Kumbulla and Angeliño set to leave Roma for Spanish football

Gian Piero Gasperini has warned his Roma side not to underestimate Manchester United ahead of the Champions League tie, despite the English club's poor run of results. On injuries, Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné and Mile Svilar are unlikely to return before the international break, although there remains a chance for the Sassuolo fixture. Rodrigo Mora is available, but team selection will be decided at the last moment. Donyell Malen is enjoying a remarkable spell: he has scored 22 goals in 27 Serie A matches in the calendar year, more than Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland in their respective leagues. No player has scored more than him across Europe's top five leagues in that period, a transformation the article credits to his work under Gasperini. At Manchester United, Michael Carrick has gone nine matches without a win, and his position is increasingly under pressure. United were beaten 4-1 by Como, coached by Fabregas, a result that exposed gaps between midfield and defence. Nico Paz took advantage with two goals and an assist, and Roma's Matías Soulé, Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen are considered capable of exploiting the same weakness. Carrick has rejected the idea that he will be dismissed after the Roma game, saying: “Non penso che sarà così” (“I don't think that will be the case”). Dorgu and Luke Shaw are confirmed absent, while Marcus Rashford is doubtful. Carrick also recalled United's 7-1 win of 2007, calling it “una delle notti più belle della mia carriera” (“one of the best nights of my career”). Marten de Roon acknowledged the mistakes Roma made against Real Madrid, saying the side was immature in that match but is still developing. He said: “Vogliamo dare continuità alle prestazioni” (“We want to give continuity to our performances”). He also thanked supporters, adding: “Mi ha fatto piacere essere applaudito contro il Cagliari” (“It was nice to be applauded against Cagliari”). Elsewhere, Turkish press report that Greenwood had a tense exchange with Fenerbahçe president Yıldırım, asking his father and agent to find him another club. The bust-up followed his controversial omission against Göztepe. There has been no official rupture, and the club has attributed the absence to a flu-like illness. On the transfer front, Roma are reportedly monitoring Gabriel Sara, the Brazilian born in 1999 who plays for Galatasaray, with a view to a January move. Napoli, Newcastle and Everton are also said to be interested, with the English clubs reportedly ready to spend around €30 million, though only interest has been confirmed so far. Meanwhile, former Roma coach Fonseca is close to leaving Lyon to return to Portugal with Sporting. He broke down in tears after Lyon's win over Angers, embraced by his players. An agreement with Sporting is reportedly close but not yet official. If it goes through, Fonseca will face Roma as an opponent on 8 December in the Champions League.

Barcelona have decided to sell left-back Alejandro Balde, who is finding game time increasingly hard to come by in La Liga, and Manchester United are now reportedly in the running for the Spanish wing-back alongside Roma, according to ElNacional.cat. The reports describe interest rather than a concrete negotiation. Balde has never started a match for Barcelona, and coach Flick has reportedly opened the door to his departure. Roma's interest is not new: the left-back profile was linked to the Giallorossi in the previous weeks as well. Balde would be an alternative to Oosterwolde for the left-back berth in Roma's defence. The article adds that Balde's profile has been mentioned in connection with Roma before, and that the left-side options under consideration include Balde as a replacement for Oosterwolde in the lower band of the defence.

Roma are reportedly keeping an eye on Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Sara, who plays for Galatasaray, as they look to strengthen their midfield in the January transfer window. The 1999-born player, who had been linked with the Giallorossi in the past, has reportedly returned to the club's list of monitored names, according to German outlet fussball-news.de. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is reportedly seeking reinforcements in midfield after Lorenzo Pellegrini suffered a serious injury, leaving the department without an important player. Sara is said to combine technical quality, forward runs and energy, qualities that could prove useful in Gasperini's midfield. Competition, however, is already significant. Napoli have reportedly also looked at the player in Italy, while Newcastle and Everton have reportedly moved for him from the Premier League. The two English clubs are reportedly ready to offer a figure close to €30 million to persuade Galatasaray to sell the midfielder. Roma are watching and evaluating the situation for now. The need to add a midfielder has become even more pressing following Pellegrini's absence, but much will depend on the economics of the deal and the competition that develops in the coming weeks.

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.