Radio Roma: Mora talks stall as debate rages over transfer strategy

Roma are monitoring Ecuadorian forward Keny Arroyo, a 2006-born attacker currently playing for Cruzeiro, as they look to strengthen their attack. According to Agência RTI Esporte, both Roma and Benfica have already begun initial contacts with the Brazilian club's entourage to gather information on the player's contract situation. Arroyo has made 50 appearances for Cruzeiro, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists. He joined the Brazilian club from Besiktas in September 2025. Cruzeiro paid €8 million for 50% of his registration rights, while the remaining half of his economic rights is still owned by Independiente del Valle. His contract with the Belo Horizonte club runs until 31 December 2029 and includes a release clause of as much as €100 million. Cruzeiro have reportedly set their conditions for any negotiations: a bid of at least €45 million would be required. Club president Pedro Lourenço regards Arroyo as an asset of the club, but does not intend to sell him during the European winter transfer window. The player's entourage also considers a future move possible, though they do not want to rush the process. Their objective is to find a destination in a leading league that can aid his development and consolidate his path with the Ecuador national team.

Endrick's future could lie away from Real Madrid, with Roma and AC Milan at the front of the queue to secure the Brazilian forward, and the young Blancos player reportedly preferring Roma. Italian reports had moved him away from Milan on Tuesday, claiming the reason was the Rossoneri's symbol, the devil, and that the deeply Christian Endrick had ruled out a move to Milan for that reason. The player's entourage has denied that version, calling it a "fantasy" in comments to Globo from Brazil. According to UOL Esporte, which carries the same denial, Endrick wants a club that competes in the top domestic and international competitions. That means a top league and the Champions League. Roma offer both, while Milan play in the Europa League, the article notes. Real Madrid closed the door on a loan in the summer, but could consider a sale in January, starting from a permanent deal for a fee of at least the amount paid to Palmeiras. That means at least 60 million. For Roma, the report puts them in contention for a player who prioritises Champions League football, a factor that matters in their pursuit of a forward this winter. The January window is the point at which Real Madrid could reopen talks, and any permanent transfer would need to reach the figure linked to his Palmeiras move. The entourage's rejection of the symbol story leaves the Champions League criterion as the central point in the reporting. Endrick's camp has pushed back on claims about his religious reasons for avoiding Milan, while the club-selection factors remain the centre of the discussion.

Roma are accelerating their transfer activity and focusing their attention on the attack, with Endrick at the top of the list. The Brazilian reportedly wants more playing time after a first spell at Real Madrid in which he did not carve out the role he had hoped for. Roma are pressing to sign him on loan, but the route remains complicated: Milan are also following the situation, and the Spanish club has not yet decided whether to let him leave. Endrick is not the only name on Gian Piero Gasperini's mind. Among the alternatives are Jamie Gittens, for whom Chelsea have reportedly opened the door to a loan move, and Ademola Lookman, a profile that continues to attract interest. The name of Rodrigo Riquelme has also returned to the discussions in recent assessments. The priority has become adding quality and options in attack, temporarily putting the search for an alternative to Wesley on hold. Lulli played an important role in this change of strategy.

Rodrigo Mora has become a fixed presence for Gian Piero Gasperini after just two months, scoring four Serie A goals in nine appearances. Roma paid 25 million euros for the Portugal international, with a further 25 million to Porto possible. Mora is already part of the Portugal national team set-up. While Tommaso Baldanzi struggles to find space at Genoa under Daniele De Rossi, Mora is a regular starter for Gasperini. He ended a difficult start to the season with three goals in a row, against Genoa, Udinese and Sassuolo. He had never scored in three consecutive matches at Porto. His four league goals are double the two the former number 35 scored in 54 matches over two years. He has also registered two assists, against Real Madrid and Manchester United. The young playmaker's form matters for Roma's wider plans. Gasperini is enjoying a pairing of very young attacking midfielders. Rodrigo, born in 2007, works well alongside Matías Soulé, born in 2003. Paulo Dybala returns from the trip to Parma, but Mora will also find his place in Gasperini's system. Before the end of the year, Roma play seven matches in under a month, so the squad will need every option. The article stresses that the squad has room for everyone. Rodrigo's rise has changed the early-season picture, and his goals and assists have given Gasperini a clear reason to build his attack around him alongside Soulé and Dybala.

