Gasperini reshapes attack with Nusa as primary target

Mario Hermoso is close to signing a contract extension at Roma, with negotiations underway and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini pushing to finalise the agreement. According to La Repubblica, as reported by TeleRadioStereo, the deal would add two more years with an option. The centre-back's current contract expires at the end of the season. Hermoso has enjoyed a strong run in Rome, scoring 8 goals in 49 appearances for the club, three of them in the current campaign. Gasperini was influential in keeping him at the club in the first place. Hermoso joined as a free agent in 2024 after his time at Atlético Madrid, but he struggled to win regular minutes in his first few months. He was loaned to Bayer Leverkusen in January, and a shoulder injury prevented the German side from buying him outright, so he returned to Roma. Hermoso was reportedly on the chopping block in the summer of 2025, until Gasperini took a liking to him. The coach made him a linchpin of the side, as his skill set and dynamism suited his style well. The Real Madrid product also spent time at Espanyol earlier in his career and has five caps for Spain, although he has not been called up since 2019. Gasperini likes good ball handlers and sound athletes in every position, and especially in the 'braccetti' role. Hermoso's goalscoring is a bonus that has served the team well, as they can bring almost the whole side into the final third when they are firing. The extension is seen as a no-brainer, as the financial sums are not expected to be a problem.

Porto's finance director, José Pedro Pereira da Costa, has clarified the economics of Rodrigo Mora's move to Roma, which was one of the club's biggest investments in the latest summer transfer window. Speaking to the Portuguese outlet ECO, he said Porto's sale of Mora is an overall operation worth €50 million, even though the initial transfer was structured at a lower figure. Pereira da Costa set out the wider summer picture. "Overall, in summer 2026/27 we invested 37 million euros, compared with around 110 million the previous summer. And we made sales worth 78 million euros, including Rodrigo Mora for 50 million." He explained the structure of the deal, which he said was set at €25 million for 50%. Porto, however, holds an option that depends exclusively on its own decision, which is why the club views the transaction as a €50 million operation. For Roma, the detail matters because Mora is part of the current squad and his transfer terms are now being spelled out publicly. The explanation shows that the figure initially reported was only part of the financial picture, with the option giving Porto a further route to the full valuation. In his own words: "It was 25 million euros for 50%, but we have an option that depends exclusively on our will. For us it is a 50 million euro operation." The comments offer a rare insight into how Porto have accounted for the deal across the summer, with the €37 million invested and €78 million in sales giving a clear view of the club's transfer balance.

Porto's finance director has revealed that the club values the sale of Rodrigo Mora at €50 million, citing a clause in last summer's agreement that allows the Portuguese side to demand a further €25 million from Roma. Roma bought Mora outright for €25 million plus €2 million in bonuses, but Porto kept the right to 50% of any future resale. José Pedro Pereira da Costa, Porto's financial director, spoke to the Portuguese economic daily ECO. Roma can remove that 50% share by paying another €25 million. The agreement also gives Porto an option: once the agreed terms have matured, the Portuguese club can decide to sell the economic stake it still holds, obliging Roma to buy it. In practical terms, Porto could collect €50 million in total, plus any bonuses. Mora is not still a co-owned player. He belongs entirely to Roma on the pitch, while Porto retains an economic percentage of his future sale, and it is that percentage that the options in the agreement govern. Pereira da Costa said: "We have made sales worth 78 million euros, considering Rodrigo Mora as a 50 million operation." The figure includes the part of the agreement the Portuguese club has not yet collected. On the terms of the transfer he added: "It was 25 million for 50%, but we have an option that depends exclusively on our will. For us it is a 50 million operation." He also stressed the financial side of the deal: "I am not a sporting director, for me it is a financial sale." Porto invested a total of 37 million in the last summer window, compared with around 110 million the year before, while still keeping the most used players from last season. For Roma, the cost of Mora could become considerably higher than the initial €25 million. How much depends on how the options in the agreement are handled, but Porto has structured the deal to retain strong bargaining power even after the player's sale.

