Gasperini urges Friedkin to accelerate Roma's transfer activity

Manu Koné could have left Roma in the summer transfer window after Chelsea made a late move for the French midfielder, but head coach Gian Piero Gasperini blocked the transfer. Arsenal and Manchester United had also shown initial interest, but Gasperini was determined to keep Koné as a key part of his squad. The midfielder has since justified that decision with strong performances in the opening weeks of the season, including a brace against Inter and recent appearances for France. Gasperini has now spoken publicly about why the Chelsea deal did not materialise. "There wasn't enough time. Also because these transfers involve bringing in a lot of people, even just to draft contracts," he said. The coach backed Koné to improve further, which he believes will raise his value in the coming months. "He'll have plenty of time to increase his value, even if he's already done so." Gasperini also acknowledged the backing of the Friedkin Group, Roma's owners, in keeping Koné at the club despite the opportunity to sell. "I feel the Friedkins' support, even though they're far away and rarely come to Rome. Galantic is here, but my goal is to bring them closer together." The midfielder's form suggests Koné will prove crucial to Roma's Serie A title challenge this season.

Endrick is among Roma's priority targets for the January transfer window after lengthy speculation over him during the summer. The Brazilian striker remains deeply unhappy with his situation at Real Madrid despite choosing to stay with the club, having received only four minutes of action against Elche under Mourinho's management. During the international break, Endrick's representatives held talks with Real Madrid's hierarchy to reiterate their frustration, but the club has made its position clear: no permanent sale will be entertained. Roma and AC Milan are both positioned to pursue a loan deal, the only avenue currently available. Several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Tottenham, have registered interest but are unwilling to consider a loan arrangement. AC Milan already attempted to bring Endrick to Italy during the summer, a fact confirmed by Pato in an interview at the Festival dello Sport. The Serie A remains one of the most concrete and attractive destinations for the player in January, and Roma have the strongest chance of securing him on loan. Gasperini is pushing for Endrick's arrival, and Roma's director D'Amico is actively working the deal. The coming weeks are expected to bring significant developments in the pursuit of the 17-year-old forward.

Robinio Vaz has had limited playing time since joining Hull City on loan in August, with only eight minutes against Chelsea and twelve against Newcastle to his name so far this season, plus a subdued showing in the Curaçao Cup. The French midfielder has moved between benches at Marseille, Roma and now Hull City, where he arrived on a temporary deal with a buyout option. Vaz joined Roma in January on a €22 million transfer at the behest of Massara, but failed to win over head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who opted to send him out on loan rather than allow his valuation to diminish further. The club structured the deal as a €2 million loan fee coupled with a €30 million buyout clause for Hull City, which carries no performance or appearance conditions—it depends solely on the English club's judgment of the player. Despite injuries to Hull's Gelhardt and Ansah, Vaz has not broken into their starting hierarchy. The arrangement came at a time when Vaz also faced racist abuse on social media, prompting Hull City to issue a statement in his defence. The hope now, whether or not the buyout is triggered, is that the midfielder finds regular football in England and can rebuild his career after a difficult spell at the Stadio Olimpico.

Roma's full-backs have become a cornerstone of Gian Piero Gasperini's push to the top of Serie A, a marked shift from last season when they proved problematic. Wesley and Nahuel Molina are now among the club's key strengths, and both will start when Roma resume the league campaign against Como, where they will face manager Fabregas. The turnaround reflects Gasperini's tactical evolution since arriving at the club: in his first season, Wesley was the only defender fully convincing on the flanks, while Zeki Çelik had to make do elsewhere. Now the picture is entirely different. Gasperini has uncovered Emanuele Lulli in the course of the season, and Molina has gradually built his fitness, delivering quality and assists to Roma's attacking phase. For the Como fixture, Gasperini plans to deploy Molina on the right and Wesley on the left. The selection reflects not just Roma's attacking ambitions but also Gasperini's defensive strategy: by using two attacking full-backs, he aims to stretch Como's wide players—Baturina on one flank and Diao on the other—and occupy them throughout the match. Wesley, the more naturally offensive of the pair, will be tasked with driving forward and supporting the build-up play. Molina is likely to carry greater defensive responsibility, balancing his own contributions with the need to contain Como's threats on the wing.

