Porto put Rodrigo Mora deal at €50m; Roma eye a left-sided option; Manolas on Liverpool semi-final

Gian Piero Gasperini continues to press for reinforcements at Trigoria, with Endrick his first choice for the attack, even as the international break begins. Endrick spoke today about his future: "I don't know what will happen in January; it is in God's hands. Madrid is a wonderful city, but I will always do everything necessary to advance my career." The Brazilian has no doubts anymore and has decided to leave Real Madrid in January. Roma face competition for his signature from Sporting Lisbon, who will lean on the Fonseca factor. Former Roma coach Ruben Fonseca trained Endrick last season at Lyon, and the Portuguese club have already opened contacts with the striker. Roma's plan, however, is clear: sign Endrick on loan to chase the Scudetto, and bring in Kvernadze on a permanent deal in the summer. The idea of using Nagida on the left has also come up as part of the club's planning.

Brazilian forward Endrick has told Spanish outlet AS that he has decided to look for another club that will give him more game time, and he intends to leave Real Madrid in January. Roma, who came close to signing him in the summer, are now competing with Sporting Lisbon for the player. Sporting have opened contacts with the entourage of the 22-year-old in recent weeks and will lean on the influence of Ruben Fonseca... [placeholder]

Stuttgart forward Leweling could leave the club as early as January, according to Bild, after narrowly avoiding a move in early September. Roma tried everything to bring the long-awaited winger to Gasperini, sending a plane to Stuttgart, but the player ultimately turned down the move to Rome. The deal instead went to Everton, the other club owned by the Friedkin Group, in a late-window duel that the Giallorossi were unhappy to lose. Leweling, born in 2001, is finding little playing time at Stuttgart. Stuttgart's asking price has dropped compared with recent months and now stands at around €30 million. Last summer Roma came in at around €30 million plus €5 million in bonuses, while Everton went above €40 million. Roma's management was not pleased to see the rival Friedkin club nearly complete the deal. For now, D'Amico and Gasperini have turned their attention almost entirely to Endrick, and Leweling does not appear to be a fallback option. A permanent move in the winter window is considered unlikely.

Roma's summer recruits have been involved in 36.5% of the club's goals this season, with 15 of the team's 41 strikes involving one of them. Gian Piero Gasperini has relied heavily on seven players who were not part of the squad in the last match of the previous campaign: Nahuel Molina, Marten de Roon, Leonardo Balerdi, Rodrigo Mora, Emanuele Lulli, Santiago Castro and Konstantinos Koulierakis. Lulli came up from the Primavera. Molina has been the most-used player, with 751 minutes, one goal and two assists. He is followed by De Roon (732 minutes), Balerdi (639), Mora (595), Lulli (546), Castro (370) and Koulierakis (225). Gasperini has given minutes to every summer arrival, including the Primavera graduate, showing confidence in the quality of the new players. Mora has been the most productive, with four goals and two assists. His recent form, with a sharp improvement in the latest matches, has eased doubts about the investment made in the summer, reported at €25 million plus 50% of a future resale, for a valuation of €50 million. Across all competitions, the new players have taken part in 15 of Roma's 41 goals. By comparison, at the same stage of last season, Massara's summer signings from that campaign had contributed to just three goals: Wesley with one goal, Ferguson with one assist and Tsimikas with one assist.

Former Roma player Stefano Desideri, speaking exclusively to Retesport, has backed Gian Piero Gasperini's side and said the gap to Inter is closing. He said he was proud to have worn the Roma shirt and described the current team as strong, with players focused and committed on the pitch. "Roma of Gasperini? A strong side, a joy to watch on the pitch. All the players are focused and on it, it's really a beautiful Roma." He added that he is enjoying watching the team after years of matches that were less enjoyable. Desideri drew comparisons with his own Roma side, which surprised opponents with a zonal press using one fewer forward and one extra midfielder, removing the markers of their opponents. He said the players then were willing to step forward, much as Gasperini's players are doing now. On the gap with Inter, he said something is always missing and that a few more players would help, but the club must find players capable of absorbing Gasperini's work, which he said is producing exceptional things. "We must keep trusting the coach," he said. He added: "I'm not afraid of anyone, I'm confident in this Roma. Lazio are the biggest surprise, Inter are a battleship but have levelled off a little, while the giallorossi have improved, so the gap is closing." On Lorenzo Pellegrini's fellow midfielder Niccolò Pisilli, Desideri said: "Good player, a complete midfielder who is good in the tackle and gets forward. He just needs to play as much as possible. A serious lad from Rome, I am proud of him." On European competition, he said the team lacks experience, with many players having little of it. He said that against Real Madrid the side played excellently with personality for 84 minutes, but then experience was lacking. "Managing the result is not part of this team's DNA." On Donyell Malen, Desideri compared him to Voller, describing him as a driving force for the team with different characteristics. "He has an execution speed that leaves defenders stranded, a fundamental quality. We have discovered a strong player." On Rodrigo Mora, he said: "A talent, he struggled at first. In recent outings we have seen him chasing opponents, he is entering the coach's mentality and it is perfect for him."

