Greenwood a talent without question — but limited competition to land him, say Roma observers

Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are among Premier League clubs tracking Emanuele Lulli, Roma's young defender, according to reports in England. Scouts from the English clubs had initially focused on Wesley at Roma, but their attention has also turned to Lulli, a 2007-born product of Roma's academy. Tottenham, Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are also reported to be monitoring the player. Lulli has established himself as an important part of Gasperini's Roma squad this season. The player hopes to feature in tomorrow's match at Como. Separately, Roma have opened talks with the player over a contract renewal, with both parties aiming to extend his current agreement.

The Friedkin Group has opened the door to selling its controlling stake in Everton while reinforcing its long-term investment in AS Roma, marking a strategic shift that places the Italian club at the centre of the Texan ownership's football portfolio. The group stated: "The Friedkin Group is evaluating new investment options for Everton Football Club, including the potential sale of a controlling stake." The move reflects no immediate urgency to divest but signals a willingness to explore offers from buyers deemed capable of "taking the club forward and consolidating the momentum that has been created" while continuing to support it in the interim. The valuation of Everton, according to Il Messaggero, could reach approximately £800 million including debt. Estimates of the group's initial outlay differ: Il Messaggero indicates around £400 million for the acquisition of 94.1% of shares from Farhad Moshiri, while Il Tempo quantifies total investment at approximately £600 million. An exit at that valuation would represent a favourable outcome economically. Crucially, the article identifies UEFA multi-ownership rules governing simultaneous European participation as a factor in the group's thinking—having two clubs from the same ownership in UEFA competitions requires strict compliance with regulations on multiple club ownership, though this is not identified as the sole driver of a potential sale. Roma presents the inverse picture. Since arriving in the capital, the Friedkin Group has committed over €1 billion in investments and tied a central component of its project to building a new stadium at Pietralata, an undertaking estimated to cost around €1.3 billion overall. Everton's 2024-25 accounts showed revenues of £196.7 million and losses reduced to £8.6 million. The group is also reportedly working on establishing a new NHL franchise in Texas in the Houston-Austin area for approximately $3.5 billion, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, further demonstrating its appetite for major sports portfolio expansion. The article emphasizes that any Everton sale proceeds would not automatically flow to Roma, as these represent separate holding-level assets and investments. The strategic signal, however, is unambiguous: while the Friedkin Group evaluates an exit from Everton after stabilizing the club, Roma remains in an active growth and construction phase, with the Pietralata stadium project serving as the ultimate test of Roma's centrality to the ownership's vision.

The Friedkin Group is to sell Everton, with the sale expected to value the Premier League club at around £800 million including £380 million of debt, according to reporting from Il Messaggero. The family acquired 94.1 per cent of Everton from Farhad Moshiri for approximately £400 million, meaning the exit would constitute a significant financial gain if it completes at the reported valuation. Everton's accounts for 2024–25 published by the Premier League showed record revenues of £196.7 million and reduced losses of £8.6 million, demonstrating the group's success in stabilising the club's finances and completing its infrastructure. Roma remains the strategic centre of the Friedkin Group's football interests. While there is no set timeline for the Everton sale, the decision to exit reflects both economic opportunity and a practical conflict: managing two clubs simultaneously in UEFA competitions has proven more difficult than initially anticipated from Houston. The group initially believed it could handle both Roma and Everton's European campaigns concurrently, but that confidence has waned over time. Some observers contend the Everton purchase was a short-term speculation rather than a long-term investment, evidenced by the absence of any deep bond between the English supporters and the ownership. By contrast, the Friedkin Group's commitment to Roma differs markedly. The family has repeatedly strengthened the squad on the transfer market and has kept the Pietralata stadium project at the forefront of strategic thinking. Since taking control of Roma, the group has invested more than €1 billion and is preparing to spend a further €1.3 billion on construction of the new ground. The squad has been made competitive for Serie A's summit and has returned Roma to the Champions League, underscoring where the family's true priorities lie.

Paulo Dybala is two goals away from reaching 200 career goals across all the clubs he has played for, and Roma's away trip to Como offers a chance to achieve that landmark. The Argentine has 198 goals to his name and would need a brace at the Sinigaglia to reach the symbolic figure during the match on 10 October. Dybala has a proven record of scoring multiple goals in Serie A matches. He has managed at least two goals in 17 different league fixtures, a tally that includes hat-tricks. For Roma, he has scored braces against Parma and a hat-trick against Torino, in which he led the team to a 3–2 victory at the Olimpico with three well-taken goals. However, he is still searching for his first goal of the 2026-27 season, despite contributing to Roma's attacking play. The Como fixture represents both an important match for Roma's league campaign and a personal opportunity for Dybala to end his goalless run and move closer to the 200-goal milestone that has become an additional source of motivation.

