by then, and the Italian midfielder moved to Portugal directly from Serie B. He has recently made his debut for the Italian national team under coach Mancini. According to A Bola, Juventus, Newcastle and Brentford are also tracking Doumbia alongside Roma. Sporting Lisbon's intention, however, is clear: to secure the 2003-born player. The club has inserted a €80 million release clause into his contract to ward off interest.

Roma director D'Amico has identified central defender Gabriel Zarrella as a target for the future, according to reports. The 2008-born player, who has an Italian father and Brazilian mother and was born in Cologne, currently plays for Stuttgart's Under-19 side and has featured in two Youth League matches for the German club. Zarrella's contract with Stuttgart expires on 30 June next year, though the club holds an option to renew for another season. With Roma managing their workload across Serie A and the Champions League, the club is also planning ahead for January and beyond. Zarrella's father, Giovanni, previously spent time in Roma's youth academy, adding to the club's familiarity with the family. Roma are monitoring the defender's development, as is the Italian Football Federation, which is keen to convince him to represent Italy at international level.

Endrick came off the bench to inflict Real Madrid's comeback victory against Roma at the Olimpico on Wednesday night, turning the tables on a club that had pursued him extensively during the summer transfer window before Madrid refused to let him leave. The Brazilian, a 2006-born prospect, had started the season with just four minutes of action and his frustration was evident. For the entire summer Roma and Endrick came close to agreement, only for José Mourinho to block the deal from Madrid's end. Now, after a devastating half-hour display down the wing—dribbling and attacking that exhausted Mario Hermoso and Nahuel Molina before exposing Konstantinos Koulierakis—the landscape has shifted dramatically. Roma has maintained contact with Endrick's entourage throughout, aware that a January window reopening could provide a second opportunity to land the forward. Real Madrid invested in Endrick when he was still a teenager. The scenario, however, has now been altered by his commanding performance at the Olimpico, which made Mourinho's return to Roma all the more memorable. Roma will hope their strong interest in January can reignite a deal that slipped through their fingers in the summer.

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.

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.

Roma have made a strong start to the 2026-27 season with 13 points from five matches, matching Inter and Lazio at the top of Serie A but ahead on goal difference. A second-half goal by Lautaro in a direct clash with Inter prevented a perfect record, but the squad's overall level remains high. The arrival of summer players has been central to the club's early form. Nahuel Molina is still building fitness but establishing himself in the team, while Rodrigo Mora has made an immediate impact with a goal already on his account. Leonardo Balerdi has already won over the supporters and claimed a starting berth, and Konstantinos Koulierakis, Marten de Roon and Santiago Castro are all expected to become important resources as the fixture list intensifies through October and November, though some have yet to feature heavily. The squad recruitment was balanced by significant outgoings managed by director Tony D'Amico, which allowed Roma to fund their incomings. With the first international break now reached, a review of Roma's players still on loan across Europe becomes timely. Neil El Aynaoui and other loan-out players carry combined recall obligations of €95 million, making their performances and development over the coming months a matter of considerable financial consequence for the club.