Former Roma forward Antonio Cassano has heaped praise on Rodrigo Mora, comparing the Portuguese midfielder to the early version of Joao Felix from his Benfica days, before the forward moved to Atletico Madrid. Speaking on the programme Viva el Futbol, Cassano said: "He reminds me a lot of the first Joao Felix, the one from Benfica. A wonderful player, stratospheric, you see few like him now. Then Felix didn't deliver and dropped off, but at the start I liked him enormously." Cassano also turned his attention to Mora's game time, directing a question at head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Cassano said: "I really like Mora, he still has to grow. I'd like to ask Gasperini: why does he play him sometimes and not others?" The former playmaker said he would like to see Mora featuring more consistently, while acknowledging that the player still has to complete his development. What stands out to Cassano is not only the player's technical qualities but also his attitude in training every day. He said he had received information from the Trigoria environment about the player's work ethic. Cassano said: "At Trigoria they tell me he is a great worker, a workaholic. Mora is devastating, one-on-one he always beats his man. If he doesn't get messed up, I think he can make people talk about him for the next 15-16 years."

Former Roma defender Kostas Manolas has spoken at length to Betardes about his time in the Italian capital, reflecting on Francesco Totti, Luciano Spalletti, the 2017/18 Champions League campaign and his move to Napoli. Manolas said Totti was the best person he has met in football: "È la persona migliore, la più umile. Non posso dire una sola parola negativa su di lui. Prima di essere un calciatore è un uomo. Mi accolse come fossi suo figlio. Per questo siamo sempre stati molto vicini. Ancora oggi ci sentiamo al telefono. Sapeva cosa fare con il pallone un'ora prima che gli arrivasse. C'era una differenza enorme tra lui e tutti noi, tecnicamente e mentalmente. Totti mi aiutò. Se non fosse stato per lui, non avrei rinnovato. Mi convinse. Era come un fratello per me e non potevo dirgli di no. Totti dovrebbe essere dentro la Roma. Non è possibile che sia fuori. Se fossi il presidente, lo terrei a vita, nel ruolo che desidera." Manolas also addressed Totti's retirement, which he said was not the player's own decision: "Piangevo anch'io. Non potevi fare altrimenti. L'avevo vissuto negli ultimi giorni e vedevo come stava affrontando la situazione. Non voleva smettere. È stata la società a farlo smettere. La società, l'allenatore, Spalletti… Totti voleva continuare a giocare. Secondo me aveva ancora qualcosa da dare. Magari non era più nella migliore condizione fisica, ma anche negli ultimi tempi entrava e segnava. In quei 15, 20 o 30 minuti riusciva sempre a fare qualcosa, un assist oppure un gol." On Spalletti, Manolas separated the coach's qualities from his manner with players: "È un allenatore molto, molto, molto bravo. Come persona però è difficile. Per me non si comporta correttamente con i calciatori. Ma come allenatore è uno dei migliori che abbia mai avuto, se non il migliore. Io dico la verità. Solo perché non si comportava bene con me, non posso dire che fosse un cattivo allenatore. Era un grandissimo allenatore. Se dicessi il contrario sarei un bugiardo." The defender recalled the dressing-room mood before the second leg against Barcelona in the 2017/18 quarter-finals, when Roma trailed 4-1 from the first leg. Manolas said that De Rossi, Kolarov, Džeko, Pellegrini and others at a table were convinced they would win 3-0: "Siete pazzi da legare! Ma come facciamo a vincere 3-0? Pensate davvero che non prenderemo neanche un gol da questi? Quello che dite non esiste. Sono tutte stupidaggini. Oggi ne prenderemo altri tre o quattro e ce ne andremo a casa." He then described the decisive goal, scored from a corner taken by Cengiz Under: "Io al primo palo andavo molto raramente. Ma avevo visto Under in allenamento e sapevo che spesso calciava forte senza riuscire a superare il primo uomo. Così sono andato sul primo palo. Ho colpito di testa, la palla ha fatto quello che doveva fare ed è entrata. Non so neanch'io come spiegartelo." Roma's run ended in the semi-finals against Liverpool, and Manolas still has regrets about his own performance in the first leg: "Andiamo a Liverpool e faccio il peggior sogno che potessi fare nella mia vita. Sogno che mi cade un dente. Io credo a queste cose. Quando ho fatto quel sogno, ho capito che sarebbe stata una giornata molto difficile. Uno o due dei loro gol erano in fuorigioco, ma noi siamo stati molto scarsi. E anch'io sono stato molto scarso. Posso dirti che quella è stata una delle mie peggiori partite in Champions League. Sono stato davvero pessimo." In the return leg at the Olimpico, he disputed several refereeing decisions: "Avremmo dovuto vincere. El Shaarawy tira e Alexander-Arnold respinge il pallone con la mano, prima che entri in porta. È rigore ed espulsione. Avremmo potuto fare il 3-2 al 55' e avremmo ribaltato la partita. Poi c'è un altro episodio: un rigore che non ci viene dato per un fuorigioco che non esiste. Non c'è nessun fuorigioco. Se ci fosse stato il VAR, saremmo andati in finale. Avevamo rimontato contro il Barcellona e avremmo rimontato anche contro il Liverpool." Manolas also described a transfer to Zenit that collapsed over the contract currency. He said the figures were to be written in roubles, which he rejected: "Arrivo all'incontro e mi dicono che le cifre del contratto sarebbero state scritte in rubli. Mi spiegano che il rublo può salire o scendere anche del 20%. Io gli dico che voglio gli importi in euro. Mi rispondono che non è possibile, che sono l'unico giocatore a volerlo. Gli dico che, se esco da quella riunione, non tornerò più indietro, perché sono superstizioso. Mi dicono di andare via. Quando sono a casa mi chiamano e mi dicono che hanno accettato di mettere tutto in euro. Ma io rispondo che ormai è troppo tardi." On his return to Rome, he said he was told he would no longer play: "Quando tornai, mi dissero che non avrei più giocato e che non avrei più fatto niente. Io risposi che non c'era problema, che ci saremmo presi un caffè e alla fine avremmo visto chi avrebbe giocato." He does not regret the decision: "Non tutti i mali vengono per nuocere. È questo che è rimasto nella storia. Avrei potuto guadagnare 10 milioni in un anno, invece sono rimasto alla Roma per meno di un terzo. Ma quello che ho fatto per me vale dieci volte tanto." Finally, Manolas explained his move to Napoli after five seasons in giallorosso: "Non avevo pazienza. Il mio ciclo alla Roma si era chiuso. Cinque anni, e vedevo che la squadra non riusciva a fare quel passo in più per competere davvero. Avevamo provato a vincere il campionato, ma lo avevamo perso contro la Juventus, che allora era fortissima. Era come l'Olympiacos in Grecia, difficilissima da affrontare. Vedevo che in quel momento il Napoli era una squadra che, dal punto di vista calcistico, aveva standard più alti rispetto alla Roma. Non volevo lasciare l'Italia. Negli anni precedenti avevo avuto offerte dalla Juventus, ma quell'anno non ne avevo. Così decisi di andare al Napoli." On the financial side, he said: "La Roma doveva prendere quei soldi. Aveva un problema enorme con il fair play finanziario. Doveva incassarli. Alla fine mi convinsero e andai al Napoli."

