Gasperini targets attacking upgrades as Roma eye Greenwood and Summerville

Atalanta sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli confirmed that Marten de Roon requested a move to Roma during the transfer window that has just closed. Speaking at a press conference to present Frank Kessié, Giuntoli said: "When a player asks to leave, you have to listen to him. He asked us to go to Roma and we threw ourselves at Kessié." De Roon joined Roma's squad this summer after spending the previous season with Atalanta. Giuntoli explained Atalanta's approach to the midfielder's departure: "We're sorry, but we have to turn the page and move forward. Kessié is a player with personality who can help us in this new Atalanta." The signing of Kessié was presented as the club's solution to replacing the departing midfielder.

Zeki Çelik's departure this summer has proven beneficial for Roma, with the Turkish defender struggling at his new club while the Giallorossi have found capable alternatives. Çelik, who had agreed a renewal with Roma before changing his mind to join another side, has posted uninspiring numbers in his opening matches. Against Milan yesterday he recorded zero successful crosses, matching the same figure across his previous two outings against Parma and Frosinone. Social media criticism has already mounted, with fans questioning the absence of a 'Çelik cam'—a reference to a video DAZN produced weeks earlier following his first friendly appearance. His exit has cleared the path for Emanuele Lulli, who has become integral to Gasperini's setup. Initially withdrawn from the transfer market, Lulli started in all three of Roma's opening matches and has impressed the coaching staff considerably. Equally significant is the emergence of Nahuel Molina, the Argentine fullback who is continuing to build his fitness following Argentina's run to the World Cup final. Against Atalanta, Molina made a decisive 36-minute appearance, creating multiple dangerous situations and setting up a header from Santiago Castro that struck the crossbar. He recorded 100 per cent of tackles won and 90 per cent pass accuracy. Roma's first Champions League fixture arrives Thursday against Feyenoord, with Molina and Lulli in direct competition for the fullback berth. Molina's experience in high-pressure stadiums should serve him well as Roma prepare for what the article describes as an extremely hostile environment.

Roma are prioritising the January transfer window over free-agent signings to strengthen their squad, with left-back Jayden Oosterwolde and forward Endrick among their targets. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma had agreed a €17 million deal with Oosterwolde but pulled out after medicals revealed his injury was more severe than initially expected. However, if he recovers in the coming months, both parties are expected to resume negotiations. Roma are also pursuing attacking reinforcements alongside Oosterwolde, with Endrick and Luiz Henrique identified as priorities. Per Corriere dello Sport, the Real Madrid forward has reportedly told Wesley and Brazilian teammates that a move to Rome could materialise in January. Roma and AC Milan both attempted to persuade Real Madrid to loan out Endrick, but José Mourinho refused to release him. The situation could change if Endrick fails to secure regular playing time or underperforms, potentially opening the door in coming months. Milan subsequently signed Omari Hutchison after missing out on their own targets. Roma's continued focus on Oosterwolde despite their withdrawal suggests eventual acquisition remains likely. The club has free-agent left-back options available but shows no interest in pursuing them, indicating they are not desperate for defensive reinforcements. With Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala performing well in attacking roles, Roma appear reluctant to add another left-footed forward at this stage.

Roma's radio stations have given their verdicts on Saturday's victory over Atalanta, with commentators split between praising the performance and assessing the squad's depth ahead of the Champions League debut on Thursday. Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà said: "For now Roma are on full points alongside Inter, and these are certainly positive responses. From now until December it will all be a question of injuries: if Roma are not hit by injuries, their squad is sufficient. In any case, Pisilli and Rensch remained on the bench on Saturday, then Pellegrini will return. Without excessive problems, then, the squad is sufficient; in January you can possibly fine-tune something at a quantitative level. In any case, you have 21 players, and good ones too: if you put them on the pitch you don't have a collapse in quality." Torri added that when a team functions well, a player rated 6 can look like an 8. Francesco Balzani highlighted Balerdi's impact as a substitute, calling it "decisive" and praising the victory as "a win in the Mourinho style with Gasperini's football." Antonio Felici stressed that the win over Atalanta showed Roma can succeed even when facing difficulty in the 90 minutes, representing "the victory of self-awareness." Simone Valdarchi echoed the praise for Gasperini's tactical substitutions, saying Balerdi in particular "changed the inertia of the match" and allowed Roma to escape the difficulties created by Krstović and return to dominating play. Nando Orsi noted Roma have scored 10 goals so far and represent "a complete team where everyone can score," calling them underperformers on 9 points in the league table. Lorenzo Pes said Gasperini's next step is convincing Dybala he can score again, noting the striker will want to feature in Thursday's Champions League debut.

