Malen returns to Trigoria as Roma push to land Tresoldi as backup striker

Roma are monitoring the market for attacking wingers, and a new name has been added to the list drawn up by Tony D'Amico: Brazilian talent William Gomes of Porto, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. The Giallorossi are reportedly following the progress of the 2006-born player closely, alongside Manchester United and Liverpool. The 20-year-old's performances have drawn the attention of several European scouts, although Porto's high valuation already represents a significant obstacle to any possible deal. Gomes was born on 15 March 2006 and is a left-footed offensive winger who usually plays from the right. He came through at São Paulo and joined Porto in January 2025 for around €9 million. In Portugal he has gradually earned more game time. Last season he scored 8 goals in 28 appearances in the Portuguese league, adding 4 goals in 11 Europa League matches. The current season has confirmed his progress: in his first seven Liga Portugal appearances he has scored 2 goals and provided 2 assists. Technically, he is a very attacking winger, quick especially over the first few metres and especially dangerous when he can run directly at a defender. Dribbling, acceleration and his ability to cut inside onto his left foot to shoot are the qualities that most set him apart. He can also start from the opposite flank, but it is mainly from the right that he uses his left foot to move into the middle of the pitch. On paper, the profile matches several qualities Roma are looking for: young, already accustomed to European football, capable of creating superiority in one-on-one situations and confident in front of goal. He is exactly the type of player who could add to the attacking options available to Gasperini. The main problem is price. Porto recently tied Gomes down until 30 June 2031, and the new contract includes a release clause of €100 million. Valuations from the leading specialist websites currently hover around €25-30 million, but the Portuguese club holds a very strong negotiating position and would have no need to sell him on favourable terms. For this reason, for now, the talk is exclusively of monitoring rather than negotiations. Roma are following the player, as are Manchester United and Liverpool, aware that any move would require a significant investment.

Emanuele Lulli has agreed a contract renewal with Roma, with the deal running to 2031. His previous contract was due to expire in 2027. The 19-year-old is set to start on the right flank tonight at Napoli. Reported by Daniele Aloisi in Il Messaggero, the news came on Friday, as Roma prepare for the trip to the Maradona with an injury list that includes Mile Svilar, Manu Koné, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala. Despite the absences, Roma's mood remains positive, and Donyell Malen returns to the attack. Cristante and Malen are both available again after missing the last league match. Malen leads the line and is looking for a brace after scoring a double at the same ground last year. Matías Soulé will partner him up front. Gian Piero Gasperini has also planned a rotation with Nahuel Molina, who played in the Champions League and will feature again on Tuesday against Cagliari. At 19 years and 68 days, Lulli could make his sixth start for the club. Only Marquinhos has started his first six games in a Roma shirt at a younger age, at 18 years and 181 days. The main puzzle is in the attacking midfield. Rodrigo Mora is pushing for a start but could begin on the bench. The likely solution is to deploy Bryan Cristante in that role, where he can also provide cover in front of Lobotka, McTominay or Anguissa. Cristante returns from the match against Inter. In defence, Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso are all back in contention.

Cristante is in Roma's squad for the trip to Napoli, according to the squad list published by Il Messaggero. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini is short in the final third, with Pellegrini, Dybala, Svilar and Koné all sidelined. He has only Mora and Soulé behind Malen, and is considering playing Cristante further forward. The squad list names Balerdi, Ghilardi, Hermoso, Koulierakis, Lulli, Mancini, Molina, N'Dicka, Rensch and Wesley in defence; Cristante, De Roon, Mora and Pisilli in midfield; and Malen, Soulé and Castro in attack. Camara and Di Nunzio are also listed. The situation is serious enough that Roma are expected to act in the January transfer window. The club must spend to give Gasperini at least two reinforcements between attack and the flanks. Gittens and Leweling remain on the list, and the club has not ruled out the complicated pursuit of Endrick. A new left-back name has emerged: Alejandro Balde of Barcelona, who is finding few minutes under Flick and has been offered by Jorge Mendes. His name joins that of Oosterwolde. Sky Sport reports that Roma are close to the final details of a contract renewal for Lulli, which would run to 2031. The deal has not yet been officially announced, and the last points must be settled before it is formalised. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport at the Amsterdam stop of the EA7 World Legends Padel Tour, Stekelenburg was asked about Svilar. He said: "If I had to put him in the top five... no, not yet. After all, there are Courtois, Neuer and others. But he is a young lad and he is doing an excellent job. He just has to keep growing." Asked to choose between Højlund and Malen if he were a sporting director, Graziani said: "Malen without thinking twice. Hojlund I like a lot, and sometimes he looks to me like a 'little Lukaku' the way he leads the attack and the physical battles he takes on, and he has a great sense of goal; but Malen is my ideal striker, for the way he attacks space, for his dribbling, for the acceleration he has in the last twenty metres and because he can roam across the whole attacking front."

