Roma and Porto at odds over mandatory purchase clause in Mora deal

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 are interested in Flamengo's left winger Samuel Lino, with sporting director D'Amico looking to bring in a left-sided option before Christmas, according to market expert Ekrem Konur. Roma have reportedly already offered 25 million euros for the Brazilian, but Flamengo rejected the bid. The club's sporting director, a former Atalanta man, wants to give Gian Piero Gasperini a new piece to complete the squad and make it more competitive, with the left flank currently lacking a player with pace. Lino is far from a Roma-only target. Several Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, Aston Villa and Everton, were the first to show interest in the Flamengo player. Italian interest has also come from Juventus and Napoli, who have both made some approaches to sign the 26-year-old. Flamengo, however, want to keep hold of their young talent and currently have no intention of selling the Brazilian. The report describes Lino as a young left winger and a gem for Flamengo, and places the Brazilian at the centre of a multi-club pursuit. Roma's offer of 25 million euros was turned down, leaving the Giallorossi needing to raise their bid if they are to land a player who is attracting attention across Europe.

Stuttgart winger Jamie Leweling could return to Roma's transfer plans in January after the German club reportedly lowered their asking price for him to €30 million, down from the figure Roma offered before the summer window closed. According to Bild, Stuttgart intend to raise funds in the next transfer window following an expensive summer of signings, and Leweling is among the players they are prepared to sell. Roma had been close to signing the 2001-born player last summer, when they offered €30 million plus €5 million in bonuses. Before that, Roma had first tried a loan with an option to buy. Everton also pushed hard, with an overall proposal worth €43 million. In the end, Leweling chose to stay in Germany, and both moves collapsed. The player's decision has not yet paid off on the pitch: this season he has scored two goals and provided one assist in 14 appearances, well short of his output in the previous campaign, when he was one of Stuttgart's key players. That is why the club may now consider a sale on less demanding financial terms. Leweling fits the profile Gasperini has identified for the attack: a player with pace, physical strength and the ability to attack space. Those qualities are currently lacking in the Giallorossi squad, and the head coach hopes to address that in the next window. Roma, however, must work within the financial constraints of the UEFA settlement agreement. Sporting director D'Amico appears to favour loan deals with a buy option, which could become an obligation, rather than the permanent transfer Stuttgart may be looking for. D'Amico is also considering other attacking options, including Endrick and Gittens. For now, no new contacts between the two clubs have been reported to reopen negotiations. The lower price is a potentially favourable factor, but further developments will be needed before Roma's interest in Leweling can become concrete. Much will depend on the player's willingness and on the conditions Stuttgart are prepared to accept.

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."