Genoa pursues El Shaarawy return with two-year contract offer

Marten de Roon faced a hostile reception from Atalanta's ultras during yesterday's match against Cagliari, who displayed a banner criticizing his move to Roma in the final days of the transfer window. The ultras were unhappy with both his departure and his celebration at the end of Saturday's match at the Olimpico. Gasperini moved to defend his midfielder, saying: "De Roon was for many years a player who brought honour to Atalanta and the city of Bergamo. He did something extraordinary, and now it's a privilege to have him here. As soon as he finds his best condition he will be an important player. Leaving Atalanta was not his choice, he did not fit into their plans. What was he supposed to become? An old shoe locked away in a cupboard?" De Roon remains one of Gasperini's trusted lieutenants at Roma. He will miss tomorrow's match against Torino while continuing to build fitness, but Gasperini expects him to become a key midfielder once his condition improves.

Marten de Roon's departure from Atalanta to Roma continues to provoke anger among sections of the Bergamo support. The Dutch midfielder, who returned to Gian Piero Gasperini's squad in the summer transfer window after eleven seasons in nerazzurro, has been targeted again by Atalanta supporters with a banner displayed before the Atalanta–Cagliari match. The message read: "You chose to pass into our history but not to belong to it… farewell captain." The words reflect deep dissatisfaction among the fanbase over De Roon's decision to leave Bergamo for Roma, having spent eleven seasons there and serving as both captain and a symbol of the club's most important recent cycle. This is not the first display of discontent directed at the midfielder. A previous banner appeared weeks earlier during an Atalanta match against Bologna, stating: "Thank you for these 11 years, it would have been nice to say goodbye in nerazzurro." The banners underscore how De Roon's choice to depart Bergamo has left a wound among the Atalanta faithful, despite his long and decorated service to the club.

Alessandro Romano has been sold to Cagliari for €5 million plus bonuses potentially rising to €6.5 million, but the move has reignited debate about Roma's pattern of disposing of young talent at underdeveloped stages. Signed from Winterthur in 2022 for approximately €70,000, Romano had been viewed at Trigoria as a prospect with significant potential and was developed into a Serie A-standard midfielder within a few years. From a financial standpoint, the transaction is defensible: the enormous profit relative to the initial outlay is straightforward. The deeper question, however, is whether Roma will later regret the sale. The club is not alone in facing pressure to generate revenue from youth players—academies exist partly to produce economic value, and no organization can retain all its talents indefinitely while waiting to identify which ones will flourish. Roma's position has been complicated by UEFA settlement agreement obligations in recent years, making the academy a significant revenue source; since 2022, youth departures have generated tens of millions. Yet a pattern has emerged. Davide Frattesi developed into an internationally competitive midfielder away from Rome; Riccardo Calafiori represents probably Roma's greatest regret. Romano's career trajectory will determine whether Roma sold him at the right moment or too early. The concern is not that he is currently ready to displace Manu Koné or Bryan Cristante, but that a talent still developing is precisely the type a club should attempt to maintain some form of control over when possible. The issue becomes more acute when considering Emanuele Lulli, who came close to joining Avellino during the summer in a deal that could have included a loan with an option to buy. The principle remains constant: when market conditions force a club to seek resources, young players become one of the easiest paths. Romano was sold in a summer when Roma needed to generate plusvalenzas and protect players deemed central to the first team. Romano will reveal through his career whether Roma timed the sale correctly or sold too soon. The lesson from Frattesi and Calafiori should be clear: while some young talent will inevitably escape, when Trigoria develops a player with something extra, maintaining some link to his future may ultimately be worth far more than immediate profit.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini exploded with emotion when Matías Soulé scored, sprinting toward the Curva Sud in a moment that recalled José Mourinho's famous touchline celebration in September 2021, when Stephan El Shaarawy netted in the 91st minute against Sassuolo. The comparison was striking: both managers had been unable to contain their joy at critical moments, running to embrace the supporters. Yesterday's display suggested Gasperini is restoring the emotional intensity that Mourinho once brought to the Olimpico. The exuberance was infectious, yet it came to an abrupt halt. A staff member physically stopped Gasperini before he could reach the touchline—not to dampen the celebration, but to protect him from a second yellow card. The coach was already on a caution, and a further offense would have meant a ban for Roma's next fixture, a sensitive away trip to Turin. The intervention, though it cut short the moment, was tactically essential. Gasperini's desire to celebrate was unmistakable, but the immediate need to preserve his availability for the coming matches took precedence. The incident encapsulated what has shifted at Roma: the club has rediscovered emotion and connection with its supporters under Gasperini's leadership. The Curva Sud will wait for their manager's unreserved embrace—though likely not for much longer.