Roman radio pundits have been debating a possible move for Brazilian forward Endrick, with contrasting views on whether he would suit Roma. On David Rossi's Rete Sport show, Rossi said Il Corriere dello Sport reported that both AC Milan and Roma were interested in the player, and that Endrick had said he would not join Milan because the club's symbol is the Devil. Rossi questioned whether that could be credible, adding that when a name is this obvious a deal rarely happens unless it is already done. He also said there was a danger Fonseca wanted Endrick at Sporting, where the player had felt at home under Fonseca at Lyon. "Endrick is a fantastic player," Rossi said. "Gittens may play on the left, but between him and Endrick there are, for me, three categories of difference." The debate comes as Roma are in the title conversation. Gianluca Piacentini named three reasons to believe in the scudetto: the league's strongest coach, room to improve through the January transfer market, and a levelled-down Serie A, which he said was shown by Lazio sitting top of the table. He said he hoped the race would be between Roma and Inter. Piacentini also criticised the 'atleta di Cristo' explanation, saying it was not a fair criterion for choosing a destination. Fabio Petruzzi said Endrick sees little of the pitch and may want to leave to play regularly, adding that if he has not played while Vinicius was suspended for four matches, he will never play. He said that if he were an attacker, Gasperini is the first coach he would want to work with, and that Endrick, a left-footed player, can play on the left. Mario Corsi said the Mora-Endrick comparison was a trap because the two are completely different players. He said Endrick has a strong shot, dribbling and heading ability, and that strong players must be signed. He said Malen should not be deployed on the wing because he must stay in the middle, and that Gasperini and D'Amico had not heard from Friedkin for a long time and were somewhat worried. "If they really want to win, they have to make this move." Francesca Ferrazza said Roma need two forwards with Pellegrini gone, and that Endrick offers the best value for money. Lorenzo Pes said Malen's frequent substitutions also happened last year, and that Retegui at Atalanta rarely finished matches. Valentina Catoni said that when Dybala is fit he always plays. Piero Torri recalled Mourinho saying Endrick would not leave Madrid, noted that the Brazil international has started only one match, and said Endrick is a second striker who would sit behind Soulé and Dybala. Roberto Pruzzo said Endrick wants to play and that Italian football has become a second-tier league. Nando Orsi argued Roma need a right-footed winger who plays on the left, and that Endrick would be of little use with Castro already in the squad. Mario Mattioli warned that bringing Endrick into the Roma dressing room could be an unwanted explosion, calling him very difficult to manage and saying he would have to play always and in every match. "He is not a dressing-room man," Mattioli said, adding that Endrick is not the man who says "let's arm ourselves and set off" when a common effort is needed.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini wants to bring in two attacking players, with a striker of pace and thrust the clear priority. Tony D'Amico publicly acknowledged last Saturday that finding such a forward is the aim, a quality the current squad palpably lacks and which was exposed in high-level matches against Manchester, Real and Inter. Endrick is seen as the ideal profile for his technical and athletic qualities. He was deployed in support of the main striker at Lyon a year ago, when Fonseca, who now wants him at Sporting, used him in that role. He has scored 8 goals and provided 8 assists in a few months, a sign of enormous potential that is still largely unexplored. Gasperini would pair him with Malen, with a playmaker behind the front line such as Mora, in a 1-2 attack, and would add a second attacking player alongside him. That second player would be a left-footed winger who can operate as a wide midfielder or a winger, with a profile similar to Moreira: versatile and able to be used in several roles or positions during a match. The alternative would be an attacking midfielder in the mould of Pasalic or Pellegrini, who could come in as part of the rotations. The target is not a deep-lying or central midfielder.

