Roma close in on Mora as fullback hunt intensifies; Endrick remains a target

Roma sporting director Tony D'Amico is already working on January moves, with the winter window opening early on 28 December and the aim of adding two attacking players. The club's priority is to strengthen the attack while keeping to the owners' sustainable line, with wage demands not exceeding 4 million euros a season, and while monitoring a UEFA ruling expected between late November and early December. The top name on the list remains Endrick, who has been pursued for months and returned to the spotlight after comments at the Brazil national team camp, where the forward stressed his need for more playing time. He has played only 141 minutes so far across La Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid, including a goal and an assist against Roma. Talks between officials ahead of the European fixture reportedly included Roberto Carlos for the Madrid side, and the player is keen to leave, although José Mourinho prefers to keep him. Milan, who are in the Premier League in the article's wording, and Sporting CP, coached by former Roma boss Paulo Fonseca, are also reportedly moving for the 2006-born striker. Beyond the Brazilian, Trigoria's list includes several wide attacking options and left-sided players. Jamie Gittens of Chelsea is among them; he was a summer target who slipped away in the final hours of the window and is currently out of Xabi Alonso's plans. Other names include van Bommel of PSV Eindhoven and Leweling, whose move to Roma was reportedly close before repeated second thoughts. For the left flank, Balde of Barcelona has been offered, although that lead is currently frozen. In Germany, Stuttgart would reportedly demand no less than 30 million for Kvernadze, a player being tracked but not seen as a January priority. Gasperini expects two signings up front and is willing to give up a backup for Wesley in the summer by blocking the sale of Rensch, who remains as the fourth winger in the squad. Training resumes at Trigoria this afternoon, with Paulo Dybala among those most eagerly awaited as he shakes off a knock and aims for the trip to Parma. Mile Svilar has a medical check to have the protective boot removed from his right foot after a fifth-finger injury that forced him to miss the last match and a national team call-up. His availability for Parma remains in doubt, with a definitive verdict due in the coming days. Ticket sales for the Tardini trip are temporarily suspended pending decisions from the authorities.

No transfer meeting has yet taken place between the ownership, sporting director Tony D'Amico and head coach Gasperini, and there is only a whisper that next week could be the right moment, with no confirmation. Il Corriere della Sera's Davide Stoppini reports that Gasperini has had no direct contact with Dan Friedkin since last April, during the chaos surrounding Ranieri, not even an exchange after the Champions League qualification. Contact with Ryan Friedkin since May has changed little. Corbin Friedkin, the youngest brother, was recently seen at the Olimpico for the match against Real Madrid. In late July the club appointed CEO John Galantic, who in practice acts as a filter but does not have wide operational authority. For all deals above 2 million euros, which is practically all of them, he needs the approval of the Friedkins. The article describes this as a paradox: the club has moved further away from Gasperini than last year, when a degree of relationship between the coach and Ryan Friedkin had formed, as seen last January. Doubts may understandably arise among those involved, and nobody knows exactly how to proceed. Roma's transfer department has not stood still and has opened talks on several fronts, but these are exploratory contacts. Logic suggests that if the ownership gave the go-ahead at the end of August for an investment, Leweling or Luiz Henrique, it will make the same decision for January. However, these remain assumptions, and even inside Trigoria only hypotheses are being discussed. January is not a straightforward month.

Roma are preparing to strengthen their attack, with Gian Piero Gasperini repeatedly calling for reinforcements. Sporting director D'Amico was clear on Saturday: "Ci manca un esterno di gamba", meaning the squad needs a winger with pace and power. The window opens earlier than usual this year, on 28 December, so planning is now focused on December. Trigoria reopens today, but no meeting is scheduled, as D'Amico is in Turin for the Social Football Summit. A decision is more likely in the coming days. The goal is two signings in attack, with other needs addressed later if the chance arises. No budget has been set. A UEFA ruling on the fine the club must pay is expected between late November and early December. The targets will be the same profile as last summer: young players on wages of no more than €4 million a season. Endrick tops the list. He wants to leave, but Mourinho would prefer to keep him, and AC Milan and Sporting CP, where former Roma coach Fonseca works, are also interested. Roma are trying to get ahead of the competition. Chelsea's Gittens is also on the list. He was a summer target but the deal collapsed in the final hours of the window. The Englishman is currently injured, and he does not feature in Xabi Alonso's plans. PSV's van Bommel and Leweling are also under consideration. Leweling came close to joining Roma, but his repeated changes of mind ended the deal. According to German media, Stuttgart are willing to accept less than €30 million for him. Daniele Aloisi reported these details in Il Messaggero.