AS Roma faces UEFA review of its settlement agreement compliance after a summer transfer window costing approximately 125 million euros in purchases and 30 million in sales, with capital gains reaching only 25 million. The club will defend its position to UEFA at Nyon by highlighting a dramatic reduction in the wage bill—the primary evidence it claims of its sustainability strategy. Last season the payroll exceeded 133 million euros gross; it has now fallen to around 113 million, moving closer to the 100-million target. The wage cuts stem largely from player departures including Zaragoza, Çelik, Angeliño, Tsimikas, El Shaarawy and Dovbyk. The signing of Santiago Castro, a younger player with a lower salary spread across multiple years, exemplifies Roma's shift in strategy. Significant savings also came from the exits of El Aynaoui, Vaz, Ziółkowski and Kumbulla. Contract renewals for Dybala, Mancini, Cristante and Pellegrini followed the same model, reducing the fixed portion of salaries in favour of performance and appearance bonuses; these four extensions alone saved approximately 15 million euros. New arrivals Castro, Mora, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi and De Roon will cost around 25 million euros gross combined. Roma's overall wage reduction stands close to 45 million euros, reflecting the club's revised commercial approach as it attempts to satisfy UEFA's conditions set out in the 2022 settlement agreement.

Radio pundits across Rome's main sports stations have weighed in on the club's summer transfer window, with assessments ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 out of 10. The dominant theme is that Roma has strengthened their squad depth significantly but failed to address the most pressing gap: a left-sided winger to compete with Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in attack. Fabio Petruzzi gave the window 7.5, saying: "I'm optimistic: Roma is now clearly much stronger, as a squad, in mentality, as players. Between those who left and those who arrived there is a big difference. Between Balerdi and Ziolkowski there is a big difference, between Mora and El Shaarawy there is a big difference, but also between Castro and Dovbyk. For me you are now the second team behind Inter. Roma and Como in my view are up there; Roma has a bit more than the Lombards. There is a touch of disappointment—with something extra now you would be attached to Inter. But my rating is 7.5." Francesca Ferrazza graded it six, saying it would have been seven with Leweling and eight with Greenwood, and called the absence of a left winger "madness." She noted: "Gasperini closes his third transfer window without a left-sided forward. It's madness. The squad is wider, but a starter is missing up front." Other voices offered lower marks. Paolo Cosenza gave 5.5, arguing the bench is too thin and that Gasperini had asked for both a high and low left-sided winger but Roma supplied neither. Lorenzo Pes pointed out there is no left-footed fullback and that deals for Leweling and initially an alternative fell through, with reports of regime indecision before a revised offer to the German was made but rejected. Roberto Pruzzo awarded six, saying: "You've widened the options, you have two very strong centre-forwards. Castro in my view could play in any team in the championship, I won't even mention Malen. Mora will be able to help from the bench. You needed to sign a winger and it didn't happen, and so that's my assessment. There is no new starter compared to last year." Piero Torri suggested Roma may explore free agents including Sancho or Sterling to address the problem, saying: "I believe Roma will think about it. If Dybala stays fit over the coming months, the problem doesn't exist, because Dybala and Malen play there, and then you pick the third. If luck smiles on Roma and from now until 31 December, the absence of the left winger can become less damaging. But in any case I would go out and get a seventh player up front." The window closed with the squad expanded but incomplete.