Mendes intervention fails to move Strasbourg on Moreira price

Roma completed two signings to strengthen their roster experience after failing to land their initial targets. Marten de Roon arrived from Atalanta after requesting to leave when manager Maurizio Sarri took charge, while Leonardo Balerdi joined on loan from Olympique Marseille with a €15M conditional obligation to buy. The club abandoned pursuit of fullback Jayden Oosterwolde from Fenerbahce after discovering the severity of his injury was worse than expected and declined to revise terms; youth product Emanuele Lulli has since proven serviceable at the position. Morato remained at Marseille after Nottingham Forest insisted on a permanent deal rather than the loan arrangement Roma sought; the defender departs having made 200 appearances over six seasons. The De Roon signing represents a strategic pivot away from signings made by the previous director that lacked head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's backing. De Roon will replace Neil El Aynaoui in the midfield, though El Aynaoui never quite fulfilled the potential he demonstrated at Lens. Roma are exploring additions to the forward line should opportunities arise, working on moves for Zenit's Luiz Henrique and Stuttgart's Jamie Leweling, according to reports. These potential signings could accelerate if Matías Soulé departs the club. El Aynaoui is headed to RB Leipzig for a potential €29M package, Sky reports. The strategic direction reflects Roma's preference for established performers unlikely to cause disruption while delivering solid contributions when selected.

Roma have signed midfielder Marten de Roon from Atalanta and defender Leonardo Balerdi from Olympique Marseille, but failed to complete moves for fullback Jayden Oosterwolde and defender Morato. The deal for Oosterwolde collapsed after Fenerbahçe's injury proved more severe than expected and the club refused to renegotiate terms; Roma are not pursuing alternative options as academy product Emanuele Lulli has proven serviceable. Morato joins on loan with a €15 million conditional obligation to buy after Nottingham Forest demanded an immediate permanent transfer—he had been a cornerstone of Marseille's plans for six seasons with 200 appearances. De Roon arrives as a replacement for Neil El Aynaoui, who is heading to RB Leipzig for a reported potential €29 million package. The midfielder asked to leave when his manager Maurizio Sarri called, and Atalanta allowed his departure without obstruction. Roma's recruitment reflects a broader shift away from signings made by the previous director that lacked Gian Piero Gasperini's approval, selecting instead established players unlikely to disrupt the group. Roma are also working on signings from Zenit's Luiz Henrique and Stuttgart's Jamie Leweling, according to reports from Alfredo Pedullà, with the possibility of adding both if Matías Soulé departs. El Aynaoui, who joined from Lens, never fully realised the potential he had shown in Ligue 1, and the club have opted to move forward with proven commodities expected to deliver solid contributions when called upon.

Roma have stepped up their pursuit of Stuttgart forward Jamie Leweling with a new offer of €30 million plus €5 million in bonuses on a contract until 2031, while withdrawing from the race to sign Luiz Henrique. The club's sporting director D'Amico has decided to prioritise the German international ahead of alternative targets in what are shaping as decisive hours in the final stretch of the transfer window. Roma's first proposal to Stuttgart—structured as a loan with an obligation to buy—was rejected in recent days. The club have since restructured their approach and now tabled a permanent transfer offer. Leweling has not yet made a decision on his future, with interest from Premier League sides including Everton and Liverpool, and a potential stay at Stuttgart also remaining on the table. Roma are pressing for an answer from both the player and the German club as they seek to deliver an attacking option to head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The shift away from Henrique represents a significant change in Roma's transfer strategy. Although the club had already secured agreements in principle with both Zenit and the Brazilian winger himself, D'Amico has elected to pursue other avenues. Leweling has now overtaken Henrique in Roma's hierarchy of targets for the wide forward position, though the Zenit option remains open as a contingency should negotiations with Stuttgart fail to reach completion. Roma and Stuttgart continue to work towards finding common ground on the structure and financial conditions of the deal. The coming hours are expected to prove crucial, with the club maintaining multiple solutions while intensifying focus on securing Leweling before the window closes.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has identified a striker and a left-back as the remaining pieces needed to complete the squad ahead of tomorrow's away fixture at Lecce. Gasperini said: "To complete the team we need a piece that closes that section. A left-back and a forward have remained. Lulli has filled in somewhat, I have always believed in him, he is giving important responses but we cannot load such large responsibilities on him. Last season we had Angeliño, Tsimikas, Çelik, Wesley and also Rensch." Gasperini has most of his squad available for the trip to Via del Mare, with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Devyne Rensch expected to return to group training next week. Leonardo Balerdi was officially confirmed as a new arrival this morning, joining fellow recent additions Konstantinos Koulierakis, Rodrigo Mora, Santiago Castro and Nahuel Molina among the squad.