Gian Piero Gasperini regards Paulo Dybala as Roma's strongest player, saying: "Paulo è la chiave per puntare più in alto" — Paulo is the key to aiming higher. The coach added that at 32 the Argentine is in the prime of his maturity and is among the very best, if not the best, in Serie A today. Yet Dybala's involvement has been shrinking. He has made 6 Serie A appearances out of 11 this season, against 22 last season and 24 two seasons ago. The minutes tell the same story. Dybala played 1,417 Serie A minutes in 2024-25 (the equivalent of 15.7 matches), 1,354 minutes last season (15 matches), and 492 minutes so far this season (5.4 matches). Writing in Il Messaggero, Stefano Carina notes that for the first time in four years Roma no longer depend on the Joya in attack. Without Paulo, the team have scored 23 goals in 7 matches, including cup games, against 16 in 8 with him. Dybala's last goal came on 18 January. The absence has given more room to Rodrigo Mora. The Portuguese plays regularly on the left, with Matías Soulé on the right. He first came on as a substitute against Real and Genoa, and has now started against Manchester and Sassuolo. He already has 4 Serie A goals. Carina says the comparison with Dybala is both unfair and unavoidable, but the numbers can cut both ways. In just six matches Dybala has become the league's top player for expected assists (3.42), second for big chances created (8) and third for key passes (4).

Porto's finance director has confirmed a clause in the Rodrigo Mora deal that could cost Roma well over the initial €25 million. José Pedro Pereira da Costa said the Portuguese club holds an option to collect another €25 million. Porto keep 50% of Mora's future resale, but can also ask Roma to buy that stake. The revelation puts the midfielder's future back in the spotlight. Away from the transfer detail, Repubblica reports that Gasperini would like to rebuild a more direct relationship with Dan and Ryan Friedkin. That contact has become less frequent since the arrival of chief executive John Galantic. The coach stresses there is no rift with the club, but wants to share strategy more closely ahead of the January window. Gasperini regards the owners' backing as essential to the team's progress. Elsewhere, Ekrem Konur reports that Roma made a €25 million offer for Brazilian winger Samuel Lino, which Flamengo rejected. The 1999-born player is valued for his pace and ability to beat opponents, but the Brazilian club will not discount him. Juventus, Napoli and several English clubs are also tracking him. Bild reports that Stuttgart would sell Leweling for €30 million, down from the €35 million combined offer Roma made in August. Leweling has two goals and one assist in 14 appearances. The clubs have had no new contact for now. Roma's January plans are also taking shape. An offensive winger remains the priority, though Gasperini may also seek a midfielder. Gittens, Wiafe, Bakola and Højbjerg are among the targets. Financial constraints point towards loan deals with an obligation to buy, on the model of Malen. No deal has been agreed yet. Former Roma player Antonio Cassano praised Mora on Viva El Futbol: "È un giocatore meraviglioso, stratosferico". He predicted Mora would go on to play for even bigger clubs. Cassano also criticised the frequent substitutions made by Gasperini, while acknowledging the growth of the 19-year-old. Mora has scored in each of the last three league matches and has also been called up to the senior Portugal squad. His output is making him one of the key figures in Gasperini's Roma, although his minutes are still being managed carefully. Endrick, the Real Madrid forward, has said: "Voglio solo giocare, essere felice e aiutare i miei compagni", adding that he does not know what will happen in January. D'Amico is ready to consider a loan, but Mourinho continues to oppose the departure of the 20-year-old.

