Gasperini targets fullbacks as Roma plot summer overhaul

Nicolò Tresoldi has attracted widespread interest after scoring a hat-trick against Inter in the most recent UEFA Champions League game, with multiple clubs preparing bids for the January transfer window. Roma attempted to sign the striker last summer with an offer of €35M, but Club Brugge rejected the bid as insufficient. The capital club has since withdrawn from the race after pivoting toward Santiago Castro to provide backup to Donyell Malen. Tresoldi, who represents Germany U-21 and has been tracked by Barcelona, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig, is now valued between €54M and €63M following his recent performances. Club Brugge's position has strengthened considerably after selling Christos Tzolis to Arsenal for €40M, which will allow them to hold out for a premium fee. The article suggests the window for Serie A clubs to acquire Tresoldi has closed: he is now beyond their financial reach, and moves abroad in January or at the end of the season are more likely. Tresoldi has bagged nine goals already this season. While he is reportedly a massive Milan fan, AC Milan have not shown serious interest, having made a splash for Gonçalo Ramos with Francesco Camarda as backup. Tresoldi stated that he remains undecided about which national team to represent, as Italy are attempting to convince him to switch from Germany U-21. He indicated he would face less competition in Jürgen Klopp's side.

José Mourinho has made clear he has no intention of letting Endrick leave Real Madrid, directly warning rival clubs including Roma that they will have to contend with him to sign the Brazilian forward. Endrick was a long-standing Roma target last summer under Gasperini, and came close to joining the club in August before Mourinho intervened and persuaded him to stay at Madrid, where he has since received minimal playing time. At a press conference on 13 October ahead of Roma's match against Real Madrid, Mourinho was asked directly about Endrick's future and responded bluntly: "I club interessati dovranno lottare con me per ingaggiarlo. Lo adoro, ha un potenziale di altissimo livello ed è molto importante per noi. Non ha bisogno di essere ceduto in prestito, farà grandi cose e avrà un grande successo qui. Giocherà presto." Roma continue to monitor the 21-year-old, who impressed during a six-month spell at Lyon in France, where he scored 8 goals in limited appearances. Milan and Aston Villa are also credited with interest. Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico is meanwhile evaluating other concrete options to strengthen the club's attack in January.

Roma have begun planning reinforcements for the January transfer window and have set their sights on Daniel Banjaqui, a 2008-born right-back at Benfica considered one of Europe's most promising young talents in his position. The interest comes as the club looks ahead to both immediate needs and longer-term recruitment options. Banjaqui has already attracted attention from several clubs, including Juventus, according to German transfer outlet Transfersfeed. The move would form part of Roma's broader strategy to strengthen the squad in the coming window, with ambitious signings under consideration beyond their existing targets.

Nahuel Molina has become one of Gasperini's most dangerous players in Roma's opening Serie A fixtures, proving to be a decisive summer acquisition for €13 million. The Argentine has demonstrated his impact through aggressive ball recovery in advanced positions—notably helping create Manu Koné's opening goal—and his consistent threat from distance. After five league matches, Molina ranks among Serie A's best for chances created (2.9 per 90 minutes, behind only Dybala and Wesley in giallorosso), ball recoveries (5.04 per 90), and possessions won in the opponent's third (0.78 per 90), according to Sofascore data. Roma have finally secured a right-sided threat matching Gasperini's tactical demands, addressing a weakness from last season when the club saw only sporadic contributions from a combination of Zeki Çelik and Kostas Tsimikas on that flank. Alongside other key acquisitions—Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala and Leonardo Balerdi—Molina is reshaping the team's profile. Some observers outside Rome had already suggested he represented a downgrade compared to Çelik, but offensive and defensive statistics offer no room for interpretation. Molina's record through early September demonstrates substantial improvement across all phases: key passes, dribbling, expected assists, ball recoveries and possessions won in the advanced third all favour the Argentine over his predecessor.