Roma's remarkable late comeback against Atalanta has impressed pundit Lele Adani, who analysed the performance on La Domenica Sportiva. Mario Hermoso equalised in the 89th minute before Roma scored again within three minutes, with Adani highlighting the intensity of the attack: Matías Soulé, Paulo Dybala and Santiago Castro all shot during that spell, firing once every 40 seconds in September heat at the Stadio Olimpico with the thermometer at 35 degrees. Adani drew parallels to Gasperini's Atalanta sides, describing Roma's display as an act of faith rather than conventional football. He was struck by Roma's persistence in creating chances even when the match appeared lost and the crowd's overwhelming support. The club completed 39 shots across the entire fixture, which Adani called epic football shaped by the team's determination to attack in the final minutes.

Roma claimed a dramatic late victory against Atalanta on Saturday, with goals from Mario Hermoso and Matías Soulé securing the win in the final moments despite playing in 35-degree heat at the third matchday of the season. Lele Adani praised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's influence on the performance during La domenica sportiva, drawing comparisons to the Atalanta teams Gasperini previously managed. Adani highlighted Roma's attacking intensity in the decisive phase. "The Roma drew level in the 89th minute with Hermoso, then scored three minutes later," Adani said. "In those minutes they shot four times, so once every 40 seconds. They shot from Soulé, Dybala, Castro, and then Matías scored. Atalanta's Gasperini used to do this because his matches are acts of faith—it wasn't a football match but a piece of history, and then the Olimpico drowns you out. Roma had 39 shots; it was an epic match."

Roma's radio stations have given their verdicts on Saturday's victory over Atalanta, with commentators split between praising the performance and assessing the squad's depth ahead of the Champions League debut on Thursday. Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà said: "For now Roma are on full points alongside Inter, and these are certainly positive responses. From now until December it will all be a question of injuries: if Roma are not hit by injuries, their squad is sufficient. In any case, Pisilli and Rensch remained on the bench on Saturday, then Pellegrini will return. Without excessive problems, then, the squad is sufficient; in January you can possibly fine-tune something at a quantitative level. In any case, you have 21 players, and good ones too: if you put them on the pitch you don't have a collapse in quality." Torri added that when a team functions well, a player rated 6 can look like an 8. Francesco Balzani highlighted Balerdi's impact as a substitute, calling it "decisive" and praising the victory as "a win in the Mourinho style with Gasperini's football." Antonio Felici stressed that the win over Atalanta showed Roma can succeed even when facing difficulty in the 90 minutes, representing "the victory of self-awareness." Simone Valdarchi echoed the praise for Gasperini's tactical substitutions, saying Balerdi in particular "changed the inertia of the match" and allowed Roma to escape the difficulties created by Krstović and return to dominating play. Nando Orsi noted Roma have scored 10 goals so far and represent "a complete team where everyone can score," calling them underperformers on 9 points in the league table. Lorenzo Pes said Gasperini's next step is convincing Dybala he can score again, noting the striker will want to feature in Thursday's Champions League debut.