Roma head to Naples for a Serie A eighth-round clash with Napoli, coached by Max Allegri, with Gian Piero Gasperini facing a single selection question over who will partner Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen up front. Bryan Cristante is ahead in the race, while Rodrigo Mora is expected to start on the bench. Gasperini has already set the tone, saying: "Non svegliateci" ("Don't wake us up"), as his side look to build on a superb start to the league campaign and show they are not ready to slow down. Roma have made a strong start to the season, and the Napoli fixture is a major test that will say much about the club's real ambitions. Lulli returns on the right side of the defence, with Molina among the substitutes. Behind Gollini, the established back three of Ndicka, Mancini and Hermoso is set to start. Gasperini will be without several players, including Svilar, Koné, Pellegrini and Dybala, but has two important returns in Cristante, who was already called up for the Slovan Bratislava match on Tuesday evening, and Malen, who has served his league suspension. Both are expected to start from the first minute at the Maradona. Napoli are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 with Milinkovic-Savic in goal, Di Lorenzo, Badiashile, Marín and Olivera in defence, Anguissa, De Bruyne and McTominay in midfield, and Politano, Hojlund and Lang in attack. Roma are set to play a 3-4-1-2 with Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso; Lulli, de Roon, Pisilli and Wesley; Cristante; and Soulé and Malen. Among the substitutes are Vásquez, De Marzi, Rensch, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Di Nunzio, Mora, Castro and Camara. The match, valid for the eighth round of Serie A EniLive, kicks off at 18:00 and is broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN. Viewers will need a DAZN subscription and can access the match through a smart TV app, or on consoles such as Xbox or PlayStation. Alternatively, it can be watched on devices including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and TIM VISION Box. Live coverage is also available through Forzaroma.info's Cronaca Live and its social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The Slovan Bratislava meeting in Europe is a fixture Roma have not faced for 15 years, since their only previous meeting, in the 2011/12 Europa League play-off, when the Slovaks won 1-0 away and drew 1-1 at the Olimpico to eliminate the giallorossi. Roma's record against Slovak sides reads one win, two draws and one defeat. Their sole victory came in 2009, when they beat Košice 7-1 at the Olimpico in the Europa League qualifiers after a 3-3 draw in the first leg. Slovan Bratislava have won only one of their five away matches in Italy, drawing one and losing three. Roma are also counting on the Olimpico, having won eight of their last ten home Champions League matches.

Roma's electric start to the season has drawn praise from every quarter, and former coach Stramaccioni has singled out Donyell Malen, comparing the Dutch forward's movement to that of Andriy Shevchenko. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Stramaccioni, now a pundit, said: "He is impressive, increasingly in tune with the verticality of Roma's final pass. His half-moon run to get free, the first oriented touch and the speed with which he does it remind me, with the due comparisons, of the movements Shevchenko loved to make." Roma have played with flair, scoring and convincing, and have shown no obvious weak spots. Their only slip came against Real Madrid, and they have won every game since. Stramaccioni also highlighted Roma's defensive solidity, noting that the side have scored with 11 different players. "Gasperini's team 'defends by attacking'. It has the best defence and the best goal difference in Serie A," he said. Now comes a tough test, as Napoli visit the Stadio Olimpico. Stramaccioni warned that Roma will face a wounded side: "They will find a team that is hurt, that cannot afford to lose again, and will play to the death in front of their very hot home crowd." He views limiting Lobotka and De Bruyne, denying Napoli time and space in build-up, and exploiting chances to counter vertically as the key to the game. For Stramaccioni, Roma's advantage lies in the work done under Gasperini, which has brought "more certainty and enthusiasm". Yet he believes a further step is needed to stay at the top. "Roma is a group full of enthusiasm that has plenty of certainty, but to stay up there it must win matches like this one."

