Roma eyes Gittens loan in January, Kvernadze deal targeted for summer

Derry Scherhant, a 23-year-old right-footed winger at SC Freiburg, has emerged as a potential target for Roma in a scouting column examining realistic transfer options for Gian Piero Gasperini's attack. Born in Berlin on 10 November 2002, Scherhant stands 1.85 metres tall and weighs 78 kilograms, naturally playing as a left-sided attacker though he can operate on the opposite flank or centrally. Freiburg acquired him in the summer of 2025 for a modest €2 million from Hertha Berlin, where he had recorded 37 appearances, 9 goals and 7 assists in his final season. Freiburg's sporting director Klemens Hartenbach highlighted three core qualities at his arrival: physical strength, good speed and an ability to attack goal. Scherhant's appeal lies not in a single quality but in a combination of attributes suited to Gasperini's demands on wide attackers. Last season in the Bundesliga he completed the most successful dribbles per 90 minutes of any Freiburg player—2.1—despite a success rate of only 37.5 per cent, which speaks to his willingness to take risks. He is a vertical player who often receives the ball wide left and drives inward onto his right foot, but also frequently seeks space without possession. His physical structure and intensity in winning individual duels align with Gasperini's system, in which wide forwards are asked to attack space continuously and work at high intensity. In Freiburg's opening four matches of the 2026-27 Bundesliga season he registered 59 sprints and 222 high-intensity runs, with a top speed of 31.54 km/h—good, though not that of a pure sprinter. He is not blessed with the absolute pace of rivals in his position, but possesses an interesting mix of acceleration, physicality and ball-carrying ability. Scherhant's first full Bundesliga campaign ended with 5 goals in 31 appearances—solid numbers, not yet those of a top-tier offensive winger—but the 2026-27 start has suggested further progress. After four matches Bundesliga records credit him with 1 goal and 3 assists across 12 total shots. His form did not go unnoticed internationally. On 1 October Scherhant started for Germany against Serbia in his senior international debut, with the official DFB database now attributing two appearances to him. Transfermarkt values him at approximately €20 million, a figure that has risen sharply following his strong season start and Germany call-up. One contractual detail merits caution: Freiburg has never publicly disclosed the length of his 2025 contract, though the official German federation database and Capology both indicate a deal expiring on 30 June 2027, whereas Transfermarkt provides no date. If 2027 is indeed his expiration and no hidden options exist, January could present a particularly unusual market opportunity for Freiburg. Scherhant is not yet a player capable of guaranteeing fifteen goals per season and lacks the extreme pace of some role specialists. However, the profile ticks many boxes: 23 years old, naturally right-footed, left-sided winger, 1.85 metres tall, physical presence, dribbling skill, vertical play, Bundesliga experience and clear room for growth. His recent Germany debut suggests the window to pursue him may not remain open much longer.

AS Roma are already planning reinforcements ahead of the January transfer window, with head coach Gasperini keen to add a forward to strengthen the squad. The primary target remains Endrick of Real Madrid, the Brazilian who was in Roma's sights last summer and continues to struggle for minutes under Mourinho, having played only four minutes so far. Real Madrid are open to allowing him to leave, even on loan. Milan are also interested, but Aston Villa have emerged as serious contenders. According to Cadena SER, the Birmingham club have moved to the front of the queue and hold an advantage over both Italian sides. Endrick's lack of playing time at the Bernabéu has made him available for a potential move away from Spain.