Fidelis Castro's goal and assist, earned in two starts at home to Genoa and Cagliari, have revived debate over the striker's place in the Roma squad and the money spent on him. The Argentine, fresh from a call-up to the national team, has once again drawn criticism from those who question whether Roma needed him at all, and whether he is worth the reported €35 million outlay. Some critics said last summer that Roma should have targeted Robinio Vaz instead, and that the money spent on Castro was wasted. The article notes that Vaz, who is described as a well-paid bit-part player at Hull City, would have been a better investment, and suggests that Dovbyk, who after just three months had worn out much of Bologna's patience, could have been kept. Against this, the writer argues that Castro has the hardest job among Roma's forwards. He plays almost exclusively in place of Malen, and when he comes on, the team is often more tired and less composed than when Malen is leading the line, leaving Castro to chase the ball alone and run down opponents mounting comebacks. Castro made his first start against Genoa, where he scored the first goal, decisive for the win, with a moment of magic. In his second start, against Cagliari, he struggled, as did the whole side, which came from behind to win and only really hit form in the closing stages. The writer contends that this was enough to revive the criticism seen over the summer, when the transfer market was labelled a disaster partly because the backup striker had cost so much. The article argues that it is too complicated for critics to consider that Malen is a cannibal who leaves his backup only a few minutes, and only when he has no energy left. The writer draws a comparison with the 1985-86 season, when Eriksson's Roma came close to the Scudetto. Pruzzo was the prolific starter, with Bruno Conti and Boniek alongside him, while Graziani and the young Tovalieri provided cover. Tovalieri was a key figure in the Coppa Italia that season and scored three goals in 22 appearances in the league, the writer notes, because Pruzzo left few scraps. The point is that Roma have an outstanding striker and a very good deputy, and that critics should be grateful rather than anxious. The article adds that last season, Ferguson and Dovbyk were the forwards, and that in January, before Malen arrived, Roma had brought in Vaz and tried to sign Füllkrug.

Several Roma-focused radio pundits discussed the club's January transfer options, the Endrick situation and the form of Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in the latest edition of the On Air roundup from Rome's radio stations. Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport suggested that Endrick would not join Roma permanently, because he hopes to establish himself at Real Madrid, but that a loan of 18 months could be a good solution. He said Roma could then invest in Kvernadze, who is already performing well in Italy and costs relatively little, as he has a 4 million euro release clause. Piacentini said Frosinone would like to renew his contract, but if he already has an agreement with another club he will not renew. "If it were Roma, you turn up with 10-12 million in January and you take both of them," Piacentini said. He added: "On Pellegrini, and perhaps also on Dybala, you cannot rely, and that is why you need two." Daniele Lo Monaco of Radio Romanista said Endrick could arrive on loan, and that Roma could keep control of the player unless that control were well paid for and taken back by Real Madrid, as happened with Nico Paz. He gave an example in which Roma would take him on loan and buy him at 60 million if they valued him, with Real Madrid having to pay 80 million to take him back. Asked whether such a deal was feasible, Lo Monaco said: "At this moment there is nothing." He stated that Endrick's agents know Roma's intentions perfectly well, that there were contacts before the Roma-Real match, and that the giallorossi had reiterated their interest. He said he understood the player would not go to Milan. "If he leaves Real, I can give a percentage: 60-70% that he ends up at Roma," Lo Monaco said. Sandro Sabatini of Radio Radio named Malen, Cristante and, as a surprise, Dybala as the three most important players at Roma, saying Dybala had been phenomenal in the matches he played even though he is currently injured. He said he had thought Soulé was not on Dybala's level, but that Soulé had taken advantage of Dybala's absence and grown enormously. "The club tried to sell him all summer without succeeding, first because Soulé and Dybala cannot play together," Sabatini said. He added: "When Dybala is there, Soulé suffers a psychological inferiority. Soulé plays very well when Dybala is unavailable." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio named Hermoso, Soulé and Malen as the three most important players so far, and said Marten de Roon had been a fundamental signing, while noting that Rodrigo Mora is showing he deserves a starting place in certain matches. He said he did not know whether the club had a trick up its sleeve to sign a striker who could start. "With these players you can go all the way, but avoiding injuries will be decisive," Pruzzo said. Ilario Di Giovambattista of Radio Radio said that with Malen Roma had made one of the best deals of the last 30 years, having paid 25 million, a figure that now looks ridiculous. He said Malen had become the most decisive striker, more so than Lautaro, and that Roma had made an extraordinary signing. David Rossi of Rete Sport and Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo discussed the club's situation off the pitch. Pes said Gasperini had had no contact with the Friedkins in recent months, but that Galantic had been named CEO for precisely this purpose. He said Roma would face the consequences of the UEFA ruling and the settlement agreement, and that by the end of November the club would know what it faced, which would shape the January market. Alessio Nardo of Tele Radio Stereo said it was not known how much the Friedkins would allow the club to invest and that January was usually a month for loans. He added that the January market must be attacked with clear ideas about what the squad needs to challenge Inter, "until the last matchday of the league."