Roma hold first place in Serie A ahead of Saturday's fixture against Inter. The side has conceded only one goal in the league this season—Ederson's effort in Atalanta's limited attempts—a defensive record matched among Europe's top five leagues only by Arsenal, the Europa League runners-up. In Germany, Freiburg lead with one goal conceded in three matches; in Spain, Real Madrid and Barcelona both have four; in France, four clubs have conceded two. Gasperini has overhauled Roma's defence compared to last season. Out are N'Dicka, Wesley and Koné; in are Balerdi, Molina and Pisilli. Balerdi and Molina have just arrived—Argentine internationals of substance, neither a routine acquisition. Balerdi missed the World Cup through injury; Molina was Copa América runner-up alongside Paulo Dybala after winning the World Cup in Qatar. The contrast with last season is stark. A year ago, Gasperini would have replaced N'Dicka and Wesley with Ziolkowski and Tsimikas, neither of whom remain at the club. Similarly, El Aynaoui would have started in place of Koné, but he too was moved on after just one season.

Roma's evolution under coach Gian Piero Gasperini has taken shape across two decisive fixtures—the Champions League debut against Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Thursday and a four-day-later trip to Turin against Torino—that showcase the impact of the summer transfer market overhaul steered by new sporting director D'Amico. In the first match, Roma's return to Europe's elite competition after a seven-year absence saw Gasperini field performers who had earned third place in Serie A. Against Torino, however, two summer signings started, with three more introduced during play as Roma secured a fourth consecutive league win. Despite missing three key players—Evan N'Dicka, Wesley, and Manu Koné—Roma maintained tactical identity and attacking threat at Turin, underlining how the summer reinforcements have strengthened the squad's reliability compared to the previous season. The shift in personnel tells the story plainly. A year ago, Gasperini would have replaced N'Dicka and Wesley with Kostas Tsimikas and Jan Ziółkowski; neither remains at Trigoria. Manu Koné's role would have gone to Neil El Aynaoui, who has been moved on after one season, as have Tsimikas and Ziółkowski. In their place came Leonardo Balerdi and Nahuel Molina, both Argentine internationals—Balerdi absent from last year's World Cup only through injury, Molina a Qatar winner alongside Paulo Dybala and recently a World Cup runner-up. Niccolò Pisilli, grown into his role at the start of 2026 and a national team player, has inherited Koné's midfield spot. Gasperini paired Balerdi immediately with Marten de Roon, who arrived from Bergamo in the final moments of the window and played more than half the second half against Torino. Lorenzo Pellegrini, called up after five months out, extended Gasperini's roster of captains—the coach has made clear he possesses multiple leaders beyond Bryan Cristante and Gianluca Mancini. Gasperini operates what he calls the "law of sixteen," seeking to deploy the same core of players in every match to guarantee brilliance, intensity and competitive edge. He refuses publicly to divide his squad into starters and substitutes; there is no difference between a player who begins and one who enters in progress. New sporting director D'Amico's tenure has produced a squad numerically smaller than its predecessor, as D'Amico himself acknowledged, yet Gasperini presented it at full strength in Turin. The article notes that one or two adjustments in January may be needed to perfect the squad further.

Roma's loan contingent produced mixed results across European and domestic competitions this week, with midfielder Luigi Cherubini and midfielder Neil El Aynaoui delivering attacking contributions while others awaited their chance. Cherubini, on loan at Benevento with a right of option and obligation to buy, scored in the 93rd minute of Benevento's 2–0 win over Cesena. Introduced from the bench in the 79th minute, the 2004-born winger capitalized on a defensive error by Ilic, rounded the goalkeeper and finished to seal victory. He was booked in the 81st minute and initially had a goal ruled out for offside before his late winner. The performance earned him a rating of 7 from BeneventoNews24 and PianetaSerieB as Benevento secured a third consecutive victory. El Aynaoui, a midfielder on loan at RB Lipsia with a right of rescission, provided the assist for Banzuzi's opening goal after just one minute in a 6–0 Bundesliga demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt. Deployed in the starting lineup by Demichelis, El Aynaoui contributed to a dominant first half that saw Lipsia lead 4–0 at the interval, including a hat-trick from Nkunku. He was booked in the 27th minute and substituted in the 58th when the scoreline already stood at 5–0. Elsewhere, defender Filippo Reale (Carrarese, on loan with option and counter-option) played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 away win over Padova, maintaining a clean sheet. Young defender Mohamed Seck (Foggia, on loan) completed all 90 minutes in a 3–1 home defeat to Potenza and received a rating of 5, criticized for poor positioning during the opposition's counter-attacks. Forward Artem Dovbyk (Bologna, on loan with right of rescission) returned to the squad after a muscular injury to his flexors but remained unused on the bench in Bologna's 2–1 away win at Lecce. Forward Robinio Vaz (Hull City) was named in the squad for a 2–2 Premier League draw against Everton but played no part, remaining on the bench for the full 90 minutes.

