Fiorentina join Venezia in pursuit of El Shaarawy

Gian Piero Gasperini has named a 22-man squad for Roma's trip to Udinese on Saturday 31 October at 18:00 at the Bluenergy Stadium, in Serie A matchday 10. Paulo Dybala will miss the match, as the coach had already indicated, while young players Di Nunzio and Camara are included. The goalkeepers are Vasquez, De Marzi and Gollini. The defenders are Rensch, Koulierakis, Ndicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfielders are Cristante, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora, and the forwards are Castro, Malen, Soulé and Camara. The kit colours have also been confirmed. Roma will play in their traditional red first shirt, while the goalkeeper will wear yellow. The Giallorossi players on the bench will wear blue bibs. The match in Friuli is Roma's last league fixture before the European trip against Manchester United, scheduled for 3 November. Former Roma and Udinese midfielder Stefano Desideri spoke to Romanews on the eve of the match, analysing Roma's current form and their prospects for the rest of the season. Desideri does not fully share the criticism linked to fatigue after the win over Cagliari. He said: "With all the rotations and the adjustments, Roma have held up more than well," recalling the many closely spaced matches and injuries. He also praised Cristante, whom he considers "more and more of a leader" and a reference point for the younger players, and De Roon, whose impact he described as "impressive". In the table, Desideri places Roma and Inter ahead of their rivals, while acknowledging the surprising results of Lazio and the work of Como, who could remain at a high level until the end. On Udinese, he admits he did not expect such a difficult start: "They must pull themselves out by any means" to avoid getting drawn into the relegation battle. Looking ahead to the winter window, Desideri said he does not expect big deals: "I don't believe much in it." Nonetheless, he feels Gasperini's side could need "another midfielder" and "a winger", provided there are concrete and convenient opportunities. Roma are also weighing possible reinforcements for the winter window. Among the names linked with the club is Lisandro Martínez, the Argentine defender at Manchester United, whose contract expires on 30 June. According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid have set their sights on the player. In Italy, Inter and Como are reportedly also evaluating the centre-back's profile, alongside Roma, to strengthen their defensive department.

Milan and Juventus have reportedly placed Daniele Ghilardi on their radar, according to Tuttomercatoweb. The Roma defender has attracted interest from both clubs despite playing only a few minutes in recent matches. Ghilardi has been decisive in recent games, helping Roma pick up important points in the league table. His performances have drawn the attention of several clubs, with Milan and Juventus among those monitoring him. Milan are reportedly in search of a central defender ahead of the January transfer window. The report comes from Tuttomercatoweb, which named Milan and Juventus as the clubs that have looked at the Roma player.

Roma have made contact with Real Madrid over a possible move for Endrick, according to Retesport. The day after the Champions League match between Roma and Real Madrid on Thursday 15 October, Gian Piero Gasperini met Real Madrid's management in a direct meeting, accompanied by Roma's transfer staff. No intermediaries were involved. The club and the coach are determined to push for the 2006-born forward. The deal is not straightforward. Mourinho has said he does not want Endrick to leave Madrid. Even so, Roma are ready to move quickly should any opening appear. Gasperini reportedly believes Endrick could play in any attacking position, and his qualities are appreciated by the coach. Roma lost 3-4 to Real Madrid after conceding late goals, and a large part of that turnaround is linked to Endrick's introduction, as he changed the match and scored a goal. The article suggests he may not be the only one to visit the Stadio Olimpico, and that his next move could be in Roma's yellow and red.

Roma avoided their first league defeat of the season at the Maradona, rescued from a 2-0 deficit by Stephan El Shaarawy's...

Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport insisted Roma paid 25 million euros for Mora, not 50 million, in the latest instalment of the Roman radio roundup. He said: "Roma paid 25 million for Mora, then if this year he scores 100 goals and is worth 200 million, Roma have the option of paying 25 million to remove that clause on a future resale. But they did not buy 50% of the player, they bought 100% of the player. If they sell him, they must give 50% of what they receive, which Roma can remove by paying another 25 million. Since you have been insinuating for days that he is rubbish but you do not have the courage to say it, you say he was paid 50 million, but it is not true! If Roma take Mora to the end of his contract, they will have paid 25 million. It is very clear." Rossi, also on Rete Sport, reopened the debate over Pellegrini, saying that some people had doubted Roma's decision to renew Dybala and Pellegrini this summer, citing a history of injuries. He said Dybala has not reached half of his appearances and that Pellegrini had reached his 100th injury. Pellegrini has now re-injured the musculotendinous junction of the flexor, and will take another three months out. Rossi added that the injury was not fixed and that the club paid five million gross for the player, money he said Roma could have spent better. On Tele Radio Stereo, Alessio Nardo asked whether this is Pellegrini's last season with Roma, adding that the speculation should be hedged because "with Pellegrini you never know". He also questioned whether Gasperini chose to speak at his press conference today to avoid questions about possible errors in the transfer market and about underestimating certain aspects. Nardo described a city that remains bitter even after a third-place finish and seven wins in ten matches, saying Mora had become "the new Zaragoza" and had been "destroyed" over the last 48 hours. Lorenzo Pes disagreed, arguing that Gasperini skipped the press conference simply because of a run of closely spaced matches. Valentina Catoni argued that the real problem was not renewing Pellegrini but failing to sign another forward, saying Gasperini had asked for at least one more player up front. Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport said Roma are playing the season with only 20 outfield players, two of whom, Dybala and Pellegrini, have had a hard few years. He said the club's wage bill problem is the card Roma will play in front of UEFA, and claimed Pellegrini has played only 150 minutes in total. Torri also said he would have signed El Shaarawy at the end of the window, since he could play as a wide attacker or in midfield. Paola Cosenza voiced concern about Cristante, who is returning from a collateral ligament problem, fearing he may force his recovery. Marco Valerio Corsi said he expected Gasperini to protect Mora in the match at Napoli if he delivered another lacklustre performance, and that he doubted Wesley could play as a forward. Roberto Pruzzo said Soulé is growing and that Roma should build around him, and that he sees Santiago Castro as the alternative, adding that Mora looks too far behind the level required for the stage he is being asked to perform on. He said: "We must hope Malen doesn't even have a cold, otherwise it gets tough." Mario Mattioli argued that Pellegrini had only returned from injury two matches earlier and that the club had already lived through a similar situation. Nando Orsi criticised the constant talk of signings and of how Gasperini's training compares with that of previous years. The discussion is set to continue on the same programme, with pundits calling for Roma to reach January in contention for the top places before the club reassesses its options.

Tommaso Turci, journalist and pitchside reporter for DAZN, spoke exclusively to Retesport and praised Roma's progress under Gian Piero Gasperini, with particular praise for Stephan El Shaarawy's teammate Matías Soulé and new-look midfielder Marten de Roon. Turci said Soulé is "making giant steps forward" and described him as becoming a leader and a player for a top team. Turci said Roma look organised and improving but that they are still at the beginning of the season. He stressed that consistency will make the difference, and that the Roma side will become credible for the top of the table once squad players with limited minutes add value, as happened against Genoa and again in the most recent match. He said that the season before gave this group awareness, and that Roma are showing they can stay near the top of the table, though how long that will last remains to be seen. On Inter, Turci said that once they reach full speed they will pull away from the rest by 10-15 points. On Gasperini's reaction to Lulli's goal, Turci said the coach was moved to see the young scorer celebrating in a clumsy way, often looking at the referee to confirm his first goal was valid. Gasperini, who has now recorded 300 wins, congratulated him and then immediately gave the team instructions, even though the goal strongly pointed the match in Roma's favour. Turci praised Soulé's quality in the build-up to that goal, saying it was not just technique but also personality, and that the forward is now physically well and aligned with Gasperini's ideas. Asked which newcomer had impressed him most, Turci said: "De Roon, even though we all knew he would be functional to Gasperini's way of playing. Seeing how he has fitted into the group and the dressing room has made me understand that he is a top player." On the coaching staff, Turci said they are perfectly aligned with Gasperini, naming Raimondi and Gritti, and that Gasperini consults everyone while each member looks after the details during matches. He added: "All the top coaches have a great staff, and he is no exception."