Roma's January transfer window risks becoming one of the pivotal moments of their season, with the club's challenge being to identify the players Gian Piero Gasperini genuinely needs without repeating the improvised mid-season dealings of the past. The summer window closed with at least two unresolved issues, perhaps three: a full-back, preferably left-footed, an attacking winger capable of giving bursts of pace and depth, and, despite the club's own assessments, a fifth central midfielder. The central midfield is probably the most underestimated concern. Manu Koné, Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli form a reliable unit in quality terms, but four players for two places, considering the Champions League, Serie A and the Coppa Italia, is a fairly thin resource. Roma's recent admission that a forward-thinking winger of real pace is the priority, recognising a gap that already emerged at the end of the summer market, was described as an important acknowledgement, since it means the club and the coach have identified a precise need. The question now is whether they can meet it without simply buying someone. January is not July. There are no summer training camps, no preparation weeks and no time to teach Gasperini's football from scratch, a system that demands reading of the game, physical condition, timing and a willingness to sacrifice. Anyone who arrives must be ready almost immediately, because the risk of signing a player who only understands the system by March is far from remote. The experience of Zaragoza and Venturino, signed in a hurry last year and sold just as quickly this summer, should have taught the club something. Those deals were meant to add attacking options but produced a contribution below expectations. What is needed is not necessarily another Grenier, a player brought in to fill a line on the team sheet without really changing the team's possibilities. Better one right signing than three alternatives destined to remain just that, especially as Roma have shown they already have a competitive structure and need to be completed rather than rebuilt. The problem is that this time the calendar will not even allow the luxury of waiting. From 2 to 31 January, Roma will play nine matches across Serie A, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia. The first three come in just eight days: Frosinone on 2 January, Venezia on 5 January and Milan on 9 January. Then comes Verona in the cup, Atalanta, the decisive European fixtures against AEK Athens and Lille, Udinese and Monza. The sequence could steer three competitions at once, making it essential to reach the restart after Christmas with all available resources. The market opens on 1 January, but D'Amico believes the work must be substantially completed well before then. Waiting until the final days to save money could leave Gasperini without reinforcements just as points start to matter more. Equally, rushing through profiles that are not fully convincing simply to present them at Trigoria in the first days of the month would be just as dangerous. That is the balance to strike: being in a hurry without being rushed. Gasperini has shown he can develop a squad built around his ideas, but also that not every player is automatically suited to his style, so January's business must be built on shared choices rather than last-minute opportunities. Roma have already lost too much time in the past trying to correct the mistakes of the previous market. This time they must do something different: complete what works. A reinforcement arriving on 3 January can change a season; the same player arriving on 31 January could find a Roma that has already played nine decisive matches. And certain opportunities, once missed, cannot be recovered with a signing.