Former Roma defender Kostas Manolas has said that VAR would have taken Roma to the final, in a long interview with the Greek portal Betarades. Speaking about his time in the giallorosso, he covered Francesco Totti, Luciano Spalletti, the comeback against Barcelona and the semi-final defeat to Liverpool. Manolas described Totti as the best person he had met in football. “He is the best person, the most humble. I cannot say a single negative word about him. Before being a footballer he is a man. He welcomed me as if I were his son. That is why we have always been very close. Even today we talk on the phone. He knew what to do with the ball an hour before it arrived. There was an enormous difference between him and all of us, technically and mentally.” Manolas said Totti helped persuade him to renew his contract: “If it had not been for him, I would not have renewed. He convinced me. He was like a brother to me, and I could not say no to him.” He added: “Totti should be inside Roma. It is not possible that he is outside. If I were the president, I would keep him for life, in the role he wants.” On Totti's retirement, Manolas said: “I was crying too. You could not do otherwise. I had lived it in the last days and I saw how he was facing the situation. He did not want to stop. It was the club that made him stop. The club, the coach, Spalletti... Totti wanted to keep playing. In my opinion he still had something to give. Maybe he was no longer in his best physical condition, but even in recent times he came on and scored. In those 15, 20 or 30 minutes he always managed to do something, an assist or a goal.” On Spalletti, he was blunt: “He is a very, very, very good coach. As a person, however, he is difficult. In my view he does not treat players correctly. But as a coach he is one of the best I have ever had, if not the best. I tell the truth. Just because he did not behave well with me, I cannot say he was a bad coach. He was a great coach. If I said the opposite I would be a liar.” Manolas also spoke about the collapsed move to Zenit. He said the contract figures had first been drawn up in roubles, and that he insisted on euros because the rouble could move by as much as 20%. He said he was told he was the only player who wanted this, and that the club later agreed to euros, but by then he said it was too late. On his return to Roma, he recalled being told he would no longer play. “I replied that it was not a problem, that we would have a coffee and in the end we would see who would play.” He reflected on the Barcelona match and the goal he scored. “Not all bad things come to harm. That is what has stayed in history. I could have earned 10 million in one year, but I stayed at Roma for less than a third of that. What I did for myself is worth ten times as much.” On why he left, he said: “I had no patience. My cycle at Roma had closed. Five years, and I saw the team could not take that extra step to really compete. We had tried to win the league, but we lost it to Juventus, who were very strong then.” He said Napoli had higher standards at that time, adding: “I did not want to leave Italy... So I decided to go to Napoli.” He also said the club needed the money because of a major financial fair play problem: “Roma had to take that money.” Before the Barcelona game, he recalled a team table where De Rossi, Kolarov, Džeko, Pellegrini and others predicted a 3-0 win. “I looked at them and said: ‘You are crazy! How can we win 3-0? Do you really think we will not even concede a goal to these lot? What you are saying does not exist. It is all nonsense. Today we will take three or four more and go home.’” He described his goal: “I very rarely went to the near post. But I had seen Ünder in training and knew he often shot hard without getting past the first man. So I went to the near post. I headed it, the ball did what it had to do and went in. I do not even know how to explain it.” On the semi-final against Liverpool, Manolas said he had a bad dream before the trip: “I had the worst dream I could have in my life. I dreamed a tooth fell out. I believe in these things. When I had that dream, I understood it would be a very difficult day. One or two of their goals were offside, but we were very poor. I was very poor too. That was one of my worst Champions League games. I was really terrible.” He was most frustrated by the second leg. “We should have won. El Shaarawy shoots and Alexander-Arnold pushes the ball away with his hand before it crosses the line. It is a penalty and a red card. We could have made it 3-2 in the 55th minute and turned the game around. Then there was another incident: a penalty not given for an offside that does not exist. There is no offside. If there had been VAR, we would have reached the final. We had come back against Barcelona and we would have come back against Liverpool too.”