Roma's radio pundits have focused on the club's transfer plans, the expected UEFA fine and the Dybala-Soulé pairing. Francesco Balzani of Teleradiostereo said Endrick is the club's main target, ahead of Gittens and others. "Right now all the attention is on Endrick, who is the player who most convinces Gasperini. Roma are trying again and will try again. I hope they succeed, because Endrick inserted into this squad can be the extra turbo to reach the Scudetto." Balzani also addressed the UEFA case. He said UEFA sources had indicated a decision was expected by November, and that Roma would learn the outcome unofficially at the end of the hearing. "I think they have more or less understood what the amount will be. They will probably know a strong fine is coming, between 10 and 15 million." Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo said Gasperini has had no contact with the Friedkins in recent months, but that Galantic was named CEO precisely for that purpose. He said D'Amico has not been idle and that there is likely a list or an investment plan, but that operational detail is still missing. The UEFA ruling, he added, adds an asterisk: Roma will have to deal with the settlement agreement. "By the end of November Roma will know what they are going to face, and this will shift the focus to the January market." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio Mattino said: "De Roon has been a fundamental acquisition in midfield. I can't say whether Roma have an ace up their sleeve for a signing who could become a starter at certain moments. If they don't, they will try to go all the way with this squad." He added: "At some point in the season the injury situation will be decisive, especially if Roma are still in the hunt in the Champions League." Sandro Sabatini, also of Radio Radio Mattino, was critical of the forward pairing. "In my view Dybala and Soulé cannot play together. The impression is that they need two balls. When Dybala is available, Soulé still seems psychologically subservient. Roma tried to sell him all summer without succeeding, first because Soulé and Dybala cannot play together." Balzani also handed out his awards for the first part of the season. He chose Hermoso as the player of the season so far, describing him as fundamental to Gasperini, and named Soulé and Malen as the other two candidates. Cristante won his award as best supporting player. Balzani said Mora could become a star in Serie A, but said he expects more from Castro.

Former Roma defender Kostas Manolas has spoken at length to Betardes about his time in the Italian capital, reflecting on Francesco Totti, Luciano Spalletti, the 2017/18 Champions League campaign and his move to Napoli. Manolas said Totti was the best person he has met in football: "È la persona migliore, la più umile. Non posso dire una sola parola negativa su di lui. Prima di essere un calciatore è un uomo. Mi accolse come fossi suo figlio. Per questo siamo sempre stati molto vicini. Ancora oggi ci sentiamo al telefono. Sapeva cosa fare con il pallone un'ora prima che gli arrivasse. C'era una differenza enorme tra lui e tutti noi, tecnicamente e mentalmente. Totti mi aiutò. Se non fosse stato per lui, non avrei rinnovato. Mi convinse. Era come un fratello per me e non potevo dirgli di no. Totti dovrebbe essere dentro la Roma. Non è possibile che sia fuori. Se fossi il presidente, lo terrei a vita, nel ruolo che desidera." Manolas also addressed Totti's retirement, which he said was not the player's own decision: "Piangevo anch'io. Non potevi fare altrimenti. L'avevo vissuto negli ultimi giorni e vedevo come stava affrontando la situazione. Non voleva smettere. È stata la società a farlo smettere. La società, l'allenatore, Spalletti… Totti voleva continuare a giocare. Secondo me aveva ancora qualcosa da dare. Magari non era più nella migliore condizione fisica, ma anche negli ultimi tempi entrava e segnava. In quei 15, 20 o 30 minuti riusciva sempre a fare qualcosa, un assist oppure un gol." On Spalletti, Manolas separated the coach's qualities from his manner with players: "È un allenatore molto, molto, molto bravo. Come persona però è difficile. Per me non si comporta correttamente con i calciatori. Ma come allenatore è uno dei migliori che abbia mai