Fabio Capello has praised Roma's form under Gian Piero Gasperini, comparing the current squad's winning mentality to the 2001 Serie A champions. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, the former Roma manager said he sees Roma as Inter's main challengers this season. Capello highlighted the team's one-on-one pressing across the pitch and their ability to create chances through quality passing in the final third. "The Roma has continued on the same path as last season and is maintaining the same attitude with an important playing base and quality: moreover it has fielded a new player, Mora, who has already integrated perfectly into the team's mechanics. I had said it even twenty days ago: the anti-Inter in effect is Roma," Capello said. Capello credited Gasperini with instilling a sacrifice mentality in the players and building the squad alongside sporting director Massara. He praised the depth of Gasperini's squad, noting that the manager wanted two starting-quality players per position—a strategy that showed its value in Saturday's match at the Olimpico through second-half substitutions. The former coach was particularly impressed by the attitude of substitute players coming off the bench, saying they all display the same winning desire without any sense of grievance about being brought on mid-match. Capello highlighted several attacking options available to Gasperini: "Malen-Castro, Dybala-Soulé, Mora and then midfielder Pellegrini: they are options for the league but also for the Champions League. They are quality players who integrate well; Gasp's continuous rotations will also help them give their best. They all play with great determination." He singled out Wesley as the engine on the flank, noting he dominates in Serie A but is now facing a test of strength and maturity in European competition. On Paulo Dybala and Mora, Capello said: "You cannot give up Dybala when he is playing well. And Mora is showing he has class and also concrete finishing. But I also want to emphasise the importance of Soulé: playing even 20 minutes in the second half, he is someone who can make the difference as he did against Atalanta." Capello drew explicit parallels with his own Roma title-winning side: "Many similarities. My first year at Roma we understood we were strong, then we completed the squad with Batistuta." On whether a northern coach's temperament suits Rome's volatile environment, he reflected: "I am always convinced that you need the players to win. But at Rome it is true that you easily move from exaltation to depression: equilibrium is always necessary, a bit of cold blood—perhaps someone recognises these characteristics in me and in Gasp." Regarding the January transfer window, Capello said Roma should only sign if the right profile emerges: "Taking for the sake of taking, no. If anything, we would need to sign a player who can make an impact."

Roma's momentum under Gasperini reached new heights on Saturday when the team overturned Atalanta in a display that has sparked genuine championship-contending optimism at the club. The performance was built on extraordinary attacking output: an expected goals figure of 3.24, 39 total shots on Carnesecchi's goal, 67% possession and just two shots on target conceded. Over three league matches, Roma have now scored 10 goals and conceded only 1—figures that place them among Europe's most dominant teams this season, with only Barcelona ahead in Europe on 12 goals. Gasperini's tactical setup and substitutions proved decisive: Castro, Balerdi, Molina and particularly Soulé made decisive impacts from the bench in a display built around Paulo Dybala and an Argentine contingent. The club's defensive solidity matches its attacking prowess, reflecting a squad with genuine depth across two balanced elevens despite missing a left-winger signing that Gasperini hopes to address in January. By Friday, Roma had returned to training with Lorenzo Pellegrini available ahead of Thursday's fixture against Fenerbahçe in European competition. However, Saturday's celebrations were marred by a serious incident at Stadio Olimpico. Sporting director D'Amico was verbally assaulted by Luca Percassi as he left the stadium; Percassi pursued the Roma executive to the car park before security intervened. Roma issued a strong statement in response to the episode.

Santiago Castro entered Roma's match against Atalanta at the 62nd minute as an unlikely substitute, replacing the league's in-form forward Donyell Malen, yet the move proved to be the turning point in a game the hosts trailed. In his brief appearance, Castro struck the post and crossbar while providing two key passes, underscoring the quality of Roma's bench and prompting head coach Gian Piero Gasperini to praise his aggression. The Argentine's introduction illustrated the gulf between Roma's attacking depth now and the crisis that plagued them throughout the previous season. Last season Gasperini struggled with inadequate backup at centre-forward. Artem Dovbyk managed only 386 minutes in the league, while Evan Ferguson accumulated 776; injuries to both forced the coach into makeshift solutions, sometimes fielding a lone striker. Malen's January arrival from Dortmund transformed the dynamic, yet even then Gasperini was stretched thin managing the Dutchman's workload in a frenetic system that demands fresh energy. Castro's arrival this summer completes the picture. The forward combines goal-scoring instinct, the ability to run channels, ball retention and defensive work rate—qualities already evident in his early outings in red and gold. Gasperini's post-match verdict captured the shift: "The changes were good and that's what we were looking for—to complete this squad with substitutes who could give important help across matches. In finishing and in the forward area we were good, but we lacked intensity. We were sometimes too neat, aside from Castro's post and crossbar." Against Atalanta, Castro fired four shots—two on target and two off the woodwork—laying down a marker as a genuine alternative to Malen. Soulé scored, Molina offered fresh options on the flank and Balerdi commanded the defence like a squad veteran. Gasperini acknowledged the possibility of using both attackers together: "Castro and Malen together? It's an idea for the future. They can coexist, definitely. They can play together. We'll see; we're doing evaluations now. We'll have many matches so there will be chances for everyone and also to vary these systems." The contrast with previous seasons is stark. Roma's manager can now turn to a bench and find genuine competition for the starting eleven rather than, as José Mourinho once lamented, mere children. The scale of available rotation across the squad—particularly in attack and defence—represents a luxury rarely seen at Trigoria in recent years.