Roma face another league fixture tomorrow evening, a win that could put them within one step of the top of Serie A depending on other results and would send the giallorossi into the international break with more confidence after their comeback in Manchester. Gasperini will have three key players fully available during the break: Svilar, Koné and Dybala. Pellegrini, however, will remain sidelined for a long period. In recent matches, the three-man combination of Malen, Soulé and Mora has produced positive results. Malen has continued to score regularly, Soulé has become increasingly central to the attacking build-up, and Mora has found his form, registering a goal or an assist in every recent match in which he has been actively involved. The real problem, however, is the lack of depth. Reserves are currently missing, partly through injury and partly through structural shortcomings that have been flagged repeatedly since late August. For this reason the club is actively searching for the right signings to give the coach in the transfer window, which in this case must also strengthen the attacking department. The situation resembles last year, when the primary aim was to find a couple of attacking players. Four arrived in the end: Malen, Venturino, Vaz and Zaragoza, with only one, the Dutchman, proving decisive. Gasperini is strongly focused on Endrick. The Brazilian was the chosen target last summer, but after a near move to Ciampino, Mourinho's ill-timed intervention stopped the deal. So far Endrick has performed well, and very well only at the end of the match against Roma, which is an irony of fate, but he continues to find limited playing time. He is left-footed, and combines excellent basic technique with accelerations that would be very useful to Roma even when a match is already underway. Imagine Endrick in place of Mora in the second half in Manchester. Maguire and his teammates would have had reservations about pushing forward, as happened especially after the cruel penalty awarded by Manzano. Endrick is part of Roma's plans and is the primary target, but it is not enough. Gasperini would like to complete the department with two players: the Brazilian plus another number ten, second striker or attacking player who is right-footed and physically well built. Gittens is mentioned, out of favour at Chelsea, and above all Kvernadze, who for his age and wage would fit perfectly into the sustainability path set at Trigoria in recent months. Numerically, Pellegrini's serious setback and the new problems for Dybala could push the club and coaching staff to reflect carefully on the squad numbers. Roma cannot realistically withstand the weekly double commitment with Malen (plus Castro), Mora, Soulé and then the adapted players. The overall picture of incomings could be completed by a midfielder with running and physical power, to cover Koné's physical difficulties and De Roon's age. A trio of signings could make Roma's squad resistant to injuries and able to cope with the demands of the Champions League, Serie A and the Coppa Italia, which returns in January.

Roman radio pundits have delivered a blunt verdict on Roma's squad after the club's recent results, with several voices arguing the thin squad is now costing the team in the Champions League. Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà said: "La rosa della Roma è corta e lo sarà per altri due mesi, perché il mercato riaprirà a gennaio. Campionato e Champions sono impegnativi e questo lo paghi inevitabilmente. Se ci aggiungi la questione infortuni, la situazione grava ancora di più." The debate follows Roma's defeat at Manchester and their match against Como, with the pundits split on how the team performed. Ugo Trani of Tele Radio Stereo praised Gian Piero Gasperini for refusing to blame referees, saying: "Gasperini fa bene a non parlare di arbitri per non dare alibi alla squadra, i giocatori non si devono deconcentrare." Trani argued that the squad is incomplete: "La Roma non ha una squadra completa, Gasperini l'ha detto a fine mercato e anche D'Amico lo ha confermato. Entrano giocatori che in Serie A valgono e in Champions no." He added: "La crescita si fa comprando i giocatori", and said Roma need players who make the difference, not cover such as Zaragoza and Venturino. He also suggested Forbs would be useful, not only Tresoldi. Trani said Roma had changed their attitude across the whole team, not just Pisilli, and felt the match should have been settled in the first half. He noted Como are in a better position than Roma and that their absences are less damaging. On Mora, he said he was playing as a full-back at Manchester and that Gasperini chose Pisilli because he might defend better. Trani also said Como have strong players and that Valle would be a starter at Roma. Francesco Balzani of Tele Radio Stereo said Roma played a first half at Manchester similar to Como's, but that Fabregas's side did not give up in the second half, which he described as what big teams do. He called Nico Paz an above-average player in Italy. On injuries, he said Svilar would return after the international break, and that Dybala's fitness test would be assessed that day. He said it was not advisable for Koné to join up with the national team after missing so many matches. He argued the most damaging absence is Svilar's, as Gollini does not offer the same control of the defence. He said N'Dicka remains the best defender, Mancini is not at his peak and Ghilardi will find more space. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio Pomeriggio said Sassuolo look the ideal opponent for Roma, who need to lift their heads and reach the break without forcing the return of long-term injured players. He added: "Gli infortuni fanno purtroppo parte di un calcio frenetico che costringono gli atleti a fare sforzi che un tempo non c'erano." Simone Valdarchi of Radio Manà Manà said Roma have got used to bouncing back quickly from defeats, pointing to 17 positive results as proof of their quality. He said preparation for Saturday's match would only begin that day, with training at Trigoria in the early afternoon. He said the return from Manchester had been complicated by several issues, and the usual recovery session was skipped the day before. He added that the day's work would show what to expect from the home fixture.