avuto, se non il migliore. Io dico la verità. Solo perché non si comportava bene con me, non posso dire che fosse un cattivo allenatore. Era un grandissimo allenatore. Se dicessi il contrario sarei un bugiardo." The defender recalled the dressing-room mood before the second leg against Barcelona in the 2017/18 quarter-finals, when Roma trailed 4-1 from the first leg. Manolas said that De Rossi, Kolarov, Džeko, Pellegrini and others at a table were convinced they would win 3-0: "Siete pazzi da legare! Ma come facciamo a vincere 3-0? Pensate davvero che non prenderemo neanche un gol da questi? Quello che dite non esiste. Sono tutte stupidaggini. Oggi ne prenderemo altri tre o quattro e ce ne andremo a casa." He then described the decisive goal, scored from a corner taken by Cengiz Under: "Io al primo palo andavo molto raramente. Ma avevo visto Under in allenamento e sapevo che spesso calciava forte senza riuscire a superare il primo uomo. Così sono andato sul primo palo. Ho colpito di testa, la palla ha fatto quello che doveva fare ed è entrata. Non so neanch'io come spiegartelo." Roma's run ended in the semi-finals against Liverpool, and Manolas still has regrets about his own performance in the first leg: "Andiamo a Liverpool e faccio il peggior sogno che potessi fare nella mia vita. Sogno che mi cade un dente. Io credo a queste cose. Quando ho fatto quel sogno, ho capito che sarebbe stata una giornata molto difficile. Uno o due dei loro gol erano in fuorigioco, ma noi siamo stati molto scarsi. E anch'io sono stato molto scarso. Posso dirti che quella è stata una delle mie peggiori partite in Champions League. Sono stato davvero pessimo." In the return leg at the Olimpico, he disputed several refereeing decisions: "Avremmo dovuto vincere. El Shaarawy tira e Alexander-Arnold respinge il pallone con la mano, prima che entri in porta. È rigore ed espulsione. Avremmo potuto fare il 3-2 al 55' e avremmo ribaltato la partita. Poi c'è un altro episodio: un rigore che non ci viene dato per un fuorigioco che non esiste. Non c'è nessun fuorigioco. Se ci fosse stato il VAR, saremmo andati in finale. Avevamo rimontato contro il Barcellona e avremmo rimontato anche contro il Liverpool." Manolas also described a transfer to Zenit that collapsed over the contract currency. He said the figures were to be written in roubles, which he rejected: "Arrivo all'incontro e mi dicono che le cifre del contratto sarebbero state scritte in rubli. Mi spiegano che il rublo può salire o scendere anche del 20%. Io gli dico che voglio gli importi in euro. Mi rispondono che non è possibile, che sono l'unico giocatore a volerlo. Gli dico che, se esco da quella riunione, non tornerò più indietro, perché sono superstizioso. Mi dicono di andare via. Quando sono a casa mi chiamano e mi dicono che hanno accettato di mettere tutto in euro. Ma io rispondo che ormai è troppo tardi." On his return to Rome, he said he was told he would no longer play: "Quando tornai, mi dissero che non avrei più giocato e che non avrei più fatto niente. Io risposi che non c'era problema, che ci saremmo presi un caffè e alla fine avremmo visto chi avrebbe giocato." He does not regret the decision: "Non tutti i mali vengono per nuocere. È questo che è rimasto nella storia. Avrei potuto guadagnare 10 milioni in un anno, invece sono rimasto alla Roma per meno di un terzo. Ma quello che ho fatto per me vale dieci volte tanto." Finally, Manolas explained his move to Napoli after five seasons in giallorosso: "Non avevo pazienza. Il mio ciclo alla Roma si era chiuso. Cinque anni, e vedevo che la squadra non riusciva a fare quel passo in più per competere davvero. Avevamo provato a vincere il campionato, ma lo avevamo perso contro la Juventus, che allora era fortissima. Era come l'Olympiacos in Grecia, difficilissima da affrontare. Vedevo che in quel momento il Napoli era una squadra che, dal punto di vista calcistico, aveva standard più alti rispetto alla Roma. Non volevo lasciare l'Italia. Negli anni precedenti avevo avuto offerte dalla Juventus, ma quell'anno non ne avevo. Così decisi di andare al Napoli." On the financial side, he said: "La Roma doveva prendere quei soldi. Aveva un problema enorme con il fair play finanziario. Doveva incassarli. Alla fine mi convinsero e andai al Napoli."