Gian Piero Gasperini will deploy Nahuel Molina and Wesley as twin wingers in Roma's visit to Como, harnessing simultaneous attacking thrust down both flanks to counter Cesc Fabregas's side. With Molina fully recovered and Wesley in continued form, Roma will field two genuine wide operators capable of delivering width, high pressing and chances for the attacking midfielders. The tactical choice targets Como's possession-based play built around Baturina and Diao's unpredictability; Molina and Wesley are instructed to close down Como's wide references and attacking midfielders immediately, forcing them away from build-up play into long balls. In possession, the overlapping runs of Molina and Wesley will create lateral chains with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé, opening space for crosses and inside passes. Last season Roma's right wing relied solely on Wesley alongside the converted Zeki Çelik, but the club now possesses one of Serie A's strongest selections of wide midfielders. Gasperini's side has already created thirteen goalscoring actions from wide midfielders this season—second in the league behind Inter's fourteen. Wesley leads with seven goal contributions, followed by Molina on four and eighteen-year-old Emanuele Lulli, an academy product promoted to the first team, who has added two decisive contributions and demonstrates the depth of alternatives available on the flanks. A key feature of Gasperini's system is the tactical flexibility of both players. Wesley and Molina can interchange wings during matches without loss of effectiveness, alternating deep play and crosses with cuts inside on their stronger foot to link with the attacking midfielders. This constant switching prevents opposing defences from finding fixed reference points and allows Roma to vary attacking approaches throughout the game.

Zeki Çelik produced a costly error in Turkey's match against Italy in Bursa, clearing a corner kick directly to Alessandro Bastoni, who opened the scoring for the Azzurri. Italy dominated the fixture in a redemptive performance after losing to Belgium on Friday. Çelik's mistake was immediately seized upon by social media users, with Roma supporters among those criticising the defender's display. One Roma fan wrote: "La spazza Celik" (Çelik the sweeper), while others joked about whether a 'Çelik-cam' video would emerge—a reference to footage released by DAZN following Çelik's first friendly for Juventus. The Turkish international has endured a difficult start to his spell in Serie A, facing criticism not only from Roma fans but also from his country's supporters.

Roma players will begin filtering back to Trigoria from tomorrow, 6 October, as Gian Piero Gasperini prepares his squad for the trip to Como on Sunday 11 October at 12:30. The club have trained with a reduced group during the international break, and the staggered returns will allow Gasperini to resume full preparations. Evan N'Dicka, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Giorgio De Marzi are expected back in the morning, with further arrivals throughout the day. The Italy contingent—Gianluca Mancini, Daniele Ghilardi, Niccolò Pisilli and Emanuele Lulli—will arrive in the evening. Manu Koné, the France midfielder, will be the last to rejoin, returning to the squad on Wednesday and training with the group a day behind the initial batch of returnees.

Roma's radio stations have focused heavily on the upcoming Como fixture and squad selection as Gasperini's side prepares for a demanding period. Checco Oddo Casano argued that Devyne Rensch, bought for €5 million, could be sold in January for a profit to bring in a stronger left-back in the style of Moreira. "Rensch is a little player who can fit in Roma's squad, but he'll hardly become a new Gosens, a new Zappacosta or a new Wesley," Casano said. "You bought him at a good price and you can make a profit—maybe in January you can sell him and get a stronger player to improve in that area of the pitch." David Rossi noted that Roma's last league defeat came in April when they lost to Inter at San Siro, despite playing a strong first half. He questioned whether Roma are genuinely weaker than Como or whether the psychological pressure of the fixture is one-sided. Gianluca Piacentini acknowledged Como's strength—demonstrating a solid project over the past season and a half—but emphasised that Roma are equally capable, with both teams among the three strongest in the league. Fabio Petruzzi said Roma and Como have shown significant growth over the last 18 months and play the best football in Italy, even better than Inter, though Inter's superior squad makes them favourites. Piero Torri predicted De Roon will start against Como, saying "he seems made specifically to play with Gasperini." Torri noted Lorenzo Pellegrini could play as a midfielder but has never featured in that role under Gasperini and hasn't played a match since April, making an immediate start unlikely. Torri stated: "I'll be called mad, but for me the Como match is harder than the Real Madrid one." Marco Valerio Corsi reported that Bryan Cristante appears to have a lateral knee ligament problem and will miss both Como and Real Madrid, with the length of the absence still unclear. Roberto Pruzzo called De Roon "a proven reliable player" and "a solid used buy," saying he cannot be ignored as an option despite potential fitness concerns over a run of ten consecutive matches. Nando Orsi said De Roon will "challenge the titularity of one of the two sacred monsters of midfield" if he is physically fit, having praised the signing in advance. Stephan El Shaarawy was not mentioned. Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso featured prominently in defenders' debate, with Carina suggesting N'Dicka was sidelined too easily and forming the best back three with Balerdi and Hermoso. Pruzzo still favoured Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso as the core defensive line, while Mattioli predicted Balerdi will become immovable once fully integrated into Italian football and Roma's system.