Roma have renewed their interest in Issa Doumbia following his maiden start for Italy against Turkey on Sunday, which the Giallorossi won 3–1. The 22-year-old Sporting CP midfielder impressed Roma and Juventus during the match, according to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur. Doumbia played the full 90 minutes and was involved in the build-up to Italy's first and third goals, a display that has brought fresh attention to a player Roma were already monitoring during the summer transfer window. Doumbia moved from Venezia to Sporting in June and signed a contract until 2031 with the Portuguese club. His agreement includes a €80 million release clause, officially confirmed by Sporting at the time of his transfer. That figure does not necessarily represent Sporting's asking price for any negotiation, but demonstrates the club's confidence in the player and the difficulty of engineering a move in the near term. For now, Roma's stance appears to be one of interest and observation rather than active pursuit. The midfielder's performance in the Stadio Olimpico victory gave him a significant platform at international level. His involvement in two of Italy's goals under Roberto Mancini underlined the quality that has drawn Roma's eye previously, and the display has intensified Italian clubs' focus on a prospect already known to the Giallorossi.

Rome's radio stations offered contrasting assessments of Lorenzo Pellegrini's role as Roma prepare for a match against Como. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo expressed concern about Pellegrini's fit in the current squad. "I struggle to imagine him in this Roma team," Pes said. "It's a side playing at a very high tempo, and he seems a player a long way from that shape. He limited the damage in a Roma that wasn't operating at this pace, but honestly I find it difficult to see him playing this kind of football. I think he needs to take steps to play in a Roma that operates this way." Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà offered a more positive view, noting that Pellegrini had delivered strong performances during Roma's Conference League campaign and should not be underestimated. Torri suggested that Pellegrini could start ahead of competing midfielders Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora, both of whom had been on international duty. Simone Valdarchi cautioned against drawing early conclusions about the title race, remarking that Como could provide greater conviction but that judging the season this soon was premature. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio focused on Como's tactical threat, highlighting Nico Paz and Paulo Dybala as crucial to the contest. He emphasized that Niccolò Pisilli's current form offered a dynamic midfield alternative to Marten de Roon, whose inclusion could make Roma's approach too predictable against Como's quality-based approach. Pruzzo noted the importance of whether Dybala's ability to unlock Donyell Malen could prove decisive, given the spaces Como typically concedes.

Roma are closing in on a fully assembled squad ahead of their Serie A resumption after the international break, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini welcoming back players from national-team duties and accelerating the rehabilitation of injured players at Trigoria. Bryan Cristante's absence through a right collateral ligament injury has opened a key midfield place. Marten De Roon is now the main candidate to partner Manu Koné, who has become the fulcrum of Roma's midfield with increasingly prominent box-to-box duties. De Roon remained at the training ground during the break and has been able to follow targeted preparation to reach peak condition. Niccolò Pisilli, returning from Under-21 international commitments, stands ready as a crucial option off the bench to provide freshness and intensity at key moments. Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi—the three Argentine internationals—are due to arrive in Rome today and will rejoin Gasperini's squad from tomorrow onwards. Manu Koné has already resumed regular training with the main group alongside other players returning from international fixtures. The camp will complete its final session with a full complement before the Como fixture. Donyell Malen and Wesley, both unavailable for their national teams due to physical issues, have used the two-week break to continue individual rehabilitation. From today the pair will progressively return to group training, offering Gasperini valuable options in attack and across the flanks as the championship restarts.

Wesley has recovered from a muscular strain to his right thigh and is nearing a return to action. Malen is also ready to feature again as Roma's squad moves closer to full availability following the international break. At Trigoria on 7 October, midfielders Manu Koné and Rodrigo Mora completed recovery work. The pair's contributions during the break underlined their importance: Mora, born in 2007, accumulated the most minutes of any Roma player during the international window with 225 appearances and scored a bicycle kick for Portugal's Under-21 side. On 8 October, three Argentine players—Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro—returned to training after being unused by Alfredo Scaloni during Argentina's farewell match for Lionel Messi. Of the three, Soulé appears to have the strongest chance of starting the next fixture. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini may deploy Evan N'Dicka at centre-back instead of Balerdi, with the Ivorian defender having trained at Trigoria since the start of the week. Bryan Cristante remains sidelined with a lateral knee ligament issue, creating a potential opportunity for Marten de Roon in midfield.