Gasperini pushes for quick deal as Roma eye Summerville; Ouahdi emerges as Çelik successor target

Roma have reached an agreement with Stuttgart over the transfer of winger Jamie Leweling, but the deal now hinges on the German international's response. According to reports from Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto, the two clubs have already settled their terms after several hours of talks. Leweling has asked for time to consider his future and has not yet communicated his decision. Roma are awaiting his answer by this evening or, at the latest, by tomorrow morning. Roma's pursuit of an attacking winger has shifted focus decisively toward Leweling, displacing Luiz Henrique from the club's priority list. The Brazilian, for whom Roma hold agreements with both Zenit and the player himself, has been frozen out as Roma direct their efforts elsewhere. Leweling's negotiation had stalled after Roma's initial proposal—a loan with an obligation to buy—was rejected by Stuttgart in recent days. The Giallorossi have now changed their approach, tabling a permanent transfer offer of €30 million plus €5 million in add-ons, with a contract through 2031 on the table for the player. Leweling, however, retains other options. Premier League clubs including Everton and Liverpool are also tracking him, and a stay at Stuttgart remains a possibility he is considering. The 23-year-old's deliberation comes in the closing hours of the summer transfer window, with Roma pressing for a resolution as they seek to deliver an attacking reinforcement to manager Gian Piero Gasperini. The intensity of negotiations on the Roma–Stuttgart axis has escalated sharply over the past 24 hours, with both clubs attempting to bridge differences on the structure and financial terms of the operation.

Roma have reached an economic agreement with Stuttgart for forward Leweling, worth approximately €35 million, as sporting director D'Amico continues to rebuild Gasperini's squad. The club expects to complete the transfer in the coming hours, though Leweling has requested time to consider the move and give his final approval. A definitive answer is expected by tonight or tomorrow morning.

Roma defeated Lecce 4-0 on 31 August, with Manu Koné starting and playing a key role, hours after Chelsea were reported as potential suitors for the midfielder. Koné has been linked with several English clubs and was seen as a possible replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who could move to Manchester City. At his post-match press conference, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini firmly shut down the speculation. He stated: "Absolutely not, it's a media thing. No one has ever spoken to me about departures, not Koné or anyone else. Especially now, with just 24 hours to go before the transfer window closes." Gasperini also addressed the club's position, saying: "I also know that the owners aren't in favor of any sales. I don't know who has come forward because we've never received any official offers there either, so this too must be denied." Gasperini used the occasion to highlight Roma's current squad depth issues. He explained: "You can't always have Dybala and Malen. Today we only had two players on the bench in attack. We'll have Pellegrini and Rensch back. But you have to remember that there's always someone out. Today we lost Ndicka suddenly." He added: "Anyone who plays in the Champions League, in particular, must have a strong squad with players who don't feel the impact so severely when you lose someone, as happened last year at a certain point in the season. The owners are certainly putting in the effort, within what they can do, in cutting the number of signings they can achieve." With 24 hours remaining in the transfer window, Gasperini's comments reflected both the club's unwillingness to sell and Roma's continued need for reinforcements in attacking areas.

Roma swept aside Lecce 4–0 at the Stadio Via del Mare to record a second successive four-goal victory with no goals conceded. Donyell Malen scored twice in quick succession to break the deadlock, with Matías Soulé adding a third before Rodrigo Mora sealed the win. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini rotated his squad extensively, while the heat at the coastal venue posed no obstacle to Roma's rhythm and precision. The victory extends Roma's flawless start to the season and sends strong signals of intent in Serie A and Europe. Gasperini oversaw a composed, clinical performance from a team operating with high intensity despite the temperature. Daniele Ghilardi stepped in at short notice after Evan N'Dicka's late absence, while Marten de Roon made his Roma debut when introduced late in the match. The manager made several changes as the game progressed, including bringing on Niccolò Pisilli and Nahuel Molina to manage playing time and maintain sharpness across the squad. Malen's display earned an 8.5 rating in the Italian match ratings, with analysts noting his clinical finishing and all-round threat. He scored his opening goal within five minutes and added a fifth after carrying forward his momentum from Roma's previous fixture. Soulé's performance drew praise for his work rate, though the rating noted he could sharpen his finishing inside the box—he scored nonetheless. Dybala took on a creative role rather than dominating the attack, chipping in with defensive cover when needed and generating chances for teammates. Mile Svilar made a decisive save on his rare involvement in the first half, denying Lecce any consolation. Gasperini deployed a measured approach during cooling breaks to keep concentration levels high, managing a rotation policy that allowed most of the squad meaningful action while maintaining Roma's dominance across the 90 minutes.

