Koné visits former club Toulouse during France camp before Roma return

Roma are monitoring Darryl Bakola, a 19-year-old Sassuolo midfielder, with sporting director Tony D'Amico studying the prospect for a possible move in January or next summer. The French midfielder, born in Clichy on 30 November 2007, has begun to establish himself in Serie A after signing with Sassuolo in February. Roma's interest is independent of any potential departure by Manu Koné; instead, Bakola is being observed for his attributes and growth potential as a prospect in his own right. Bakola plays as a right-sided midfielder with a pronounced attacking instinct. He developed through academies at Asnières, Racing Club de France and Red Star before joining Marseille's youth system, where he made his senior debut. The profile fits Roma's recent transfer strategy of identifying young players already capable of competing at the highest level while retaining significant room for development and improvement. This season has brought early evidence of Sassuolo's confidence in him. He has made four Serie A appearances to date, three of them from the start, accumulating 297 minutes and recording one assist. Bakola combines technical ability, quality ball-carrying and the capacity to support attacking play, offering flexibility across multiple midfield positions.

Lorenzo Pellegrini will use the international break to complete his recovery and return to full fitness ahead of Roma's fixture against Como. Pellegrini was recalled to the squad for the Torino match and can become a fresh asset for Gasperini's group as he regains full sharpness. Roma continue to monitor young midfield prospects and are following Darryl Bakola, a French player born in 2007 from Sassuolo. The club will not be seeking him as a direct replacement for Manu Koné, who has demonstrated his importance to Gasperini's system in recent matches, including against Inter. Without Koné, Roma are visibly weakened in midfield.

Gianluca Mancini has opened up about his passion for cycling, a long-standing hobby that has become an important part of his life away from football. The Roma defender will appear on the new episode of 'A Ruota Libera', which airs on 23 September on Eurosport, discussing his journey into the sport in a preview clip shared on the broadcaster's social channels. Mancini, currently with the Italian national team, traced the origins of his cycling interest with humour. He explained how he began with a rental bike before deciding to buy his own, recalling that his friends joked he had bought "a gate" because of the old model he chose initially. He described his progression through different bikes and setups, eventually settling on a Canyon model—the same brand used by Mathieu van der Poel—specifically selected for its colour scheme. "Now I wanted the bike of Mathieu van der Poel, the Canyon, with colouring similar to Roma's colours. Great stuff," he said. Mancini credited his cycling friends with transforming his approach to the hobby. "I have wanted the bike of Mathieu van der Poel, the Canyon, with a colour scheme similar to Roma's colours. It's something else. These guys I go cycling with have changed everything for me—they are really passionate about it. They go out every day and give me advice every single day," he reflected, noting that he had initially struggled with manual gears while watching others use automatic systems.