Gasperini blocks Koné Chelsea move as Roma squad becomes increasingly his own

Roma sent scouts to the Porto versus PSV match at the Estádio do Dragão while Gian Piero Gasperini's side beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday evening, according to Sport Witness, as the winter transfer window approaches. PSV won the match 1-0, and it drew interest from several Premier League clubs, including Everton. Everton are following Esmir Bajraktarević, a left-sided winger born in 2005 who is owned by PSV. It is not clear what the main purpose of the Roma mission was, but Sven Mijnans, an attacking midfielder born in 2000 whom Roma had already been tracking in the summer, is certainly among the profiles on the club's list, alongside Bajraktarević himself. The report comes as Roma look to strengthen the squad available to Gasperini ahead of the January window. TUTTE LE NOTIZIE GRATIS SULLA ROMA SUL TUO TELEFONINO – TELEGRAM TUTTE LE NOTIZIE GRATIS SULLA ROMA SUL TUO TELEFONINO – WHATSAPP

Roma scouts were among those watching Porto against PSV Eindhoven at the Estádio do Dragão in the Champions League, as the club keeps working ahead of the January transfer window to strengthen Gian Piero Gasperini's squad. Sporting director D'Amico is looking for talent to complete the attack and the wide areas, where a left-sided midfield winger is still missing. Scouts from Everton, Manchester United, Brentford and Nottingham Forest were also present, according to English outlet Sport Witness. Many talents featured for PSV as well as for Porto, who are coached by Farioli. Among the possible targets Roma are monitoring is Sven Mijnans, an attacking midfielder born in 2000 who had already been followed in the summer. Also on the list is Bajraktarević, a Bosnian left-sided winger born in 2005. Roma will keep working on these ideas in the coming weeks, as a side that has made a top start still needs reinforcements. Porto's young standouts also drew attention. Oscar Pietuszewski, a right-footed winger born in 2008, is very young. Alberto Costa, a 23-year-old full-back, was close to joining Roma in January 2025.

Roma are preparing to return to the transfer market in January, with the club's offensive shortage thrown into sharp relief by recent setbacks. Sporting director Tony D'Amico had already signalled new signings in the winter window, with the aim of strengthening the attacking department above all. The injuries to Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini, combined with a squad that remains numerically thin in the attacking areas, have made the need to act more pressing. The names still being linked are those that circulated during the summer market: Jamie Gittens of Chelsea and Jamie Leweling of Stuttgart. Both players continue to be linked with Roma ahead of January and are struggling to win playing time at their respective clubs. Attention is focusing in particular on an attacker capable of playing wide. Gasperini can count on Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro as his central options, but the latest injuries have further reduced the alternatives on the flanks. Rodrigo Mora, the only summer addition in the Roma attacking midfield, needs time to develop. Gasperini is nevertheless asking for reinforcements. The schedule and physical setbacks have shown how fine the margin becomes when several players from the same department are unavailable at once. January could therefore become an important window for completing the squad: not necessarily a revolution, but an attacking addition capable of adding quality and increasing rotation options for Gasperini.

Lorenzo Pellegrini's absence is growing, with the midfielder ruled out for at least two to three months after tests revealed a high-grade tear of the musculotendinous junction of the semitendinosus in his right thigh. Roma face Napoli on Saturday 24 October at 18:00, and the injury adds to an already crowded treatment room. Pellegrini could return between late January and early February 2027, though a further operation is a possibility. Coming after his summer surgery, the new injury may also weigh on his future at the club, as the number 7's contract expires in June 2026. Staying at Roma is considered highly unlikely. The absence also forces a change in the midfield. Bryan Cristante is reportedly being tried again in the number 10 role, with the headline noting he is "ripassa" as a trequartista. Pellegrini's situation is the latest setback for the squad as the team prepares for the trip to Naples.

Lorenzo Pellegrini faces at least two months on the sidelines after tests revealed a high-grade lesion at the distal musculotendinous junction of the semitendinosus in his right thigh, sustained against Slovan Bratislava. Recovery times will be assessed as the clinical picture evolves, but the midfielder could return in the first days of 2027. The setback adds to Roma's injury problems, following those of Svilar, Koné and Dybala. Roma continue preparations for their Serie A clash with Napoli on Saturday at 6pm at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Training took place at Trigoria, and there is positive news from Bryan Cristante, who has returned to regular group work despite visible strapping around his knee. The captain will be available to Gasperini for the match against the Partenopei and could even start from the first minute. Fans of both Napoli and Roma will be able to watch Saturday's match, valid for the eighth round of Serie A, free of charge on DAZN, including non-subscribers. Under the TV rights tender, five matches this season are being broadcast in free mode, and the Maradona fixture is among them. Supporters of both clubs need only log in following the instructions provided by DAZN to access the live stream. With the winter transfer window approaching, Roma have already begun identifying possible reinforcements for Gasperini. According to the English outlet Sport Witness, on Tuesday evening, while Roma beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0 at the Olimpico, several Roma scouts were at the Porto against PSV match. The fixture, won 1-0 by the Dutch side, also drew the attention of several Premier League clubs. Under observation are left-winger Esmir Bajraktarević, born 2005, and midfielder Sven Mijnans, born 2000, who had already been followed in the summer. On Rome radio, the Roma-Napoli fixture has been widely discussed. Luigi Ferrajolo told Radio Radio: "The absences of Koné and Dybala are heavy: Koné is the engine of the midfield and Dybala the inspiration. If Cristante can play, he can push Pisilli a bit further forward. Or Mora plays, hoping he wakes up a bit and makes a greater contribution." Alessandro Vocalelli added: "Roma have already passed some tests: not every match can be an exam. It is a stage in a journey in which the team must perform well, because it can help distance a direct Champions League rival. Physically he seems to be better, but Napoli have resources that make the match anything but simple."

Former Roma midfielder Angelo Di Livio, speaking to Retesport, said he likes the idea of playing Wesley further forward against Napoli, with Molina dropping deeper on the same flank. Di Livio believes Gasperini will be missing two important players, including Dybala, and he questioned Lorenzo Pellegrini's latest injury, asking what fault the player had for having to stop again. Di Livio said Cristante is not well and does not think he can start. He expects Gasperini to have prepared alternative plans in midfield to cover the absences. The attacking absences of Pellegrini and Dybala in the final third are what make the idea of Wesley further up the pitch appealing to him. Di Livio expects Evan Lulli...