Roma eye new deal for De Roon, with a possible role on Gasperini's staff

Roma's January transfer planning is waiting on concrete signals from the Friedkin family in Houston, with the club's strategy expected to be defined this week. The break for international fixtures is seen as a crucial moment to plan the winter window, while Roma's aim remains to stay close to the top of the Serie A table. Il Tempo reports that, barring surprises, no members of the Friedkin family are expected to arrive in Rome. The club is also waiting to learn the outcome of its settlement agreement with UEFA, which will determine the room available for investment. Gian Piero Gasperini's direct contact for market matters and corporate affairs remains CEO John Galantic, with a meeting expected in the coming days. The technical area and sporting director Tony D'Amico have already set the priorities: a striker and a winger, ideally with the qualities of Moreira, who was pursued months ago. Endrick remains at the top of the wish list, although the deal is considered complex in several respects. Kvernadze's stock among the other profiles studied by the club has fallen, as he does not fully convince. Unlike the situation last summer, Gasperini's plans also include the possibility of signing a new midfielder, should the budget granted by the ownership allow it. Although satisfied with the performance of the department, the coach has begun to reflect on the difficulties of the season so far. Koné tends to stop from time to time, De Roon, while still reliable, is of significant age, and Pellegrini is getting less and less playing time. For these reasons, if there is room to manoeuvre, Roma will consider a addition in midfield.

Dybala and Mancini have returned to training with the group at Trigoria, with both now in contention for Roma's trip to Parma on 21 November. The squad resumed work after three days' rest with thirteen players away on international duty, and Gian Piero Gasperini used the break to clear the injury list. Paulo Dybala is gradually overcoming a calf injury, while Gianluca Mancini has almost shaken off a muscle complaint. Their responses will be assessed over the coming days, but the chances of both being available at the Tardini are growing. There are also encouraging signs for Mile Svilar, who is still training apart from the group but has put his boots back on after weeks in a protective boot for a foot injury, boosting hopes of his return in goal against Parma. His recovery will also allow Pierluigi Gollini to recover more calmly from the back problem that cost him the last two matches. Gasperini is now looking ahead to the January window and will discuss the matter this week with sporting director Tony D'Amico and chief executive John Galantic. The coach's priority is to add offensive options with a profile offering pace and unpredictability. Three different options are on the club's list, though none has yet become a concrete negotiation. The internal discussions come against a backdrop of a cool and distant relationship between Gasperini and the Friedkin family. No meetings with the ownership are currently planned to define winter strategy, so the talks with D'Amico and Galantic will serve to set priorities and room for manoeuvre while awaiting decisions from the American owners.

Leonardo Balerdi, who left Marseille for Roma, has become one of the pillars of Gian Piero Gasperini's side and is now being considered by Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni to fill the central defensive void left by Otamendi's departure. The Marseille supporters who celebrated his exit in August now have a Roma fan base enjoying his performances instead. Balerdi defends, commands his area, supports attacks and, when he has space, can carry the ball forward. His combination of qualities is reminiscent, in some respects, of the best version of Manolas. Gasperini has repeatedly praised him, and the start to this season has confirmed how important the Argentine has become to the balance of the team. His progress has also not gone unnoticed back home. Scaloni continues to call him up to the national team, and now a new opportunity may open for him. With Otamendi gone, Argentina are searching for a new reference point at the heart of the defence. According to TyC Sports, the Giallorossi defender is among the candidates for a starting berth in the friendly against Uruguay, with Lisandro Martínez expected to partner him. The report underlines how quickly Balerdi has established himself as a key figure at Roma, moving from a player whose departure Marseille supporters welcomed to a central defender the national team is considering for a starting role. A call-up and a starting place against Uruguay would represent a significant step for the 2026-27 season.

Roma's January transfer planning is waiting on concrete signals from the Friedkin family in Houston, with the club's strategy expected to be defined this week. The break for international fixtures is seen as a crucial moment to plan the winter window, while Roma's aim remains to stay close to the top of the Serie A table. Il Tempo reports that, barring surprises, no members of the Friedkin family are expected to arrive in Rome. The club is also waiting to learn the outcome of its settlement agreement with UEFA, which will determine the room available for investment. Gian Piero Gasperini's direct contact for market matters and corporate affairs remains CEO John Galantic, with a meeting expected in the coming days. The technical area and sporting director Tony D'Amico have already set the priorities: a striker and a winger, ideally with the qualities of Moreira, who was pursued months ago. Endrick remains at the top of the wish list, although the deal is considered complex in several respects. Kvernadze's stock among the other profiles studied by the club has fallen, as he does not fully convince. Unlike the situation last summer, Gasperini's plans also include the possibility of signing a new midfielder, should the budget granted by the ownership allow it. Although satisfied with the performance of the department, the coach has begun to reflect on the difficulties of the season so far. Koné tends to stop from time to time, De Roon, while still reliable, is of significant age, and Pellegrini is getting less and less playing time. For these reasons, if there is room to manoeuvre, Roma will consider a addition in midfield.

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 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.