Roma travel to Como on 11 October in a high-stakes tactical duel between two of Europe's most modern coaches. The match carries extra weight this season—both teams are contending to position themselves as legitimate Scudetto candidates behind Inter. Gasperini and Fabregas, nominally master and pupil by age, will orchestrate what promises to be an open, attacking encounter where each coach will continually counter the other's moves. Fabregas's Como play with high offensive quality but expose defensive vulnerabilities, particularly on the right flank where they lack solidity. The defence is frequently caught out when attacking, and the marking of full-backs Yan Couto and Jacobo Ramon is inconsistent. Roma have identified this weakness as an opportunity: Nahuel Molina and Donyell Malen are expected to operate down the right, a zone where Molina proved decisive in Roma's 2–0 first-half display against Inter, creating multiple problems for the Inter pair of Diouf and Bisseck. Sunday's match will follow a similar pattern to that Inter fixture—both sides will seek to exploit counterattacks and the spaces that will inevitably emerge in such an open game. The backdrop adds historical weight: Roma have not won at the Sinigaglia since 1989. Both squads boast Argentine attacking talent—Nico Paz for Como and Paulo Dybala for Roma—setting up a contest between two sides unafraid to commit forward despite the defensive risks that entails.

Roma will be without goalkeeper Mile Svilar for at least a month after he suffered a stress fracture to his little toe during a training drill, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini confirmed at his pre-match press conference on 10 October. The injury is a significant blow as Roma prepare for a demanding run of fixtures lasting until the November international break. Svilar's absence comes ahead of tomorrow's Serie A match against Como, scheduled for 12:30, with Bryan Cristante also unavailable due to a knee injury and Konstantinos Koulierakis sidelined by a contusion picked up on international duty with Greece—he will return to training on Monday. Gasperini described the setback as "a heavy blow" but noted that long seasons bring unforeseen complications. Pierluigi Gollini will deputise in goal. Gasperini praised Gollini's professionalism, saying: "The only one to have rotated him continuously is me. He is an excellent second goalkeeper and now has the opportunity to play many matches. When he was at Atalanta he even became the third goalkeeper for the Italian national team. He has always trained well and has value. He must have everyone's confidence, but he is not a goalkeeper who has never played in his career." On the wider squad, Gasperini confirmed that Argentine players—Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and others—have only recently returned from international fixtures, while Lorenzo Pellegrini has recovered well during the break and is ready to start. Gasperini added: "The squad has great confidence and great condition. It is an important match and we arrive with the same desire to perform well." Roma face a challenging fixture list, with Como, Juventus, Milan and Atalanta among the sides competing for top positions. Gasperini acknowledged Como's strength: "Como has shown themselves to be strong with their results. They deserve the praise and are a team of value." He noted that Roma's recent performance against Inter provided a positive foundation to build from. On squad rotation during the intensive schedule, Gasperini said: "With a tour de force—and hoping without further absences like Svilar—it will be useful to deploy everyone. Whoever is in the squad has my full confidence to play, as happened last season." Gasperini also addressed Roma's playing environment and the club's ownership. On the atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico, he stated: "I do not need to bring anyone to my side. Enthusiasm is contagious to me and the squad. Playing amid this passion, with a stadium always full, is something favourable and positive. The squad and players feel it." Regarding the Friedkin ownership, Gasperini reflected: "They do what they believe is most appropriate. To make a squad great, as I believe it should be, I think an important society also becomes so with an ownership that is close. I came here speaking with Dan and Ryan and that convinced me that important work could be done. I hope we are still at that idea and that vision."

Roma head to Como with an unresolved dilemma in midfield as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini evaluates his best options against Cesc Fabregas's side. The main competition is between Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini for a starting place, with Rodrigo Mora having lost ground in recent deliberations. Gasperini is factoring in the condition of players returning from international duty and the tactical demands of the fixture. Soulé would have been the favourite to start from the outset, but his return from national-team commitments has reopened the contest with Pellegrini, who remained at Trigoria during the international break. The final decision will depend on both players' fitness and preparation ahead of the match. Beyond fitness considerations, Gasperini has studied Como's tactical shape and believes Fabregas may deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation. The Roma coach sees merit in fielding a player capable of providing greater width than Mora on the three-quarter line—a characteristic that could favour Soulé above all, or Pellegrini, both currently viewed as better suited to the match's demands.

