Refereeing decisions weigh heavily on Roma's push for European football

Roma are close to securing Rodrigo Mora, a 2007-born winger who stands under 1.70m tall and favours dribbling over physical play, as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini shapes a younger, lighter and more attacking squad than last season. Mora will compete with Lorenzo Pellegrini for the number 10 role. The club are still hunting one or two additional wingers or attacking midfielders and one or two fullbacks to complete the XI. Gasperini's vision prioritises technical ability over physical presence, targeting players built for a high-octane attacking system. Mora's profile — incisive on the ball but less accustomed to the physical demands of Italian football and prone to struggle when forced to chase opponents — fits the template. Donyell Malen is expected to carry the goal-scoring load among the wider players initially, with alternatives in Castro and Robinio Vaz, who offers greater physical stature. Matías Soulé, should he remain, offers a middle ground. Fullbacks too are selected for their attacking prowess: Wesley on one flank, with options including Molina, Cacciamani, Luis Henrique or Udogie on the other. Manu Koné emerges as the vital equilibrium force in midfield, tasked with providing defensive cover and structure to an otherwise offence-heavy setup. However, he remains a persistent departure risk, a potential weakness in an otherwise cohesive recruitment strategy.

Gasperini sees potential in Mora that echoes previous success stories from his time at Atalanta. The Roma head coach has a track record of transforming attacking players into decisive forces. When Papu Gomez arrived at Atalanta, he had already played as a trequartista and winger, but Gasperini redefined his role, placed him at the centre of the project, and developed him into an unstoppable winger capable of deciding matches through goals, assists, and creativity. Gomez became the symbol of that Atalanta side, and Gasperini the coach who brought him to the highest point of his career. The approach with Mora could follow a similar path. Rather than forcing him into a fixed position, Gasperini's plan is to enhance his natural qualities: technique, pace, and imagination. The Portuguese player would be given freedom and responsibility within the system. Mora does not have to operate exclusively as a trequartista to perform at his best. If the team needs a left winger, he can play that role. If tactics require him to start wide and drift infield, he possesses the ability. Gasperini has executed this transformation before and knows the method. The final step remains to complete the transfer. Once that is done, Gasperini will focus on developing Mora into a key player.

Roma continues to struggle in finding an attacking left winger, prompting head coach Gian Piero Gasperini to evaluate a significant tactical overhaul for the 2026–27 season. High costs and a lack of suitable profiles have left the position unfilled despite sustained efforts, pushing the club to consider a strategic change in formation. The proposal would move away from two attacking midfielders supporting a single striker toward a system with one attacking midfielder behind two forwards. This tactical shift would align with Roma's recent recruitment priorities, including reported interest in players such as Rodrigo Mora and Endrick. With attacking options like Donyell Malen, a forward identified as Castro, and Robinio Vaz already in the squad, alongside creative midfielders of the calibre of Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini, Roma would have the versatility to reshape its attacking setup to suit the strengths of its available players and adapt the system to their characteristics.