Former Roma defender Kostas Manolas has said that VAR would have taken Roma to the final, in a long interview with the Greek portal Betarades. Speaking about his time in the giallorosso, he covered Francesco Totti, Luciano Spalletti, the comeback against Barcelona and the semi-final defeat to Liverpool. Manolas described Totti as the best person he had met in football. “He is the best person, the most humble. I cannot say a single negative word about him. Before being a footballer he is a man. He welcomed me as if I were his son. That is why we have always been very close. Even today we talk on the phone. He knew what to do with the ball an hour before it arrived. There was an enormous difference between him and all of us, technically and mentally.” Manolas said Totti helped persuade him to renew his contract: “If it had not been for him, I would not have renewed. He convinced me. He was like a brother to me, and I could not say no to him.” He added: “Totti should be inside Roma. It is not possible that he is outside. If I were the president, I would keep him for life, in the role he wants.” On Totti's retirement, Manolas said: “I was crying too. You could not do otherwise. I had lived it in the last days and I saw how he was facing the situation. He did not want to stop. It was the club that made him stop. The club, the coach, Spalletti... Totti wanted to keep playing. In my opinion he still had something to give. Maybe he was no longer in his best physical condition, but even in recent times he came on and scored. In those 15, 20 or 30 minutes he always managed to do something, an assist or a goal.” On Spalletti, he was blunt: “He is a very, very, very good coach. As a person, however, he is difficult. In my view he does not treat players correctly. But as a coach he is one of the best I have ever had, if not the best. I tell the truth. Just because he did not behave well with me, I cannot say he was a bad coach. He was a great coach. If I said the opposite I would be a liar.” Manolas also spoke about the collapsed move to Zenit. He said the contract figures had first been drawn up in roubles, and that he insisted on euros because the rouble could move by as much as 20%. He said he was told he was the only player who wanted this, and that the club later agreed to euros, but by then he said it was too late. On his return to Roma, he recalled being told he would no longer play. “I replied that it was not a problem, that we would have a coffee and in the end we would see who would play.” He reflected on the Barcelona match and the goal he scored. “Not all bad things come to harm. That is what has stayed in history. I could have earned 10 million in one year, but I stayed at Roma for less than a third of that. What I did for myself is worth ten times as much.” On why he left, he said: “I had no patience. My cycle at Roma had closed. Five years, and I saw the team could not take that extra step to really compete. We had tried to win the league, but we lost it to Juventus, who were very strong then.” He said Napoli had higher standards at that time, adding: “I did not want to leave Italy... So I decided to go to Napoli.” He also said the club needed the money because of a major financial fair play problem: “Roma had to take that money.” Before the Barcelona game, he recalled a team table where De Rossi, Kolarov, Džeko, Pellegrini and others predicted a 3-0 win. “I looked at them and said: ‘You are crazy! How can we win 3-0? Do you really think we will not even concede a goal to these lot? What you are saying does not exist. It is all nonsense. Today we will take three or four more and go home.’” He described his goal: “I very rarely went to the near post. But I had seen Ünder in training and knew he often shot hard without getting past the first man. So I went to the near post. I headed it, the ball did what it had to do and went in. I do not even know how to explain it.” On the semi-final against Liverpool, Manolas said he had a bad dream before the trip: “I had the worst dream I could have in my life. I dreamed a tooth fell out. I believe in these things. When I had that dream, I understood it would be a very difficult day. One or two of their goals were offside, but we were very poor. I was very poor too. That was one of my worst Champions League games. I was really terrible.” He was most frustrated by the second leg. “We should have won. El Shaarawy shoots and Alexander-Arnold pushes the ball away with his hand before it crosses the line. It is a penalty and a red card. We could have made it 3-2 in the 55th minute and turned the game around. Then there was another incident: a penalty not given for an offside that does not exist. There is no offside. If there had been VAR, we would have reached the final. We had come back against Barcelona and we would have come back against Liverpool too.”