Roma will be without goalkeeper Mile Svilar for at least a month after he suffered a stress fracture to his little toe during a training drill, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini confirmed at his pre-match press conference on 10 October. The injury is a significant blow as Roma prepare for a demanding run of fixtures lasting until the November international break. Svilar's absence comes ahead of tomorrow's Serie A match against Como, scheduled for 12:30, with Bryan Cristante also unavailable due to a knee injury and Konstantinos Koulierakis sidelined by a contusion picked up on international duty with Greece—he will return to training on Monday. Gasperini described the setback as "a heavy blow" but noted that long seasons bring unforeseen complications. Pierluigi Gollini will deputise in goal. Gasperini praised Gollini's professionalism, saying: "The only one to have rotated him continuously is me. He is an excellent second goalkeeper and now has the opportunity to play many matches. When he was at Atalanta he even became the third goalkeeper for the Italian national team. He has always trained well and has value. He must have everyone's confidence, but he is not a goalkeeper who has never played in his career." On the wider squad, Gasperini confirmed that Argentine players—Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and others—have only recently returned from international fixtures, while Lorenzo Pellegrini has recovered well during the break and is ready to start. Gasperini added: "The squad has great confidence and great condition. It is an important match and we arrive with the same desire to perform well." Roma face a challenging fixture list, with Como, Juventus, Milan and Atalanta among the sides competing for top positions. Gasperini acknowledged Como's strength: "Como has shown themselves to be strong with their results. They deserve the praise and are a team of value." He noted that Roma's recent performance against Inter provided a positive foundation to build from. On squad rotation during the intensive schedule, Gasperini said: "With a tour de force—and hoping without further absences like Svilar—it will be useful to deploy everyone. Whoever is in the squad has my full confidence to play, as happened last season." Gasperini also addressed Roma's playing environment and the club's ownership. On the atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico, he stated: "I do not need to bring anyone to my side. Enthusiasm is contagious to me and the squad. Playing amid this passion, with a stadium always full, is something favourable and positive. The squad and players feel it." Regarding the Friedkin ownership, Gasperini reflected: "They do what they believe is most appropriate. To make a squad great, as I believe it should be, I think an important society also becomes so with an ownership that is close. I came here speaking with Dan and Ryan and that convinced me that important work could be done. I hope we are still at that idea and that vision."

Gian Piero Gasperini confirmed that goalkeeper Mile Svilar will miss around a month of action following an injury sustained a week ago during training, but expressed confidence that Pierluigi Gollini can perform the role. Speaking at a press conference on the eve of Como's visit to Roma, Gasperini said Gollini has the quality to step in: "In his career perhaps I'm the only one who has made him play with continuity. He's an excellent second. Now he has the opportunity to play regularly. When I coached him at Genoa he reached being second in the national team for a couple of years. He has the ability, he's trained well these months. He must have everyone's confidence. Now he has the possibility to give continuity." Gasperini also confirmed that captain Lorenzo Pellegrini has fully recovered from his injury during the three-week international break. "Pellegrini is fine, these weeks have been very useful. He is recovered," the coach said. The squad was assembling gradually after the break, with Argentine players arriving last to train together for the first time yesterday. Gasperini stressed that Roma will play many fixtures in the coming period—nine matches in 27 days—allowing him to rotate players across all positions, including the external lanes where Wesley has performed strongly. Wesley was described as having played "extraordinary" against Inter, though Gasperini made clear these are personal assessments. On the defensive issues that have emerged early in the season, Gasperini said: "These are sometimes particular. Pay attention to them, but I am very satisfied with the goals we score in the first half, or the recoveries. We seek to maintain the good. Having conceded goals in the same situation at the start of the second half makes you think but in my opinion they were more individual situations than a team attitude." Midfielder Rodrigo Mora, recently arrived, will be available, as will Marten de Roon and Nahuel Molina—all of whom benefited from the break. Leonardo Balerdi departed during the break. Gasperini noted that 18 outfield players plus Gollini are in movement, with 16 set to play tomorrow. On Roma's ownership, Gasperini said: "They do what they think is most appropriate. To make a squad like I think important, I believe a big society also becomes that with an ownership close by. I came here speaking with Dan and Ryan and this convinced me that important work could be done. I hope we are still in that idea and that vision." The coach dismissed suggestions that Roma's environment is limiting, saying: "I don't have to bring anyone over to my side. Enthusiasm is contagious for me and the squad. Playing in the middle of this passion with a stadium always full is something favourable and positive."

