Roma confirm Salah-Eddine departure to Panathinaikos on loan with option to buy

Inter scouts attended Cagliari's match against Atalanta to monitor midfielder Alessandro Romano and striker Paul Mendy, two emerging Serie A talents. Romano has been one of the season's early revelations and is expected to earn his maiden Italy call-up during the international break. Mendy, younger and still developing, has scored all three of his Serie A goals against Atalanta. Romano arrived at Cagliari on loan from Roma with a €4.9M conditional obligation to buy after impressing at Spezia last season. Roma allowed him to leave permanently. He represented Switzerland at youth level before switching allegiance under Roberto Mancini's persuasion. Mendy is a Cagliari academy product who progressed from their Primavera side to the first team late last season and has recorded four goals in 15 appearances. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Inter view both as prospects for the future, though the midfielder is the more established prospect while the striker remains a work in progress. Inter would negotiate solely with Cagliari for either player. Scouts are conducting standard due diligence; both have performed well so far. The development represents a significant miss for Roma, given Romano's trajectory. Inter's midfield is already well-stocked, but their offensive strategy will centre on Marcus Thuram, with potential interest in strong prospects should they part with a star player and promote Francesco Pio Esposito.

Alessio Cacciamani will face Roma and Gian Piero Gasperini on tomorrow evening when Torino visit, just days after signing a contract renewal with the Serie A club. The 19-year-old, who attracted Roma's interest during the summer, has committed to Torino until 30 June 2031 with an improved salary package. Gasperini had identified Cacciamani as a left-sided talent to develop and integrate into the first team, envisioning a role in both Serie A and European competition, potentially alternating with Wesley or Molina. The renewal strengthens Torino's negotiating position economically, though Roma retain the financial means to pursue another attempt for the young forward—possibly in January or more likely in the summer of 2027. Other Italian clubs and English sides are also monitoring his progress. Cacciamani's early season form has been encouraging. He has started all five of Torino's fixtures across Serie A and Coppa Italia, recording one assist in the league. The prospect of facing the club that pursued him intensely offers him motivation to demonstrate his readiness for the highest level. Roma continue to observe from the sidelines, aware that Torino may be forced to sell next summer if a significant offer arrives, particularly if the club decides to redirect spending toward an attacking player in the January window. The article notes that Gasperini and Roma's scout D'Amico are watching his development closely. Torino hope Cacciamani will immediately prove capable of performing at an elite level, thereby justifying their confidence in him and potentially deterring some interest. However, the competitive landscape around him is expanding. Beyond Roma's continued interest, other major Italian clubs and several Premier League sides are tracking the teenager. The club faces a delicate balance: rewarding his potential with renewed terms while managing the likelihood that a well-resourced suitor may tempt him away within two transfer windows.

Marten de Roon faced a hostile reception from Atalanta's ultras during yesterday's match against Cagliari, who displayed a banner criticizing his move to Roma in the final days of the transfer window. The ultras were unhappy with both his departure and his celebration at the end of Saturday's match at the Olimpico. Gasperini moved to defend his midfielder, saying: "De Roon was for many years a player who brought honour to Atalanta and the city of Bergamo. He did something extraordinary, and now it's a privilege to have him here. As soon as he finds his best condition he will be an important player. Leaving Atalanta was not his choice, he did not fit into their plans. What was he supposed to become? An old shoe locked away in a cupboard?" De Roon remains one of Gasperini's trusted lieutenants at Roma. He will miss tomorrow's match against Torino while continuing to build fitness, but Gasperini expects him to become a key midfielder once his condition improves.