Roma's players on loan across Europe experienced a mixed week of midweek and league fixtures. Neil El Aynaoui performed well for RB Leipzig despite a 2–0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, completing 31 of 34 passes and winning 8 of 14 duels while receiving a yellow card in the 74th minute. His statistical rating reached 7.2, among Leipzig's best performances. Anass Salah-Eddine made a convincing debut for Panathinaikos in a Greek Cup tie against Kifisia, playing all 90 minutes on the left flank in a 2–0 victory. FotMob rated him 7.3 for a clean display as Panathinaikos dominated with 71 per cent possession in the first half. By contrast, Angeliño's week at Deportivo La Coruña ended disastrously: he was sent off for a challenge on Miguel Sierra in the 59th minute of a midweek fixture against Sevilla—initially given a yellow card before the VAR review led to a direct red—leaving his side to lose 1–0 already down in the scoreline. Statistical ratings gave him just 5.7, and Deportivo manager Hidalgo noted how the expulsion undermined the team's comeback effort. Angeliño subsequently missed the following 1–1 draw against Betis through suspension. Mohamed Seck at Foggia produced sharply contrasting displays within days. Playing 90 minutes in a goalless midweek draw against Savoia, he was identified as Foggia's best performer, winning nearly every duel against opposing attackers. Coach Auteri retained him for the next match against Inter U23, but this time his form dipped noticeably. Foggia lost 2–1, and a careless passing error by Seck enabled the decisive goal from Fumagalli. Foggiacalciomania rated him 5.5, noting good physical condition but a costly mistake. The week illustrated the growth trajectory of a defender aged just 20, with evident talent and physicality that must be coupled with fewer lapses in concentration. Elsewhere, Federico Nardin at Pescara played the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 midweek draw against Gubbio, earning ratings of 6 and 6.9 for personality and reliability despite some refinements needed, but sat out the subsequent 1–0 win at Vado. Filippo Reale completed 90 minutes for Carrarese in a 1–0 home defeat to Benevento, earning 6 and 6.7 ratings for an orderly display, while Luigi Cherubini entered at the 77th minute for Benevento and struck the post with a close chance in the 83rd. Radoslaw Zelezny, Perugia's goalkeeper, conceded five goals across two matches but received ratings of 6 in both a 3–0 home loss to Spezia and a 2–0 away defeat at Grosseto, with no clear responsibility on most goals. Robinio Vaz at Hull City entered off the bench in the 78th minute during a 2–1 loss at Newcastle after more than ten minutes without notable incident, marking his second consecutive Premier League appearance. Marash Kumbulla remained unused at Rayo Vallecano despite being named in squads for a 2–1 win against Espanyol and a 1–1 draw at Osasuna. Jan Ziolkowski has not returned to action for Monza, continuing recovery from plantar fasciitis. Artem Dovbyk spent another week without playing time at Bologna.

Angeliño, loaned to Deportivo La Coruña this summer with a buy option, made his first start in a year in the sixth matchday of Liga between Deportivo and Seville on 17 September 2026. The move brought no luck. After sitting on the bench for the opening four rounds, Angeliño was fielded in the starting XI but lasted only until the 60th minute, when he was sent off for a hard challenge on Miguel Sierra. The referee initially showed yellow but upgraded it to red after consulting the VAR. The dismissal came at the worst moment for Deportivo, who were already trailing 0–1 following Sierra's goal in the 52nd minute. Seville held on to win 0–1, leaving Angeliño's long-awaited return to competitive action marked by a straight red card.