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini travelled to Genoa to receive the 5th edition of the "Un cuore da Leone" award, set up by Stelle nello Sport in memory of Gian Luigi Corti, and spoke to reporters on the sidelines of the event. He praised the courage he has always shown as a coach, saying: "Un po' di pazzia anche, sicuramente anche il coraggio che è una componente importante per me, per il Genoa che era una squadra coraggiosa con me e anche oggi penso che lo sia la Roma". Gasperini said Genoa had been a team built on courage during his time there, and that the club's supporters still hold his spell in the city close to their hearts. He spoke of two phases at Genoa, one lasting five years and one lasting three. "Difficile fare una classifica, sicuramente quella di Genova è stata una tappa fondamentale per la mia carriera e ricca di soddisfazioni. Bergamo una tappa meravigliosa anche quella, ma che è anche figlia del mio percorso", he said, comparing his time in Genoa with his spell at Atalanta. On Stephan El Shaarawy, who is now at Genoa, Gasperini recalled that he was the youngest player to have made his Serie A debut when Gasperini first gave him his chance. He said the pair later met again at Roma, where El Shaarawy scored the decisive goal that returned the club to the Champions League in May. "Ora è tornato qua a Genova e darà un grande contributo alla squadra", Gasperini added. Asked whether he expected a squad to be so ready so quickly, Gasperini said: "Una storia iniziata da un anno e mezzo ma meravigliosa, speriamo di continuare su questa strada. Roma ha dei numeri più grandi, se riesci a fare bene in questa città il risultato è maggiore". He added: "Sono alcuni mesi che riusciamo ad essere competitivi. In Italia siamo riusciti a crescere, siamo partiti bene anche l'anno scorso. L'anno scorso il girone di ritorno è stato di livello, quest'anno è ancora presto, undici partite non sono molte, ma sono significative per il comportamento della squadra. L'ambiente ci dà grande benzina per fare bene". Roma are two points behind Lazio, and Gasperini was asked whether he expected a title-race derby. "Sicuramente è una sorpresa un po' per tutti, ma anche un valore e riconoscimento per la città, che è una città straordinaria con un grande entusiasmo per il calcio. La Roma ha sempre lo stadio pieno, la Lazio magari ha altri problemi, ma in questa città si vive il calcio con un entusiasmo incredibile". Looking ahead, Gasperini said: "L'ambizione mia è di guardare sempre avanti, poi ogni tanto, come stasera, ti volti indietro ed è piacevole ricevere riconoscimenti. Ora ne approfittiamo un attimo con la sosta, poi però l'indirizzo è quello di continuare sulla strada intrapresa". Asked about Inter's heavy win over Como, he said he had expected Inter to win 2-0 and added that the Serie A title race looked balanced and remarkable.