Gago on Roma: 'Zeman said no, but Rome had become my home'

Roma's market staff are looking to strengthen the attack in January after Lorenzo Pellegrini's injury, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini keen to start moving now. The club's budget is constrained: with a heavy UEFA fine looming over a breach of the settlement agreement, Roma can only pursue operations similar to the one that brought Donyell Malen to the club, meaning onerous loans with a possible obligation to buy tied to qualification for the Champions League. Targets are players who find little space at major clubs but can make an impact in Serie A. Top of the list is Brazilian forward Endrick, despite the public closure from Mourinho. The player keeps playing little and is pushing for more minutes, with Gasperini's backing. Contacts were reportedly made in the hours after the match at the Olimpico, where Endrick was decisive and was able to see Roma's attacking play up close. Gasperini has pushed for the move, while sporting director D'Amico is reported to be fully behind the idea, with CEO Galantic less so. Another route leads to London. Chelsea appear willing to loan out Gittens, who has not played a single minute in the Premier League, and Roma are monitoring him. Kevin of Fulham and Hutson-Odoi of Nottingham Forest are also being watched as two further profiles who receive limited game time. For Kvernadze, a decision has been pushed back to June.

Roma are reportedly considering Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde as a January target, after agent Jorge Mendes proposed the 23-year-old to the Giallorossi. Il Messaggero reports the move would be an addition to Roma's interest in Jayden Oosterwolde, a name the club has pursued for some time. Mendes also represents Rodrigo Mora, who is on Roma's books. The approach reportedly stems from Balde's limited playing time under Hansi Flick at Barcelona. The numbers back up that picture. Balde, who turned 23 on 18 October, has made very few appearances in La Liga and the Champions League this season, after being one of Barcelona's key players in previous campaigns. In 2025-26 he made 42 official appearances, 31 of them as a starter, despite two muscle problems. The left-back is Masia-trained and left-footed, stands 177 centimetres tall, and relies mainly on pace, acceleration and the ability to carry the ball. He likes to attack space and create overloads down the flank. Rather than a conventional full-back who stays deep, Balde plays more like a full-width winger. He is explosive with the ball, gains ground quickly and often looks to reach the byline or the edge of the box. That profile could suit the aggressive, vertical football Gian Piero Gasperini demands from his side. The main obstacle is financial. Balde is under contract at Barcelona until 30 June 2028, and his deal includes a release clause of one billion euros. His market value is still very high, with current estimates ranging roughly between 40 and 50 million euros. Those figures make a permanent move in January difficult, barring particularly favourable terms. The format of any proposal is therefore central. A loan, perhaps with an option to buy or a more complex arrangement, would change the picture entirely, and the key questions are what structure Mendes has put forward and what Barcelona's position is.

Lorenzo Pellegrini will be sidelined for at least two months after suffering a high-grade tear to the semitendinosus in his right thigh, an injury picked up in Roma's Champions League match against Slovan Bratislava, Il Tempo reports. The midfielder's latest setback effectively ends his 2026 and leaves Gian Piero Gasperini facing a serious shortage ahead of the big match against Napoli. The Slovan Bratislava injury is Pellegrini's third in the same area this year, following a relapse in April, a surgical procedure in Finland and a summer spent in rehabilitation and contract renewal. He has played just 150 minutes and missed 14 matches, and he now risks missing the next 12 fixtures up to the December break. The run of injuries began last winter. With the Napoli trip approaching, Gasperini has limited options. Only Mora and Soulé are available in the attacking midfield zone, while Cristante's condition in midfield will need to be assessed, with De Roon and Pisilli already heavily relied upon.