Gian Piero Gasperini takes Roma to the Maradona on Napoli-Roma, a fixture the article describes as never ordinary, with the Roma boss dealing with a real injury emergency. He is also keen to break several long-running head-to-head tabs against Massimiliano Allegri. One player Gasperini can count on is Donyell Malen, who returned on Tuesday against Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League but was suspended for last weekend's league match against Genoa. For Napoli, the attacking burden falls on Rasmus Hojlund, a former pupil of Gasperini. Gasperini coached Hojlund at Atalanta in 2022-23, the season the Danish striker broke through by terrorising defences with his physical runs and his aggressive movement into space. After a campaign with 34 appearances, 10 goals and 4 assists, Hojlund was sold to Manchester United for a total cost of 85 million. Expectations rose sharply with that fee, and they were not met in England. He then returned to Italy, joining Napoli with the aim of rediscovering his best form after several seasons with more shadows than lights at Old Trafford. Today he is Napoli's main offensive reference point and the first threat Roma's defence must handle. Napoli supporters, however, have been critical of his performances and of the team's style under Allegri. The last meeting at the Maradona, a 2-2 draw in February, did not show Hojlund at his best. Malen took centre stage instead. He opened the scoring after 7 minutes from an assist by Zaragoza, and restored Roma's lead from the penalty spot in the 71st minute. Malen, nicknamed Bobby, wants to repeat that performance in Fuorigrotta, where he could have been playing little more than a year ago. As Il Mattino revealed, Napoli targeted the Dutch forward last January, but the interest never developed into a concrete offer. Gasperini's call, Malen's impact in Rome and the love of the Roma fans have since made the story a Giallorossi one.

Robinio Vaz's injury scare has eased, with the Roma loanee back in training after tests ruled out significant damage, while Neil El Aynaoui endured a bruising week in Europe and Bundesliga. Vaz, on loan at Hull City, came on in the 68th minute of their Premier League trip to Fulham, a 1-0 defeat decided by a goal from Iwobi. In stoppage time, at the 94th minute, he was hit hard by Ryan Sessegnon in the Achilles area. Sessegnon was sent off with a straight red card, and Vaz had to leave the pitch accompanied by medical staff. Initial impressions were worrying, but the subsequent checks were far more reassuring: the MRI scan showed no significant injury and Vaz returned to training on Tuesday 20 October. He recorded no goals or assists in the minutes he played against Fulham. Whether he will be available for the next game against Brentford remains to be confirmed. El Aynaoui, on loan at RB Leipzig, played three matches in a few days with mixed results. Leipzig beat PSV Eindhoven 1-0 in the Champions League thanks to a goal from Gruda, and El Aynaoui started and played the full 90 minutes. The Moroccan midfielder then started the Bundesliga trip to Bayern Munich, who thrashed Leipzig 6-1. He stayed on the pitch from start to finish but could not turn the game, which Bayern dominated. On 21 October Leipzig suffered another European defeat, losing 4-1 at the Bernabéu to Real Madrid. El Aynaoui again started alongside Seiwald but was replaced in the 63rd minute by Rocco Reitz, with Leipzig already two goals down. He recorded no goals or assists across the three matches, but he logged significant minutes that confirm his place in Demichelis's rotation. The heavy defeats to Bayern and Real Madrid left the team with a very negative overall record. Anass Salah-Eddine, on loan at Panathinaikos, is showing encouraging signs as the Moroccan wing-back fights for a place in the Greek side. He was not in the squad for the 2-1 win over Borac Banja Luka in the first matchday of the Conference League League Phase on 15 October. Three days later he started and played all 90 minutes of a comprehensive 5-1 league win over Asteras Tripolis. In the 47th minute he surged down the left flank and delivered a precise ball to Taborda, whose header was cleared off the line by Papakanellos. It was a good move that could have brought an assist but did not appear on the scoresheet. Salah-Eddine recorded no goal, official assist or card, but gave positive indications of his ability to support the attack. Panathinaikos return to Conference League action today against Kairat Almaty. Filippo Reale continues his good form at Carrarese, where he is increasingly picked by Guido Pagliuca. The centre-back, born in 2006, started and played the full 90 minutes in Carrarese's 2-1 home win over Modena, with goals from Abiuso and Rubino before Belotti replied for the visitors. He helped protect the lead in the closing stages as part of the back three. The most unusual moment came in the 96th minute, when Reale embarked on a long run from his own half, covered the entire left flank and shot into the box, only to send his diagonal effort wide. Carrarese have now won consecutive matches. Radoslaw Zelezny was also impressive for Perugia, starting in their 5-1 win at Campobasso. He played the entire game and conceded only Stoppa's equaliser in the 35th minute, before Perugia pulled clear in the second half. He was not held responsible for the goal, and SportPerugia gave him a 6 for his precise handling and his lack of blame. Marco Litti came off the bench for Lecco in their 5-0 win over Pro Vercelli, replacing Manetti in the 59th minute, when Manetti had scored the goal that made it 3-0. Litti took up position on the flank and helped manage the lead over the final half hour. He recorded no goal, assist or booking. Mohamed Seck, meanwhile, remains in a difficult spell with Foggia, who lost 3-1 at Giugliano in the Monday 19 October fixture. Seck was named in the back three by Gaetano Auteri and played the full game. Ravasio gave Foggia the lead in the 16th minute, but Baldé and De Rosa turned the match around before the break, and Esposito added the final goal after the restart. Seck was booked in the 21st minute. Foggia have conceded six goals in their last two league games. Luigi Cherubini, on loan at Benevento, was on the bench for their 2-2 home draw with Vicenza, having scored against Cesena. He came on for Lamesta in the 65th minute, with Benevento ahead 2-0 through Siatounis and Kouan. In the second half Benevento gradually lost control and were pegged back by goals from Corazza and Caferri.

