Gasperini and the Curva Sud: love story blooms after maiden season at Roma

Roma have returned home after concluding their British pre-season training camp and are pursuing two attacking targets: Rodrigo Mora from Porto and Endrick from Real Madrid. The club is attempting to secure a permanent transfer for the Portuguese forward born in 2007, while exploring the possibility of a loan deal for the Brazilian. Both signings represent potential reinforcements to Roma's forward line as the 2026–27 season approaches. Mora, a 2007 birth-year prospect from Porto, is being actively pursued on a permanent basis, while negotiations for Endrick centre on a temporary arrangement that would see the Real Madrid player join on loan. Francesco Petrachi has also been discussing Cacciamani, though specific details of those talks were not outlined in the latest update.

Gian Piero Gasperini has condemned the structure of the Italian transfer window, arguing that allowing the market to close after the league season has begun creates unnecessary chaos for all clubs. Speaking after Roma's friendly against Brighton, the Roma head coach said: "As always the market starts on 1 July and then everything is decided in the last 15 days of August. For everyone these are the wrong dates, because the squads are already in preparation for a month and the market is still up in the air for everyone." Daniele De Rossi, now managing Genoa, publicly backed Gasperini's position. De Rossi revealed that Norton Cuffy did not play in Genoa's friendly against Deportivo La Coruna due to market uncertainties, and used the occasion to criticise the calendar. He said: "It's a stupid thing, wrong, I don't understand who could like it, I don't understand who could agree with it. Meanwhile whoever wants to make a deal on 30 August will do it on 15 August, it's something that devastates everyone because if you play on 16 against Ascoli and on 15 they sell you a player you'll have some difficulty. This is a bureaucratic abomination that I will never be able to understand." Both coaches highlighted how the compressed August window forces transfers to occur once pre-season training is underway, destabilising squad preparation across Serie A.

Roma have submitted an opening bid of €25 million to Porto for Rodrigo Mora, the 19-year-old winger and playmaker, as the club accelerates its search for attacking reinforcement following difficulties exposed during the British tour. Porto's asking price stands at €50 million, and Roma's initial proposal is structured as a €5 million loan with a €45 million purchase option. Galatasaray remains in contention for the Portuguese talent. Gasperini has made an attacking signing a priority after the pre-season tour revealed gaps in the squad's offensive capabilities. Roma are pushing to finalize the deal swiftly, aiming to reach an agreement with Porto within the coming days. Rodrigo Mora, born in 2007, is Porto's youngest-ever debutant. However, Porto manager Francesco Farioli tempered expectations at a press conference, stating: "Only one player has come to speak to me about the possibility of leaving. I know there is another who would like to depart, but Rodrigo does not fall into either of those cases." Mora started the match against Alverca on the bench in Portugal's opening day of the league season on 9 August, a decision made by Farioli.