Roma's January transfer window risks becoming one of the pivotal moments of their season, with the club's challenge being to identify the players Gian Piero Gasperini genuinely needs without repeating the improvised mid-season dealings of the past. The summer window closed with at least two unresolved issues, perhaps three: a full-back, preferably left-footed, an attacking winger capable of giving bursts of pace and depth, and, despite the club's own assessments, a fifth central midfielder. The central midfield is probably the most underestimated concern. Manu Koné, Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli form a reliable unit in quality terms, but four players for two places, considering the Champions League, Serie A and the Coppa Italia, is a fairly thin resource. Roma's recent admission that a forward-thinking winger of real pace is the priority, recognising a gap that already emerged at the end of the summer market, was described as an important acknowledgement, since it means the club and the coach have identified a precise need. The question now is whether they can meet it without simply buying someone. January is not July. There are no summer training camps, no preparation weeks and no time to teach Gasperini's football from scratch, a system that demands reading of the game, physical condition, timing and a willingness to sacrifice. Anyone who arrives must be ready almost immediately, because the risk of signing a player who only understands the system by March is far from remote. The experience of Zaragoza and Venturino, signed in a hurry last year and sold just as quickly this summer, should have taught the club something. Those deals were meant to add attacking options but produced a contribution below expectations. What is needed is not necessarily another Grenier, a player brought in to fill a line on the team sheet without really changing the team's possibilities. Better one right signing than three alternatives destined to remain just that, especially as Roma have shown they already have a competitive structure and need to be completed rather than rebuilt. The problem is that this time the calendar will not even allow the luxury of waiting. From 2 to 31 January, Roma will play nine matches across Serie A, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia. The first three come in just eight days: Frosinone on 2 January, Venezia on 5 January and Milan on 9 January. Then comes Verona in the cup, Atalanta, the decisive European fixtures against AEK Athens and Lille, Udinese and Monza. The sequence could steer three competitions at once, making it essential to reach the restart after Christmas with all available resources. The market opens on 1 January, but D'Amico believes the work must be substantially completed well before then. Waiting until the final days to save money could leave Gasperini without reinforcements just as points start to matter more. Equally, rushing through profiles that are not fully convincing simply to present them at Trigoria in the first days of the month would be just as dangerous. That is the balance to strike: being in a hurry without being rushed. Gasperini has shown he can develop a squad built around his ideas, but also that not every player is automatically suited to his style, so January's business must be built on shared choices rather than last-minute opportunities. Roma have already lost too much time in the past trying to correct the mistakes of the previous market. This time they must do something different: complete what works. A reinforcement arriving on 3 January can change a season; the same player arriving on 31 January could find a Roma that has already played nine decisive matches. And certain opportunities, once missed, cannot be recovered with a signing.