Several Roma-focused radio pundits discussed the club's January transfer options, the Endrick situation and the form of Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in the latest edition of the On Air roundup from Rome's radio stations. Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport suggested that Endrick would not join Roma permanently, because he hopes to establish himself at Real Madrid, but that a loan of 18 months could be a good solution. He said Roma could then invest in Kvernadze, who is already performing well in Italy and costs relatively little, as he has a 4 million euro release clause. Piacentini said Frosinone would like to renew his contract, but if he already has an agreement with another club he will not renew. "If it were Roma, you turn up with 10-12 million in January and you take both of them," Piacentini said. He added: "On Pellegrini, and perhaps also on Dybala, you cannot rely, and that is why you need two." Daniele Lo Monaco of Radio Romanista said Endrick could arrive on loan, and that Roma could keep control of the player unless that control were well paid for and taken back by Real Madrid, as happened with Nico Paz. He gave an example in which Roma would take him on loan and buy him at 60 million if they valued him, with Real Madrid having to pay 80 million to take him back. Asked whether such a deal was feasible, Lo Monaco said: "At this moment there is nothing." He stated that Endrick's agents know Roma's intentions perfectly well, that there were contacts before the Roma-Real match, and that the giallorossi had reiterated their interest. He said he understood the player would not go to Milan. "If he leaves Real, I can give a percentage: 60-70% that he ends up at Roma," Lo Monaco said. Sandro Sabatini of Radio Radio named Malen, Cristante and, as a surprise, Dybala as the three most important players at Roma, saying Dybala had been phenomenal in the matches he played even though he is currently injured. He said he had thought Soulé was not on Dybala's level, but that Soulé had taken advantage of Dybala's absence and grown enormously. "The club tried to sell him all summer without succeeding, first because Soulé and Dybala cannot play together," Sabatini said. He added: "When Dybala is there, Soulé suffers a psychological inferiority. Soulé plays very well when Dybala is unavailable." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio named Hermoso, Soulé and Malen as the three most important players so far, and said Marten de Roon had been a fundamental signing, while noting that Rodrigo Mora is showing he deserves a starting place in certain matches. He said he did not know whether the club had a trick up its sleeve to sign a striker who could start. "With these players you can go all the way, but avoiding injuries will be decisive," Pruzzo said. Ilario Di Giovambattista of Radio Radio said that with Malen Roma had made one of the best deals of the last 30 years, having paid 25 million, a figure that now looks ridiculous. He said Malen had become the most decisive striker, more so than Lautaro, and that Roma had made an extraordinary signing. David Rossi of Rete Sport and Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo discussed the club's situation off the pitch. Pes said Gasperini had had no contact with the Friedkins in recent months, but that Galantic had been named CEO for precisely this purpose. He said Roma would face the consequences of the UEFA ruling and the settlement agreement, and that by the end of November the club would know what it faced, which would shape the January market. Alessio Nardo of Tele Radio Stereo said it was not known how much the Friedkins would allow the club to invest and that January was usually a month for loans. He added that the January market must be attacked with clear ideas about what the squad needs to challenge Inter, "until the last matchday of the league."

Fidelis Castro's goal and assist, earned in two starts at home to Genoa and Cagliari, have revived debate over the striker's place in the Roma squad and the money spent on him. The Argentine, fresh from a call-up to the national team, has once again drawn criticism from those who question whether Roma needed him at all, and whether he is worth the reported €35 million outlay. Some critics said last summer that Roma should have targeted Robinio Vaz instead, and that the money spent on Castro was wasted. The article notes that Vaz, who is described as a well-paid bit-part player at Hull City, would have been a better investment, and suggests that Dovbyk, who after just three months had worn out much of Bologna's patience, could have been kept. Against this, the writer argues that Castro has the hardest job among Roma's forwards. He plays almost exclusively in place of Malen, and when he comes on, the team is often more tired and less composed than when Malen is leading the line, leaving Castro to chase the ball alone and run down opponents mounting comebacks. Castro made his first start against Genoa, where he scored the first goal, decisive for the win, with a moment of magic. In his second start, against Cagliari, he struggled, as did the whole side, which came from behind to win and only really hit form in the closing stages. The writer contends that this was enough to revive the criticism seen over the summer, when the transfer market was labelled a disaster partly because the backup striker had cost so much. The article argues that it is too complicated for critics to consider that Malen is a cannibal who leaves his backup only a few minutes, and only when he has no energy left. The writer draws a comparison with the 1985-86 season, when Eriksson's Roma came close to the Scudetto. Pruzzo was the prolific starter, with Bruno Conti and Boniek alongside him, while Graziani and the young Tovalieri provided cover. Tovalieri was a key figure in the Coppa Italia that season and scored three goals in 22 appearances in the league, the writer notes, because Pruzzo left few scraps. The point is that Roma have an outstanding striker and a very good deputy, and that critics should be grateful rather than anxious. The article adds that last season, Ferguson and Dovbyk were the forwards, and that in January, before Malen arrived, Roma had brought in Vaz and tried to sign Füllkrug.