Roman radio pundits have been debating Roma's interest in Real Madrid forward Endrick, with several saying a loan is the likely route. Andrea Pugliese on Radio Radio Pomeriggio (104.5) said: “La Roma a gennaio va alla ricerca di un prestito secco, massimo con diritto di riscatto per motivi finanziari. Per Endrick era tutto fatto in estate ed è una cosa che confermano anche in Spagna. Mourinho continua ad opporsi a una sua cessione per egoismo. La Roma potrebbe lavorare anche per Gittens perché al Chelsea non gioca. So con certezza che Fonseca prenderebbe Endrick al volo e allo Sporting il brasiliano si troverebbe bene per la lingua e per il rapporto che ha con il tecnico. Endrick alla Roma? Firmerei non domani ma ieri.” Ugo Trani on Tele Radio Stereo (92.7) turned to Mora, saying Roma currently pay 25 million to Porto for him, and that acquiring 100% of his rights would take the total to 50 million. He added: “Mora sta facendo bene in campionato e in Champions, il problema sono i rendimenti di Vaz e Dovbyk. Quando il Bologna ti rimanderà indietro Dovbyk potrai cederlo solo in prestito, i problemi della Roma sono questi. Endrick allo Sporting? Stanno parlando con più club perché Mourinho non vuole darlo ai Friedkin. A Endrick se metti 5 club davanti sceglie comunque la Roma. I dirigenti della Roma si sono mossi con quelli del Real Madrid con il Procuratore del calciatore e con lo stesso Endrick. Lo scoglio Mourinho resta, se può fare uno scherzetto ai Friedkin lo farebbe. Non è stato contento che ha vinto contro la Roma? Certo, ma non per i tifosi, per i Friedkin.” Roberto Pruzzo (Radio Radio Pomeriggio - 104,5) said: “Endrick vuole giocare. Il campionato italiano è diventato di seconda fascia, i giocatori vengono qua da noi a fare tirocinio. Dumfries all’Inter faceva la differenza, nel Real non gioca mai. Endrick è forte, qua troverebbe una collocazione. Sarebbe una bella sfida anche per lui trovare la titolarità in una squadra che sta andando molto bene…” Piero Torri (Radio Manà Manà - 90,9) said: “Serve porsi una serie di domande su Endrick. Lo considero una punta. Secondo me non è il giocatore che la Roma sta cercando come caratteristiche.” Filippo Biafora (Radio Manà Manà - 90,9) focused on playing time: “La questione per Endrick è una sola: deve giocare tanto. Mi domando se con Gasperini giocherebbe tutte le partite. Non ne sono certo. Sicuramente entrerebbe più in campo di quanto non faccia oggi al Real Madrid. Credo che il tecnico di Grugliasco lo vedrebbe sul centro-destra.” Lorenzo Pes (Teleradiostereo - 92,7) was more focused on Roma's current attack: “La gestione di Dybala mi incuriosisce. L’assetto migliore potrebbe essere quello visto con il Real Madrid con Soulé a destra e Paulo a sinistra. Con Dybala Malen rende al massimo ma la produzione offensiva non è diminuita. Il giocatore migliore in questo inizio di stagione è Hermoso.”

Mario Hermoso is close to signing a new contract at Roma, with talks having begun last month and a two-year deal reportedly ready. The Spaniard has become one of Gasperini's trusted players after a difficult start to his time in the Italian capital, and his goal in Saturday's 3-0 win over Sassuolo was the latest confirmation of his value, according to Tuttosport's Stefano Gentili. Hermoso's current contract runs until 30 June 2027, after the club exercised its option to extend it last May. The club is now working to go beyond that date. Contract renewals for young players Lulli and De Marzi have already been settled, and the board is now focusing on the Spaniard. The new deal is being discussed as one or two years, with an option for a further season. The salary is expected to be lower than his current one, and both parties are keen to continue together. Signing has yet to take place. Hermoso has played 1,049 minutes so far this season across Serie A and the Champions League, with only Wesley having been used more by Roma. Gasperini, the coach from Grugliasco, has won him over on both a human and footballing level. Hermoso is reported to be fit both physically and mentally, and has rediscovered the feeling of being indispensable in the Italian capital.

Mario Hermoso is close to signing a new two-year contract at Roma, with the club having opened talks to tie down the Spanish centre-back. His current deal runs until 30 June 2027, a date the club reached by exercising an option to extend the agreement last May. Talks have been under way since last month, and the parties are working on an extension of one or two years, possibly with a salary adjustment that would be lower than his current wage, a sign of the strong and mutual desire to keep working together. The move marks a dramatic turnaround. On 31 January 2025, Roma loaned Hermoso to Bayer Leverkusen after just thirteen appearances and one goal, a spell that was hampered by a difficult settling-in period. His return to Trigoria and his meeting with Gian Piero Gasperini have completely reversed his fortunes. The Grugliasco-born coach has turned him into an aggressive defender who is comfortable building play from the back and valuable in the penalty area too. Hermoso has played 1,049 minutes so far this season across Serie A and the Champions League, and only Wesley has been used more by Roma. He has scored three goals in total, two in Serie A and one in Europe. Having established himself as an automatic first choice, Hermoso is now considered an indispensable part of the defence, and keeping him would provide continuity for a back line that has found in the Spaniard a crucial point of reference.