Donyell Malen has become the focal point of Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma, transforming the club's attack after arriving in January and dragging them to Champions League qualification. Gasperini repositioned the Dutch forward to operate between the back three and the fullback line, unlocking a decisive edge that had been missing when Roma pursued an attacker capable of running in behind during the previous summer transfer window. Since his debut against Torino, Malen has contributed 14 goals and 2 assists in Serie A, plus one Europa League goal against Bologna—15 goals in 22 matches as Roma scored 40 total (36 in the league, 4 in Europe). He accounts for 40 per cent of the club's seasonal tally. Seven of his 15 goals proved decisive, most crucially a penalty against Parma at the 100th minute. Without Malen, Roma would have accumulated 12 fewer points. Before his arrival, Roma struggled badly. In their opening 27 matches under Gasperini, they netted only 36 goals—23 in Serie A, 11 in Europa League, 2 in Coppa Italia—averaging 1.33 per game. The first summer window had brought no genuinely incisive attacking reinforcement. Malen's January arrival transformed that dynamic nearly immediately. From his debut onwards, Roma's goal-per-match average nearly doubled to 2.11. This season, Malen has added 5 goals in 3 matches, accounting for 50 per cent of Roma's 10 goals so far. He has now scored 19 times in 21 appearances for the club. The article notes that after last season's performance, some observers worried he would not sustain such output; the early 2026-27 figures have silenced those doubts.

Roma's 2–1 comeback win over Atalanta on Saturday drew widespread praise from Rome's radio commentators, who highlighted the performance as evidence of a well-rounded squad capable of competing for the Serie A title. Gianluca Piacentini (Rete Sport) called it an act of justice, saying: "I don't recall a first half so fine in recent years. Roma dominated completely, Atalanta scored on their first shot on goal, and justice was done." Fabio Petruzzi credited the introduction of Leonardo Balerdi as the turning point, noting his pace filled a gap the defence had lacked. David Rossi singled out Santiago Castro's second-half impact after Donyell Malen's poor display, with Gian Piero Gasperini removing Malen because he "was going to smash into opponents rather than pass." Mario Corsi highlighted Matías Soulé's growth, recording two goals and an assist in the last two matches, and observed: "Roma is overwhelming, one cannot deny it. It's a Roma that promises very well indeed." Daniele Lo Monaco (Radio Radio) pointed to Roma's dominance through statistics: in the Atalanta match, Roma produced roughly twice as many shots on goal as the combined total from the previous two fixtures against Fiorentina and Lecce. He noted Maurizio Sarri's post-match assessment—"Roma is an impressive squad"—as particularly significant, and said: "The value Roma has reached is truly very high, and this pleases and reassures me. Inter remains superior, and Como has the same chances of winning the Serie A title as Inter and Roma." Paolo Cosenza emphasised the depth available, claiming Gasperini has assembled a squad of 16 regular starters, with statistics showing over 35 shots on goal despite facing "not the woodcutters but a proper side like Atalanta." Piero Torri added that if Roma avoids injuries, the squad of 21 players can sustain the challenge through January, citing positive performances from Leonardo Balerdi, Santiago Castro, Nahuel Molina and Daniele Ghilardi. Roberto Pruzzo expressed reservations about Rodrigo Mora, saying: "I have doubts about Mora; he played one half, touched 10 balls, was decent on some but if he doesn't grow in level I need another player. In January we have to try to do something." Nando Orsi called Roma "a complete squad," where goals come from multiple sources: "When Malen doesn't score, others do. So it means it's a total squad, where everyone can score, then there are the more important players who resolve it." Ilario Di Giovambattista emphasised the stadium's role, stating: "It was the victory of the public. When Hermoso makes it 1–1, Roma continues because it is literally carried along by a wonderful public. Roma's fans are incredible, this must be said." He noted Paulo Dybala recorded four assists in three matches. Lorenzo Pes flagged Champions League action ahead, saying: "Thursday there is the Champions debut, and I think Dybala will want to be on the pitch." Roma faces the opening fixture of the UEFA Champions League on Thursday (9 September). The radio panel broadly agreed that sustained belief and injury avoidance are prerequisites for maintaining the early-season momentum, though Pruzzo signalled January could bring squad reinforcement depending on Mora's progress.