Robinio Vaz has failed to take off since his move to Rome, and his spell at Hull City has started badly too. Roma invested 25 million to bring the Frenchman to the capital, but he has not justified the outlay. His attempts to fit into Gian Piero Gasperini's system proved more difficult than expected, with little playing time, plenty of time on the bench and a single goal, against Lecce. That was not enough to convince Gasperini, who did not change his mind even during the summer training camp, and so the club opted to send him out on loan. Hull City were meant to be the chance to restart his career. Instead, the story is repeating itself. In England Vaz is also finding minutes hard to come by: he started only once in the cup, followed by cameo appearances and spells on the bench. To make matters worse, he was injured against Fulham, leaving the pitch limping. It is not a good omen. It is a blow for Hull, who must now do without the Frenchman. No recovery timeframe has yet been set. Hull hold a buy-option fixed at 30 million, but confirming it is far from guaranteed. If his performances stay at this level, it will be hard to see the English club deciding to keep backing him. Roma are watching and waiting. The 25 million invested by Massara is still in search of an answer.

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 pundits on Rome's radio stations were largely positive about the club's recent results, but they were divided over Mora and the January market. Roberto Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio, said: 'Mora is absolutely not ready for this stage, and Roma must sign Lookman. Do a six-month loan.' He also said Castro does not play when Malen is fit and that Mora did not take advantage of his chance, adding that a striker is needed in January. Mario Corsi of Tele Radio Stereo was more worried: 'I said Mora had to play to get used to his teammates, but there is a Mora problem. Do you remember Bojan Krkic? I would not want him to suffer the same fate.' Corsi said Mora was an embarrassment in front of goal, had shot at a photographer and had got everything wrong on Sunday, including his passing. The debate followed a run of matches after the heavy defeat to Real Madrid. Mario Mattioli of Radio Radio said Roma were fortunate to face Genoa and Slovan Bratislava afterwards, as they could restore their mental focus, and that Roma had taken full advantage. He described Slovan as a side who do not belong in the Champions League, suggesting they were better suited to the Europa League or Conference League. Fabio Petruzzi of Rete Sport argued that Roma make their opponents look weak: 'Genoa were weak, Slovan are weak, they are all weak... even Real Madrid were weak until ten minutes from the end. I would start saying Roma are strong.' Alessio Nardo of Tele Radio Stereo said he could hardly recall a smaller side worse than Slovan Bratislava, adding that they could not keep the ball for more than three seconds. David Rossi of Rete Sport praised the defence under Gian Piero Gasperini: 'What impresses me is that the defenders have improved most with Gasperini. Ghilardi started two matches, against Lecce and against Slovan, and I remember him more for what he does in attack than in defence. Ghilardi is a starter now. Hermoso, we did not know who to pin it on, and now he is a leader. Balerdi arrived while Marseille fans were celebrating, and here he is dominant. N'Dicka has improved a lot... Roma have a back line that I believe is the strongest in Italy.' Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport noted that Roma had rotated five starters in defence over the last two matches while conceding no goals. He said the comparison between Malen and Castro and Ferguson and Dovbyk was harsh. Pes argued that Gasperini had not overused Pellegrini, who had started two matches, and said Pellegrini was prone to injury, which he had always been. Pellegrini is now 30, Pes said, and the problems are getting worse. Checco Oddo Casano said Roma should consider the futures of Dybala and Pellegrini in June, after seeing how many matches they had played. The radio hosts agreed that a striker is needed, and Pruzzo said he would name the player to be signed in January. Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport said he was supporting Manchester United against Como that evening, because a defeat for the English side would leave Roma with a final chance. He also said Roma had regrets about Fenerbahce and Real Madrid, where a result was possible, and warned that Roma could arrive at the third-last match ranked behind others in the table.

Malen and Castro have already outscored Dovbyk and Ferguson's entire Serie A campaign of last season, after just seven matchdays. The two current forwards have scored seven goals between them in Serie A this term, against one from Dovbyk and Ferguson across the whole of 2025-26. Roma have 16 points after seven rounds this season, compared with 15 at the same stage last year, so the points tally is almost identical. The difference lies in the attack. Roma have found the forwards they lacked a year ago, with the Dutchman and the Argentine both scoring and each able to make the difference when the other is missing. Last season, Ferguson and Dovbyk struggled to make an impact and to get shots away. Their combined Serie A tally that year was six goals, a figure Malen and Castro have already surpassed in only seven matches. The two strikers have also combined for nine goals in all competitions this season: eight from the Dutchman and one from the Argentine. Dovbyk and Ferguson were never really an option together, as they were too similar and too cumbersome to make a two-man attack work. Gasperini has preferred to play with a single striker, but that is not a written rule, and the head coach could now change his mind. With Dybala's physical condition a factor, Malen and Castro are in contention to start together from the first minute in the Champions League against Slovan. It would be a test of whether the pair can coexist. Their characteristics differ, but the quality is there. Castro has already shown he deserves a place, scoring a spectacular goal on his first start, and he does not want to be merely an alternative. Gasperini has recognised that. The Argentine has shown he can make an impact, and the big question now is whether Gasperini will field the two of them together against Slovan.

Santiago Castro starts as Roma's number nine for the first time in nearly a year, with Donyell Malen sidelined through suspension. The last Roma striker to hold that role as a starter was Artem Dovbyk in November against Udinese; Malen claimed the position in January. Castro has not scored since a Europa League match against Roma at the Olimpico, a performance that impressed both Gasperini and Francesco Totti, who recommended him to the coach. He has spent the last three matches on the bench, though in the period before the international break he came off the bench regularly and earned applause despite his goal drought. Castro's selection comes after a string of solid performances that earned him a call-up to his national team. The forward comes into the match having hit the woodwork twice against Atalanta. His task today is to end his dry spell while filling the gap left by Malen's absence. Last season, after three matches without a goal, he broke his duck against the same Atalanta side, then managed by Vieira. Castro arrived as the first signing of the most recent transfer window and also the most expensive. He carries heavy expectation to deliver immediately. Several Primavera players are in contention for a squad place. Panico, Arena, and Camara are hopeful of being called up, with the final selection to be confirmed this morning.