Roma are awaiting instrumental examinations on Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala, both withdrawn early from Wednesday's Champions League match against Real Madrid. Dybala is suspected to have suffered muscular overload, but greater concern surrounds Koné, the French midfielder who appeared in tears after sustaining a flexor injury to his thigh. Tests scheduled for 16 October will clarify the severity of both injuries and recovery timescales. The assessments come as Gian Piero Gasperini faces the prospect of losing two more first-team regulars on top of existing absences, with Roma due to face Genoa on Saturday evening. The Stadio Olimpico is preparing a new Hospitality area in the Tevere Stand to complement the existing facility in the Monte Mario Stand. Work on the space is nearing completion and the new area could be inaugurated on Saturday during the Genoa fixture, offering dedicated services including catering to Hospitality bracelet holders. When interviewed by TNT Sports Brasil, Wesley expressed satisfaction with his performance against Real Madrid despite the result. "I'm happy, it's nice to receive a compliment from a manager like Mourinho," he said. The Brazilian revealed he had prepared carefully for his duel with Vinícius: "I was telling myself that I had to stop him. I was ready and I'm happy with my match, even though I still have a lot to improve." Gasperini had personally entrusted Wesley with the task of containing Real's attacker. "He told me he would put me to mark Vinícius and that he believed in me. I answered: 'Okay, let's go'," Wesley explained. Commentators offered contrasting perspectives on the performance. Carina on Radio Radio attributed Roma's collapse to individual errors: "It's hard to explain Roma's collapse. Roma played a spectacular match, dominated it, but matches last until the 90th minute and beyond. There were certainly individual errors: on Endrick's goal there's a marking error from Balerdi, on Rüdiger's from Molina. But it would be unfair to blame them entirely: it was a general collapse." Pedrelli on Radio Bruno 101.5 preferred to judge the display on performance rather than result: "I don't look at the result, but at the performance. A great match from Roma despite so many absences, against one of the strongest teams in the world. We're not far from making a real leap forward. Gasperini is the manager I wanted, especially in the answers he gives after the match."

Roma face Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday 17 October at 20:45 in Serie A matchday seven, aiming to return to winning ways after a 4–3 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. The Giallorossi drew 0–0 against Como and 0–0 against Inter before the Real Madrid loss; they have not won since facing Torino. Genoa, managed by Daniele De Rossi, won their first match of the season last time out, beating Fiorentina 2–1. Gasperini will make changes to his squad following injuries sustained against Real Madrid. Manu Koné left the pitch in the first half with a muscle problem, while Paulo Dybala was substituted at half-time with a muscular strain; both remain under assessment as of 15 October, with recovery timings unclear. Mile Svilar is out with a fractured toe, Bryan Cristante with a knee problem, and Donyell Malen suspended following his red card against Como. Roma last won on matchday six against Torino. In Gasperini's 3–4–2–1 formation, Pierluigi Gollini will start in goal with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in the three-man defence. Emanuele Lulli and Wesley are set for the full-back positions, with Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli in midfield. Santiago Castro will lead the attack in place of the suspended Malen, Matías Soulé will play behind him, and Rodrigo Mora is favoured to complete the attacking line if Dybala cannot recover; Lorenzo Pellegrini is an alternative. De Rossi's Genoa are likely to line up in a 4–4–1–1 with goalkeeper Bijlow, but a 3–5–2 with Vitinha alongside the striker remains possible. Roma hold a dominant record at the Olimpico against Genoa: across 65 official matches played in the capital, the Giallorossi have won 48, Genoa 9, with 8 draws. Most recently Roma won 3–1 on 29 December 2025; before that, on 17 January 1990, Genoa last won at the Olimpico, prevailing 1–0. The official lineups will be confirmed before kickoff. The match will be broadcast on DAZN and Sky Sport, with streaming available through NOW and Sky Go according to subscription level.

Rodrigo Mora has praised Wesley for playing a central role in his integration into the Roma squad following his arrival at the club. Speaking to TNT Sports after Roma's match against Real Madrid, the Portuguese midfielder highlighted Wesley's importance in helping him settle, particularly because they share a common language. "He was the one who helped me most when I arrived at Roma, also because he speaks Portuguese like me," Mora said. Mora's swift adaptation to the club's international environment reflects the multilingual nature of Roma's dressing room. The midfielder drew on his experience at Porto, where he had played alongside numerous Brazilian players and formed strong relationships with them. His comments underline how crucial those early connections have been to his transition to Italian football. Mora offered a broader message of gratitude to the squad: "I thank Wesley and the whole team for welcoming me so well. Now we must continue on this path." His remarks confirm that Mora has integrated smoothly into a cosmopolitan squad, with his partnership with Wesley proving particularly influential from his opening days at the club.