Former Roma and Lecce player Gigi Garzya has warned that Roma must be ready for an opponent who gives nothing away when the sides meet on Monday. Speaking ahead of the match, Garzya praised Lecce's performance in their opening away win at Venezia, saying the team of Di Francesco "remained in the game with the right mentality and lucidity that weighed heavily in the final half-hour". He highlighted Olaf Gorter as a player who impressed with both quality and personality, and noted the arrival of Ilić as evidence of Lecce's focus on adding strength in the transfer market. On Roma's prospects under Gian Piero Gasperini in his second season, Garzya acknowledged the squad has been reinforced, though he described Zeki Çelik's departure as a "heavy" loss—while backing Nahuel Molina to compensate with his quality and competitive drive. He was effusive about midfielder Rodrigo Mora, saying: "Technically he has numbers that make him an important prospect; one characteristic struck me more than others: he is the type of player you do not see frequently in the various leagues, because his thinking arrives first, and consequently he then makes the ball travel in an unpredictable way for opponents. When people say he is a bit light physically, they forget that the most important characteristic is playing the ball always with some instant of anticipation for whoever controls it." On the defence, Garzya explained that Konstantinos Koulierakis represents a deliberate and necessary choice rather than mere cover: "This year, with the Champions League, you need at least six established defenders in the department, calculating also that the game starts from the back, there are so many matches and Gasperini's football is very demanding in every role. The choice was targeted; the Roma coach never approves a signing just to make up numbers." Regarding Roma's ambitions, Garzya urged caution: "It is too early to say and ultimately the transfer market may not be finished yet; let's also see what the others do by the close; certainly you must do everything to maintain Champions League qualification, because Roma must play this competition regularly. Then we'll see if appetite comes with eating."

The relationship between head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and sporting director Ricky Massara deteriorated throughout the 2025–26 season, marked by clashing views on transfer strategy, public criticism and mounting friction that became irreparable. Massara, who felt treated as an amateur despite his substantial track record, endured difficult months in silence, though tension grew steadily. The conflict began last summer during negotiations for Sancho and Fabio Silva, then escalated in late August when Massara said "Sancho at the moment remains a suggestion because I don't think there are the conditions or the motivations," while Gasperini later replied: "Sancho never refused Roma." The situation exploded in early September during a heated discussion at Fulvio Bernardini, where Gasperini accused Massara of being too slow in negotiations, dismissing the restrictions imposed by Financial Fair Play and inherited difficulties. Disputes over specific targets fuelled the rift further: Gasperini's veto on Raspadori, his preference for Malen over Zirkzee, and disagreements over Robinio Vaz. The breakdown continued from a distance after Massara moved to Juventus, with the director's pursuit of Zeki Çelik irritating Roma while Gasperini attempted to insert himself into the Juventus deal for Kessié. The definitive rupture came in spring, when Gasperini rejected Kerim Alajbegovic and made his position clear: having secured the departure of Ranieri, he wanted Massara gone as well to remain at Roma.

Roma travel to Lecce this afternoon in their first away fixture of the season, carrying momentum from a commanding 4–0 opening-day victory over Fiorentina. Lecce began their campaign with a 2–0 win at Venezia and will provide stiff opposition at the Via del Mare. Gasperini intends to field a largely unchanged side from the Fiorentina match. A contest remains open at right-back between Lulli and Molina, with the younger Roma player favoured for the match. In attack, Mora is the preferred option ahead of Soulé, Dybala and Malen. Roma will line up in a 3–4–2–1 formation: Svilar in goal; Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso across the back; Lulli, Koné, Cristante and Wesley in midfield; Dybala and Mora in support; Malen leading the line. Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi, Ghilardi, De Roon, Pisilli, Castro and Soulé are among the substitutes. Lecce will adopt a 4–2–3–1 shape under Eusebio Di Francesco: Falcone; Veiga, Tiago Gabriel, Gaspar, Gallo; Coulibaly, Gorter; Pierotti, Ngom, N'Dri; Geubbels. The match kicks off at 16:30, with Chiffi of Padova as referee, assisted by Imperiale and Cecconi. Di Bello is fourth official, Di Paolo on VAR, and Paganessi as assistant VAR.

Roma face Lecce at 18:30 today in their second Serie A match of the season, looking to build on last weekend's 4–0 victory over Fiorentina. Head coach Gasperini is expected to field an unchanged lineup. Mile Svilar will start in goal behind a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. Wesley takes the left-back role, while Emanuele Lulli is favoured over Nahuel Molina at right-back. Rodrigo Mora has the edge over Matías Soulé in midfield, with Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala paired as forwards. Roma's recent run has been strong. The club have won their last six Serie A matches—the final five of the 2025–26 season plus this season's opening fixture against Fiorentina. The last time Roma registered seven consecutive league wins was between February and March 2025, when Claudio Ranieri was in charge.

Roma travel to Lecce on 31 August at 18:30 seeking to build on their commanding 4–0 opening-day victory over Fiorentina. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini intends to make minimal changes to the starting eleven that earned that emphatic win, with the principal uncertainty centring on the right-back slot where Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli are contending for a starting place. Rodrigo Mora is favoured to retain his position in the attacking line alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, who scored a hat-trick against Fiorentina. Mile Svilar will continue in goal, with the defensive trio of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso set to remain unchanged in front of him. Wesley will operate at left-back, while Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné are expected to continue as the central midfield pairing, despite the latter finishing the Fiorentina match with minor physical discomfort. The attacking system allows the three front players considerable fluidity, with Dybala given freedom to drift between the lines and support Malen as the most advanced referential point. Two recent arrivals—Marten de Roon and Leonardo Balerdi—have been included in the travelling squad for Lecce but are unlikely to start. De Roon, officially confirmed by Roma in recent hours, and Balerdi, newly arrived, have had minimal training time with their teammates and will serve as potential substitutes. Gasperini stated that he considered Matías Soulé fully available for the Lecce fixture, though Mora currently holds the edge for the starting role. The ballottage readings suggest Molina leads Lulli 55–45 per cent, while Mora is favoured 65–35 per cent over Soulé. Lorenzo Pellegrini and Devyne Rensch remain unavailable. Roma's tactical setup is expected to mirror the successful pattern from the opening day, with ten positions clearly established and the contest between Molina and Lulli on the right flank representing the main selection dilemma Gasperini faces.