Gianluca Mancini has been selected for Italy's Nations League finale against Turkey this evening, with the Roma defender set to feature before returning to Trigoria and rejoining Gian Piero Gasperini's squad. Daniele Ghilardi, meanwhile, has been excluded from the national team setup and did not feature in any of the four matches during this international window. The headline news from the squad announcement centres on Samuele Inacio, a Borussia Dortmund midfielder born in 2008, who has the opportunity to earn his senior debut for Italy at just 18 years old. Ricci and Mandragora remain absent, while Romano, the Cagliari midfielder who missed the previous fixture in Paris, returns to the 23-man group. Romano is competing with Fagioli for a starting berth. For Roma's perspective, the focus rests on Mancini's possible involvement in what will be the final match before the international break ends and domestic action resumes.

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke to Sky Sport from a vineyard in Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Asti, during the launch of his wine project "3-4-3"—named after the formation that has defined his career—and addressed multiple Roma themes including Bryan Cristante's recovery, the Friedkin family's engagement, and the summer transfer window. Gasperini expressed his desire to involve the Friedkin family more closely with the squad and supporters ahead of Roma's centenary. He acknowledged that the Percassi family, from his previous club, had maintained daily contact and a relationship extending beyond work, but with the Friedkins the dynamic differs. "I feel their trust and support even though they come to Rome very little," he said. "Now they have appointed Galantic, who certainly creates a tighter connection between Roma and them. My objective remains to involve them more—not for me, but for them and for the fans. To bring a closer relationship into the centenary is an objective." He praised the appointment of Galantic as a link between the club and ownership. On Cristante's fitness, Gasperini said: "He is recovering, it takes time. We will not be willing to risk anything. The objective is to recover him properly even if he were to miss one or two more matches." Regarding Koné and summer market rumours of a late departure, Gasperini explained: "We could not replace him in such a short time. It was not feasible. The market was long, arriving at very few hours before closure there were no timescales. These transfers bring the involvement of many people; I do not see how an operation like that could have been done. Personally I am happy. He will have the opportunity, and is already doing so, to increase his value." On the tight fixture list, Gasperini noted that five substitutions help manage the energy expenditure, and that injuries remain a constant risk in football. He praised Soulé's early-season form, noting he had recovered from pubalgia over the summer, and expressed happiness with Dybala's recent output: "He is a boy who when he takes the field does well. He was born with the ball at his feet. The fact of having to miss many matches made him sad. Now he is happy, he has enthusiasm, these are good milestones." Gasperini also reflected on his first season at Roma, calling it a major success to win the appreciation of supporters who initially viewed him as an opponent.