Roma players out on loan delivered mixed results across a busy weekend of football, with Alessandro Romano continuing to impress in Serie A while others made their debuts for their temporary clubs. Romano played all 90 minutes as Cagliari defeated Atalanta 2–1 at Bergamo, and created a chance for Mendy early in the second half that was ruled out for marginal offside. The 20-year-old also fired from distance in the 15th minute, forcing a corner from Carnesecchi. Under coach Pisacane, Romano has become an established starter and is at Cagliari on a loan with an obligation to buy should certain sporting conditions be met. Neil El Aynaoui experienced a contrasting week at RB Leipzig. The Moroccan midfielder played the full match in the Bundesliga club's 4–1 Champions League defeat away at Como on Thursday, then returned to the starting XI in Bundesliga action on Sunday, playing 74 minutes in a 5–0 victory over Hamburg without scoring or assisting. He remains on loan with a right of redemption. Robinio Vaz made his Premier League debut for Hull City, entering at the 82nd minute in place of McBurnie during an away fixture at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. Hull secured a 2–2 draw, and Vaz, born in 2007, now has his first minutes in English football under his belt. He too is on loan with a right of redemption. Other Roma loanees had quieter weekends. Mattia Mannini made his Benevento debut off the bench, replacing Siatounis in the 74th minute of a 3–1 win against Hellas Verona—his first appearance after being unused at Ascoli. Filippo Reale played 90 minutes at left centre-back in Carrarese's 1–0 home defeat to Catanzaro, the goal coming from Iemmello in the 83rd minute. Radoslaw Zelezny started in goal for Perugia away at Ravenna but saw his side lose 3–0 after being reduced to ten men when Kabashi was sent off late in the first half. He had kept a clean sheet in a win against Pineto the previous week. Luigi Cherubini sat unused on Benevento's bench in their 3–1 success, a reversal of his playing status from Ascoli. Angeliño made a second consecutive unused substitute appearance for Deportivo La Coruña in a 1–1 draw at Getafe. Marash Kumbulla returned to the squad list for Rayo Vallecano but did not play in a 4–1 defeat at Real Madrid's Bernabeu. Jan Ziolkowski remained unavailable with a foot problem that had already kept him out the week prior; Monza lost 3–2 to Lecce without him. Artem Dovbyk was held out of Bologna's trip to Napoli after sustaining a minor groin issue in the 91st minute of a prior victory; Bologna lost 1–0 at the Maradona, with manager Tedesco calling the precaution sensible rather than a serious injury. Anass Salah-Eddine is nearing a loan move to Panathinaikos; Roma has agreed terms and the winger has arrived in Athens for medicals, though an official announcement had not yet been published at the time of writing.

Emanuele Lulli will face Torino's Nicolò Cacciamani on Sunday 13 September in what shapes as a duel between two 2007-born Italians, with incoming national team coach Roberto Mancini expected in the stands to observe them both. Roma had targeted Cacciamani during the summer transfer window, offering up to €12 million, but Torino demanded at least €20 million. Lulli remained at Trigoria after Gasperini blocked a potential loan departure and deployed him immediately as a starter. In a separate development, the Salah-Eddine saga has concluded. The Moroccan defender has accepted a transfer to Panathinaikos on a loan deal with a €5 million buy option plus bonuses, with no conditions that would trigger an automatic obligation. His exit follows exclusion from the club's UEFA list and Gasperini's comments ahead of the Atalanta fixture. Roma's women's team will contest the Serie A Women's Cup semi-final against Sassuolo at Stadio Ricci at 12:00, live on Sky Sport. The Giallorosse seek revenge after losing 0–1 to Sassuolo at Tre Fontane in late August. Baldi returns in goal and Oladipo has been called up; Lukasova and Pilgrim are absent, the latter sidelined by knee inflammation.

Roma have completed another outgoing transfer despite the market being formally closed. The club and head coach Gasperini had decided in recent weeks to sell Salah-Eddine, but the player rejected four high-profile destinations in succession: PSV, Monaco, Olympiakos and West Ham all saw their moves fall through. Panathinaikos emerged as the eventual destination, tabling a loan deal with a right of purchase worth approximately €5–6 million plus bonuses. Salah-Eddine has already travelled to Athens for his medical examination.