Rodrigo Mora marked his first goal for Roma with the fourth strike in the club's victory over Lecce. The Portuguese midfielder, born in 2007, finished from close range after Gianluca Mancini collected a cross from Nahuel Molina and laid the ball off, with Mora beating goalkeeper Falcone at the near post. The goal underscores his importance in Gian Piero Gasperini's rotation system and confirms the talent of the young Portuguese player. Roma's dominant performance built on their earlier form: they had scored four goals against Fiorentina at the Olimpico.

Nahuel Molina and Marten De Roon both played their first competitive matches for Roma in the fixture against Lecce at the Via del Mare. Molina, who had watched from the bench during the opening match against Fiorentina due to not being fully fit, came on at the 60-minute mark replacing Wesley on the left flank under Gian Piero Gasperini's direction. De Roon, the former Atalanta midfielder, made his Roma debut at the 84th minute when he replaced Paulo Dybala and took control of the midfield, pushing Bryan Cristante forward.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has identified a striker and a left-back as the remaining pieces needed to complete the squad ahead of tomorrow's away fixture at Lecce. Gasperini said: "To complete the team we need a piece that closes that section. A left-back and a forward have remained. Lulli has filled in somewhat, I have always believed in him, he is giving important responses but we cannot load such large responsibilities on him. Last season we had Angeliño, Tsimikas, Çelik, Wesley and also Rensch." Gasperini has most of his squad available for the trip to Via del Mare, with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Devyne Rensch expected to return to group training next week. Leonardo Balerdi was officially confirmed as a new arrival this morning, joining fellow recent additions Konstantinos Koulierakis, Rodrigo Mora, Santiago Castro and Nahuel Molina among the squad.

Former Roma and Lecce player Gigi Garzya has warned that Roma must be ready for an opponent who gives nothing away when the sides meet on Monday. Speaking ahead of the match, Garzya praised Lecce's performance in their opening away win at Venezia, saying the team of Di Francesco "remained in the game with the right mentality and lucidity that weighed heavily in the final half-hour". He highlighted Olaf Gorter as a player who impressed with both quality and personality, and noted the arrival of Ilić as evidence of Lecce's focus on adding strength in the transfer market. On Roma's prospects under Gian Piero Gasperini in his second season, Garzya acknowledged the squad has been reinforced, though he described Zeki Çelik's departure as a "heavy" loss—while backing Nahuel Molina to compensate with his quality and competitive drive. He was effusive about midfielder Rodrigo Mora, saying: "Technically he has numbers that make him an important prospect; one characteristic struck me more than others: he is the type of player you do not see frequently in the various leagues, because his thinking arrives first, and consequently he then makes the ball travel in an unpredictable way for opponents. When people say he is a bit light physically, they forget that the most important characteristic is playing the ball always with some instant of anticipation for whoever controls it." On the defence, Garzya explained that Konstantinos Koulierakis represents a deliberate and necessary choice rather than mere cover: "This year, with the Champions League, you need at least six established defenders in the department, calculating also that the game starts from the back, there are so many matches and Gasperini's football is very demanding in every role. The choice was targeted; the Roma coach never approves a signing just to make up numbers." Regarding Roma's ambitions, Garzya urged caution: "It is too early to say and ultimately the transfer market may not be finished yet; let's also see what the others do by the close; certainly you must do everything to maintain Champions League qualification, because Roma must play this competition regularly. Then we'll see if appetite comes with eating."

The relationship between head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and sporting director Ricky Massara deteriorated throughout the 2025–26 season, marked by clashing views on transfer strategy, public criticism and mounting friction that became irreparable. Massara, who felt treated as an amateur despite his substantial track record, endured difficult months in silence, though tension grew steadily. The conflict began last summer during negotiations for Sancho and Fabio Silva, then escalated in late August when Massara said "Sancho at the moment remains a suggestion because I don't think there are the conditions or the motivations," while Gasperini later replied: "Sancho never refused Roma." The situation exploded in early September during a heated discussion at Fulvio Bernardini, where Gasperini accused Massara of being too slow in negotiations, dismissing the restrictions imposed by Financial Fair Play and inherited difficulties. Disputes over specific targets fuelled the rift further: Gasperini's veto on Raspadori, his preference for Malen over Zirkzee, and disagreements over Robinio Vaz. The breakdown continued from a distance after Massara moved to Juventus, with the director's pursuit of Zeki Çelik irritating Roma while Gasperini attempted to insert himself into the Juventus deal for Kessié. The definitive rupture came in spring, when Gasperini rejected Kerim Alajbegovic and made his position clear: having secured the departure of Ranieri, he wanted Massara gone as well to remain at Roma.