Gian Piero Gasperini has outlined his ambition to strengthen the relationship between AS Roma and ownership, revealing in a Sky Sport interview that while the Friedkin Group maintains confidence in him despite their infrequent presence in Rome, he wants to build closer ties ahead of the club's 100th anniversary. Gasperini used the occasion to discuss his newly launched wine label "3-4-3", named after his signature formation, and drew parallels between his philosophical approach to football and viticulture. He reflected on last season's success, attributing it to finding "a group of players with enormous willingness towards me" who arrived from a positive spell in the previous campaign and demonstrated eagerness to embrace a different style of football. The manager also highlighted his pride at winning over a fanbase that had initially viewed him with scepticism. Gasperini acknowledged Roma's strength in attack while commenting on the transfer market's difficulty: "Strikers are always the most sought-after and expensive players on the market. Those who have them rarely part with them—it's every team's quest." He expressed satisfaction that Manu Koné remained at the club after late-window interest, stating the timescale made a deal impossible: "The market was long, arriving at just a few hours before closure there was no time. These transfers bring insertions of many people; I don't see how such an operation could have been done. Personally I'm happy. He will have the opportunity, and is already doing so, to increase his value." On Bryan Cristante's recovery from injury, Gasperini counselled patience: "He's recovering; it takes its time. We won't be willing to risk anything. The goal is to recover him at his best even if he misses one or two more matches." Gasperini analysed the expanding squad depth afforded by five substitutions and a congested fixture list: "Four changes are made significantly, one is reserve. Energy expenditure is considerable. Management for coaches is a bit less complicated; you have the chance to use the whole squad better. All players hope to play in more matches. The drawback is injuries, which happen in football always and there's no scientific explanation." Regarding individual attacking players, he noted Matías Soulé had recovered from pubic pain suffered last season: "He trained during summer; when he arrived, logically he was overweight because he'd been out for a long time. His league start was at a high level. Now he's made his Argentina debut. When Roma players go to their national team and play, it's a reward for the whole squad." He praised Paulo Dybala's commitment and happiness since his return to regular action, and explained why he withheld Dybala and Nahuel Molina from international duty given a forthcoming important fixture: "We're too close to an important match. It meant forcing them to do many hours of flying." Gasperini offered measured praise for Como's emergence as title contenders: "We all appreciate this team's evolution. For the quality of the players and the play. Como is justly one of the accredited teams and among the best in our league. Can they win the Scudetto? Everyone recognizes Inter as the strongest, but Como with all the others can compete." He also reflected on Lionel Messi's imminent retirement from international football: "I struggle to think of a player who has done what Messi has done. It's a shame such a player ends his career, but there's also satisfaction in having seen him play—it's been a gift."

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke to Sky Sport from his wine estate in Asti, addressing Roma's upcoming fixtures against Como and Real Madrid after the international break. The head coach discussed the club's ownership, the fitness of his squad, and the decision to retain Manu Koné in the summer transfer window. Gasperini outlined his relationship with the Friedkin Group, saying: "A relationship different to the one I had with Percassi, which was present daily and went beyond work. With the Friedkin it doesn't happen, but I always feel their trust and support from a distance. They come little to Rome, but they put Galantic here who now acts as close liaison between Roma and them. My objective is to manage to involve them much more, but not so much for me as for them themselves and for the fans. Bringing greater presence in view of the centenary and the new stadium is an objective of mine." On José Mourinho, Gasperini said: "He is a special person, and people like that achieve success beyond what happens on the pitch. Here he won a Conference and played a final; in the league perhaps he did less, but he is someone who was appreciated by the supporters and that means he really has something special." Gasperini explained the squad's unusual break during the international pause, noting the team had reduced numbers and could not play friendlies, so "we decided to give continuity the first week. Then we took days of rest like today." On Bryan Cristante's injury, he said: "Cristante has a collateral ligament problem, he is recovering but it will take time. I'm not sure if he will miss both Como and Real but we won't risk anything since there are now many matches and we want him at his best." He praised Matías Soulé's form, noting Soulé "did something extraordinary in the first half last season then was held back by a groin injury. He recovered and when he arrived at the pre-season camp he was overweight but now he is playing at a high level. He debuted with Argentina and that for me is always a reward for the whole squad." Gasperini also confirmed that Malen is fit and Dybala is training as he has since early July. On Koné specifically, Gasperini stated: "He couldn't be replaced in so little time. There was nothing feasible. The market lasted long and making a sale at the last moment was impossible even for the timing. These transfers then require the entry of so many people. Personally I'm happy it went this way; he will have the chance, as he is already doing, to increase his value further." The coach declined to commit to signing a striker in January, saying: "It's not easy; strikers are always expensive and are sought by many. We have a good department; that role is lacking but it's not like we're playing with ten."