Roma's focus for the January transfer window has settled on a single target: an attacking winger, ideally left-footed, who is already capable of making a difference at the highest level. The club's primary objective is Real Madrid's Endrick. The Brazilian and Gian Piero Gasperini reportedly admired each other before ever working together, and that admiration grew during the Champions League match between Roma and Real Madrid, when the coach valued the forward's versatility and his physical and technical qualities up close. Endrick was reportedly impressed by Roma's attacking style, which the report suggests would give him more enjoyment than the bench in Madrid. The transfer is constrained by two conditions. Roma can only pursue a deal along the lines of the Malen operation, meaning a loan with an obligation and a right of redemption linked to Champions League qualification, and nothing more. The player must also be of international standard, young but already able to make a difference at high levels, rather than an inexperienced prospect in the mould of Vaz or Venturino. The main obstacle is Real Madrid coach Mourinho, who has said he does not want to sell Endrick. Endrick himself spoke this morning and opened the door to a sale, and his entourage has been pushing for a move away from Spain for some time. Relations between the player and Roma have remained unchanged since the failed summer attempt, and a meeting was held after the Champions League game at the Olimpico to reaffirm their mutual desire to get together in January. The report says Endrick's mood is worsening by the day. Ancelotti has made clear he must play more or risk losing his place in the Brazil squad, which the article describes as a crime for a Brazilian. A loan has therefore returned to the conversation. Endrick could also return to Real Madrid in June, where Vinicius is reportedly running out of months. Roma would not be caught unprepared: a target is already marked for the summer in Kvernadze of Frosinone. The Georgian is much loved by Gasperini and could be available for less in the summer thanks to a reported 4 million euro clause with a high resale percentage. Frosinone currently do not intend to sell him unless they receive crazy offers, but the situation would change in June. The plan, the article says, is clear: Endrick now for the title race, Kvernadze tomorrow. The alternative to the Brazilian could be Gittens, but the fact that the Englishman has never actually played for Chelsea raises legitimate questions. Gasperini had recently expressed a desire to invest in midfield, but that possibility has faded as the days pass. Roma do not want to disrupt a department that has functioned well even during a real emergency, and the club is counting on Pellegrini's return in January. On the left side of defence, Lulli's emergence does not create any urgency, and loan opportunities will be taken if they arise. Oosterwoolde will not arrive, as his physical condition is not convincing, while Balde of Barcelona is of interest.

Rodrigo Mora has earned the trust of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and has also been called up to the Portugal senior squad, according to Daniele Aloisi writing in Il Messaggero. The young Portuguese forward is set to start against Sassuolo, with Malen and Soulé alongside him, as Roma continue to deal with an attacking shortage caused by the absences of Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini, who are still sidelined. Mora's performances have won over the doubters. He scored at Old Trafford, and in his last three appearances he has scored twice and provided an assist, his first goal coming at Lecce in August. He already has three league goals this season despite playing only 333 minutes. Comparisons with Baldanzi and Robinio Vaz have been dismissed. His call-up came in the week Cristiano Ronaldo bids farewell to Portugal, a player Mora idolises. Manu Koné has not been included in Zinedine Zidane's France squad, as the coach preferred not to select a player who has been sidelined for almost a month. Koné is feeling better and will be available to Gasperini today. Marten de Roon has started every match in the recent period and faces competition from Niccolò Pisilli or even Koné, if Koné shows positive signs this morning. Cristante and de Roon are expected to form the midfield pairing again tonight. Wesley plays on the left, while Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli compete for the right-back spot, with Molina slightly ahead. Changes are expected at the back compared with the trip to Manchester: Evan N'Dicka returns after recovering from a minor muscle problem and will partner Leonardo Balerdi, with either Mario Hermoso or Daniele Ghilardi alongside them. Devis Vásquez will continue in goal.