Roma will be without goalkeeper Mile Svilar for at least a month after he suffered a stress fracture to his little toe during a training drill, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini confirmed at his pre-match press conference on 10 October. The injury is a significant blow as Roma prepare for a demanding run of fixtures lasting until the November international break. Svilar's absence comes ahead of tomorrow's Serie A match against Como, scheduled for 12:30, with Bryan Cristante also unavailable due to a knee injury and Konstantinos Koulierakis sidelined by a contusion picked up on international duty with Greece—he will return to training on Monday. Gasperini described the setback as "a heavy blow" but noted that long seasons bring unforeseen complications. Pierluigi Gollini will deputise in goal. Gasperini praised Gollini's professionalism, saying: "The only one to have rotated him continuously is me. He is an excellent second goalkeeper and now has the opportunity to play many matches. When he was at Atalanta he even became the third goalkeeper for the Italian national team. He has always trained well and has value. He must have everyone's confidence, but he is not a goalkeeper who has never played in his career." On the wider squad, Gasperini confirmed that Argentine players—Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and others—have only recently returned from international fixtures, while Lorenzo Pellegrini has recovered well during the break and is ready to start. Gasperini added: "The squad has great confidence and great condition. It is an important match and we arrive with the same desire to perform well." Roma face a challenging fixture list, with Como, Juventus, Milan and Atalanta among the sides competing for top positions. Gasperini acknowledged Como's strength: "Como has shown themselves to be strong with their results. They deserve the praise and are a team of value." He noted that Roma's recent performance against Inter provided a positive foundation to build from. On squad rotation during the intensive schedule, Gasperini said: "With a tour de force—and hoping without further absences like Svilar—it will be useful to deploy everyone. Whoever is in the squad has my full confidence to play, as happened last season." Gasperini also addressed Roma's playing environment and the club's ownership. On the atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico, he stated: "I do not need to bring anyone to my side. Enthusiasm is contagious to me and the squad. Playing amid this passion, with a stadium always full, is something favourable and positive. The squad and players feel it." Regarding the Friedkin ownership, Gasperini reflected: "They do what they believe is most appropriate. To make a squad great, as I believe it should be, I think an important society also becomes so with an ownership that is close. I came here speaking with Dan and Ryan and that convinced me that important work could be done. I hope we are still at that idea and that vision."

Mile Svilar's availability for Roma's Serie A fixture against Como on 11 October is uncertain after he sustained a finger injury during the match against Inter. The goalkeeper has not trained with the squad in recent days, and optimism has diminished as the match approaches. Pierluigi Gollini, who arrived in January 2025, stands ready to deputise. Since his arrival in the capital, Gollini has played only once — against Panathinaikos in the final matchday of last season's UEFA Europa League group phase. Gian Piero Gasperini will make his final decision at today's training session. Roma face tactical decisions elsewhere ahead of the 12:30 kickoff on matchday six. Behind Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, one of Rodrigo Mora, Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini will operate in the attacking midfield role. Marten de Roon will replace the injured Bryan Cristante in the centre of midfield, partnering Manu Koné. Wesley lines up at left back, with a contest between Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli for the right flank. The back three consists of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso. The squad departs for Como today.

Roma travel to Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on Sunday to face Como in a Serie A fixture that pits the division's joint leaders against a side seeking to recover from their first defeat of the season. Gian Piero Gasperini's Giallorossi won their opening four league games and were seeking a fifth consecutive victory against defending champions Inter before settling for a 2–2 draw at the Olimpico, with Lautaro Martinez's second-half brace cancelling out Manu Koné's first-half double. Roma spent the international break as joint leaders with 14 goals scored—only Inter have netted more this term—and are the only side to have scored at least two goals in all five matches so far. They bring a five-game winning away league run into this fixture, a streak only once exceeded in the club's history when Roma won 12 consecutive games between February and November 2017. Como enter the match three points behind Roma and seeking to bounce back after Frosinone's 2–0 victory halted their ten-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. Cesc Fabregas' men have otherwise impressed, winning three consecutive league matches to follow their opening 1–1 draw at Udinese. Como's home record is formidable: only defending champions Inter have beaten them in their last nine games at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia (W6, D2), and they have won their last three home meetings with Roma in Serie A—as many victories as in their previous 11 such clashes combined. Como have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six home outings, a defensive strength that will test Roma's attacking prowess. Roma must contend with a potential absence: Bryan Cristante remains the only doubt after a knee injury forced him out of Italy's squad. Wesley Franca withdrew from Brazil's camp but should be fit to start. All eyes will be on Donyell Malen, who leads Serie A's scoring charts with six goals. Como's long-term absentee Jayden Addai has recently resumed full training, giving Fabregas his entire squad available. Tasos Douvikas is likely to start in attack ahead of Moise Kean, seeking to end his home drought after his last five goals all came on the road. Roma's starting XI is expected to line up as follows: Svilar; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Koné, De Roon, Wesley; Dybala, Mora; Malen. Como will deploy: Butez; Couto, Ramon, Chalobah, Valle; Da Cunha, Milla; Diao, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas. Despite Roma's superior attacking form and impressive away record, Como's resilience at the Sinigaglia makes this a tricky assignment for Gasperini's men. Gasperini could become only the fifth manager to oversee 300 Serie A victories should Roma add to their tally. However, Roma must avoid lapses in concentration in the second half, having conceded their last six goals after halftime.