A Porto executive has insisted that the Rodrigo Mora deal is worth €50 million overall, even though the initial transfer was set at a lower figure. He said the club had invested €37 million in the 2026/27 summer window, compared with around €110 million the previous summer, and had made sales worth €78 million, counting Mora at €50 million. He explained the structure: "It was 25 million euros for 50%, but we have an option that depends solely on our will. For us it is a 50 million euro operation." Roma's attention is now turning to the left flank, where the squad is reportedly short of a player with pace. Sporting director D'Amico, formerly of Atalanta, is looking to Brazil to give Gian Piero Gasperini a new piece to complete the squad and make it more competitive. According to market expert Ekrem Konur, Roma like Flamengo's Samuel Lino, and the club have reportedly already offered €25 million, which Flamengo have rejected. Kostas Manolas has looked back on his time in the Capital, with personal memories, behind-the-scenes market stories and views on some of the figures from that period, speaking to Betardes. On Roma's Champions League semi-final against Liverpool, which followed the comeback against Barcelona, he still has regrets. "We go to Liverpool and I have the worst dream I could have in my life. I dream that a tooth falls 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. And I was very poor too. I can tell you that it was one of my worst Champions League matches. I was really terrible." Back at the Olimpico, he disputed several refereeing decisions: "We should have won. El Shaarawy shoots and Alexander-Arnold pushes the ball away with his hand before it goes in. 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 is another incident: a penalty that is not given for an offside that does not exist. There is no offside. If there had been VAR, we would have gone to the final. We had come back against Barcelona and we would have come back against Liverpool too." Roma are also still tracking Endrick of Real Madrid, a target pursued at length over the summer, who has scored his only goal of the season against Roma. Speaking to GloboEsporte, the 20-year-old said: "I am only 20, so I will see how things evolve. I just want to play, be happy and help my teammates. I don't know what will happen in January; it is in God's hands. I only ask for what is best for my career." He added: "Whatever is meant to happen will happen. I will keep my feet on the ground and continue to give my absolute best. Madrid is a wonderful city, but I will always do whatever is necessary to advance my career."

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 Vincent Candela has urged the club not to settle for less, backing Gian Piero Gasperini's approach and insisting the side can push Inter until the end of the Serie A title race. Speaking to Il Messaggero, Candela praised Gasperini's work, the progress of Matías Soulé and the solidity of the midfield, while also highlighting the impact of Donyell Malen. He also sent a message to the transfer market: "If a couple of missing pieces arrive, we can have even more fun." Roma return to training at Trigoria tomorrow afternoon, and Gasperini is set to gradually bring back Paulo Dybala and Mile Svilar. Svilar, recovering from a stress fracture in the fifth toe of his foot, will undergo a new check-up. Koné and Nahuel Molina will remain at Trigoria during the break. Molina's recall to the national squad has been halted by the club, a call-up that would have meant returning to the capital just two days before the league resumes. Gasperini's side have set a new record in the club's history, scoring 31 goals in the first 11 Serie A matchdays, a figure never previously reached. The previous best was 28 goals in the 1960-61 season. Roma remain unbeaten in Serie A, as are Lazio, and among the top five European leagues they share this record only with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Roma have also not lost at the Stadio Olimpico for over a year.

Gian Piero Gasperini can count on the return of Mile Svilar and Paulo Dybala for Roma's Serie A trip to Parma on 21 November, barring setbacks. The international break gives the coach a welcome boost as Roma aim to stay near the top of Serie A and climb the table in the Champions League. After two rest days granted by Gasperini, Roma reconvene at Trigoria tomorrow afternoon and train until Saturday morning. Dybala and Svilar will gradually rejoin the group. Svilar is due a further check-up after recovering from a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his foot. His rehabilitation, carried out between Belgium and Italy, has gone well, and he is set to be in goal against Parma on 21 November. Manu Koné and Nahuel Molina will also remain at Trigoria. Molina's omission has been decided by Roma; Scaloni has accepted the situation, making do with Balerdi, Soulé and Castro. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the break comes at the right moment to recover Dybala, the Joya, who is one of the key players for the squad. Roma are looking to stay in contention at the top of Serie A while working their way back up the Champions League standings.