Friedkin evaluates Everton sale as NHL project worth $3.5 billion advances

Roma are working on multiple transfer targets for the January window beyond Endrick, the Brazilian forward who has caught coach Gian Piero Gasperini's eye. While Endrick is a striker and left-footer who has shown he can operate in a secondary role at Lyon, his arrival may prove redundant given Paulo Dybala's elevated form and Matías Soulé's recent return to top condition — both players already operate in the centre-forward areas where the Brazilian would likely be deployed. Director Tony D'Amico is therefore pursuing alternative options, with initial contact already made on two specific players. The first is Georgian left-winger Kvernadze, a right-footed player with an imposing physical presence, pace and goalscoring ability who could compensate on that flank for the different profile offered by Rodrigo Mora. The second is Ruben van Bommel of PSV, son of the former Milan and Barcelona midfielder and current Belgium coach. Van Bommel, born 2004, was sidelined by a serious injury last season but has since recovered and is back at peak fitness. Van Bommel has scored 2 goals and provided 4 assists, and has already gained early Champions League experience. Roma's recruitment staff view both players as capable of strengthening the squad in areas where tactical balance is needed.

Donyell Malen has praised his instant connection with Paulo Dybala and described Roma as the right environment for him to flourish, in an interview with Corriere dello Sport. The forward, who joined from Aston Villa, credited the club's dimension—its importance, supporters, coaching staff and squad—with accelerating his development. "I've never felt like this before, and from the first days," Malen said. "I think everything has changed. I've played a lot and everywhere, but today I believe I'm in the right place with the right people. The manager and my teammates give me so much confidence, and all of these things together bring me to be what I dreamed of being." Malen explained his decision to leave Aston Villa: "It was me, I wanted to play, to be part of a squad where I could take the field every weekend and be important. In that phase I didn't feel I was, so I think I made the best choice." His impact at Roma has been significant—he highlighted his debut as a turning point. "The first match. Starting very well, scoring a hat-trick, was fundamental. As a squad, we were strong and connected, and the feeling I had was immediately very good. From moments like this we can build and do something special." On his preferred position, he stated: "In the centre is where I feel better, more comfortable." Malen expressed surprise at the quality of midfielders Niccolò Pisilli and Manu Koné. "He is very young, I saw immediately he has quality. Manu, fantastic," he said. He also praised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's directness in managing players: "The way he manages the players, you know he will never lie to you about anything. After Parma he was too happy—even a table flew." Malen described differences between Italian and English football, noting the defensive blocks in Serie A and the contrasting tactical philosophies, before declining to engage in a comparison with Lautaro Martínez over goalscoring: "Better that I concentrate on myself."

Roma face Como on Sunday 11 October in Serie A's sixth matchday, a fixture that pits not only Fabregas and Gasperini against each other but also two ownership structures emblematic of football's new global dimension. The Hartono family and the Friedkin Group have collectively invested over €1.5 billion in Italian football in recent years, each pursuing distinct visions for their clubs. The Hartono family, who transformed the Djarum group into an empire and hold a Forbes-estimated fortune of $43.8 billion, have invested approximately €390 million in Como since 2019. Their project encompasses football, academy, tourism and retail. With Fabregas as head coach and over €350 million spent in the transfer market—including €60 million for Nico Paz—Como has become an ambitious laboratory, though the club remains unprofitable with an operating loss of €132 million recorded in its latest accounts. The centrepiece of their plan is the Sinigaglia stadium redevelopment, scheduled for 2028. The Friedkin Group, whose fortune originates in the automotive conglomerate Gulf States Toyota (€14.5 billion revenue in 2025) alongside investments in luxury (Auberge Resorts) and cinema (Neon), brings personal wealth of $12.5 billion. Dan Friedkin has invested over €1 billion in Roma since 2020, injecting €824 million into the club's coffers after taking it private. Roma's losses have narrowed substantially: from €219 million in 2021-22 to €54 million in the latest accounts. Qualification for the Champions League has revitalised the project, which now awaits its defining moment with the new Pietralata stadium, approved in late September and scheduled for 2029.

Antonio Arena, Roma's young striker, has been named among the 60 most promising players born in 2009 globally in a list compiled by The Guardian. The Primavera talent has already scored for the first team in the Coppa Italia and regularly features in Gasperini's matchday squads for Serie A fixtures, demonstrating qualities that set him apart from his peers. Arena's inclusion reflects his early impact at Roma, where he has attracted the attention of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who frequently calls him up for league matches. The recognition underscores the talent emerging from the club's academy and the confidence placed in him by the first-team staff. The Guardian's list also includes Riccardo Cassano of Como and Destiny Elimoghale of Juventus among the 60 young players identified as prospects.

The Guardian has included three Italian young players in its "Next Generation" selection of 60 of the world's best prospects born in 2009, among them Antonio Arena of Roma. In the 2026–27 season, Arena has made 4 appearances for Roma's Primavera, scoring 1 goal and providing 3 assists. He previously made his first-team debut in the 2025–26 season, scoring in the Coppa Italia against Torino in a 2–3 defeat at Stadio Olimpico. Also named in the list is Roma goalkeeper Slim Bouaskar, who was born and raised in Rome but represents Tunisia at international level and continues to feature in Roma's youth ranks and international tournaments including the U17 World Cup. Bouaskar has not yet made his senior debut for Roma. The list also includes Riccardo Cassano of Como and Destiny Elimoghale of Juventus. The Guardian identified Arena as a centre-forward with classical traits and aerial strength, effective in the box. The publication noted his striking debut record: a goal on his first appearance with Pescara in Serie C, followed by a goal on his first touch with Roma in the Coppa Italia match against Torino. His mentality has impressed head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who believes the young player has "strength to sell". Of Bouaskar, The Guardian described him as a talent from the Tunisian diaspora and one of the few positive notes in a complicated year for Tunisian football. Standing 1.88 metres tall, he commands the defence, reads his exits well, and possesses notable reflexes. Former Roma manager José Mourinho noticed him during his time at the club, while Claudio Ranieri gave him his first real opportunity. Bouaskar has shone in youth competitions including the U17 World Cup, the 2025 U17 African Cup of Nations, and the U20 UNAF tournament, though he has yet to debut for Roma or Tunisia's senior side.

Gianluca Mancini will not travel with Italy for their fixture against Turkey, with national team coach Roberto Mancini deciding to leave ten players at the Coverciano training centre to continue work there. Mancini joins Ahanor, Barella, Coppola, Inacio, Kouadio, Maldini, Pessina, Ricci and Zoma in staying behind. The decision reflects uncertainty over Mancini's starting place in Italy's defensive line. Coach Roberto Mancini is considering substantial changes to the back four following matches against Belgium, Turkey and France, with Di Lorenzo, Mancini and Coppola potentially replaced by Kayode, Scalvini and Bastoni, the latter returning from suspension. Back at Roma, the fixture list after the international break presents a demanding challenge: seven matches in 23 days beginning with the away trip to Como, followed by Real Madrid, Genoa, Slovan Bratislava, Napoli, Cagliari and Udinese. This run will test both Roma's ambitions and the depth of Gasperini's squad. Roma's trip to Bologna on 4 December is under observation by the ONMS owing to a Virtus Bologna Euroliga match against Partizan Belgrade scheduled the same day; the proximity of the basketball arena and the Dall'Ara stadium, just over 2 kilometres apart, raises concerns about contact between supporter groups, though a final decision will come later. The trip to Como faces no such issues.