Roma's focus for the January transfer window has settled on a single target: an attacking winger, ideally left-footed, who is already capable of making a difference at the highest level. The club's primary objective is Real Madrid's Endrick. The Brazilian and Gian Piero Gasperini reportedly admired each other before ever working together, and that admiration grew during the Champions League match between Roma and Real Madrid, when the coach valued the forward's versatility and his physical and technical qualities up close. Endrick was reportedly impressed by Roma's attacking style, which the report suggests would give him more enjoyment than the bench in Madrid. The transfer is constrained by two conditions. Roma can only pursue a deal along the lines of the Malen operation, meaning a loan with an obligation and a right of redemption linked to Champions League qualification, and nothing more. The player must also be of international standard, young but already able to make a difference at high levels, rather than an inexperienced prospect in the mould of Vaz or Venturino. The main obstacle is Real Madrid coach Mourinho, who has said he does not want to sell Endrick. Endrick himself spoke this morning and opened the door to a sale, and his entourage has been pushing for a move away from Spain for some time. Relations between the player and Roma have remained unchanged since the failed summer attempt, and a meeting was held after the Champions League game at the Olimpico to reaffirm their mutual desire to get together in January. The report says Endrick's mood is worsening by the day. Ancelotti has made clear he must play more or risk losing his place in the Brazil squad, which the article describes as a crime for a Brazilian. A loan has therefore returned to the conversation. Endrick could also return to Real Madrid in June, where Vinicius is reportedly running out of months. Roma would not be caught unprepared: a target is already marked for the summer in Kvernadze of Frosinone. The Georgian is much loved by Gasperini and could be available for less in the summer thanks to a reported 4 million euro clause with a high resale percentage. Frosinone currently do not intend to sell him unless they receive crazy offers, but the situation would change in June. The plan, the article says, is clear: Endrick now for the title race, Kvernadze tomorrow. The alternative to the Brazilian could be Gittens, but the fact that the Englishman has never actually played for Chelsea raises legitimate questions. Gasperini had recently expressed a desire to invest in midfield, but that possibility has faded as the days pass. Roma do not want to disrupt a department that has functioned well even during a real emergency, and the club is counting on Pellegrini's return in January. On the left side of defence, Lulli's emergence does not create any urgency, and loan opportunities will be taken if they arise. Oosterwoolde will not arrive, as his physical condition is not convincing, while Balde of Barcelona is of interest.

Roma face another league fixture tomorrow evening, a win that could put them within one step of the top of Serie A depending on other results and would send the giallorossi into the international break with more confidence after their comeback in Manchester. Gasperini will have three key players fully available during the break: Svilar, Koné and Dybala. Pellegrini, however, will remain sidelined for a long period. In recent matches, the three-man combination of Malen, Soulé and Mora has produced positive results. Malen has continued to score regularly, Soulé has become increasingly central to the attacking build-up, and Mora has found his form, registering a goal or an assist in every recent match in which he has been actively involved. The real problem, however, is the lack of depth. Reserves are currently missing, partly through injury and partly through structural shortcomings that have been flagged repeatedly since late August. For this reason the club is actively searching for the right signings to give the coach in the transfer window, which in this case must also strengthen the attacking department. The situation resembles last year, when the primary aim was to find a couple of attacking players. Four arrived in the end: Malen, Venturino, Vaz and Zaragoza, with only one, the Dutchman, proving decisive. Gasperini is strongly focused on Endrick. The Brazilian was the chosen target last summer, but after a near move to Ciampino, Mourinho's ill-timed intervention stopped the deal. So far Endrick has performed well, and very well only at the end of the match against Roma, which is an irony of fate, but he continues to find limited playing time. He is left-footed, and combines excellent basic technique with accelerations that would be very useful to Roma even when a match is already underway. Imagine Endrick in place of Mora in the second half in Manchester. Maguire and his teammates would have had reservations about pushing forward, as happened especially after the cruel penalty awarded by Manzano. Endrick is part of Roma's plans and is the primary target, but it is not enough. Gasperini would like to complete the department with two players: the Brazilian plus another number ten, second striker or attacking player who is right-footed and physically well built. Gittens is mentioned, out of favour at Chelsea, and above all Kvernadze, who for his age and wage would fit perfectly into the sustainability path set at Trigoria in recent months. Numerically, Pellegrini's serious setback and the new problems for Dybala could push the club and coaching staff to reflect carefully on the squad numbers. Roma cannot realistically withstand the weekly double commitment with Malen (plus Castro), Mora, Soulé and then the adapted players. The overall picture of incomings could be completed by a midfielder with running and physical power, to cover Koné's physical difficulties and De Roon's age. A trio of signings could make Roma's squad resistant to injuries and able to cope with the demands of the Champions League, Serie A and the Coppa Italia, which returns in January.