Roma-Fofana talks stall over Lyon's €35m asking price

Roma are working on multiple transfer targets for the January window beyond Endrick, the Brazilian forward who has caught coach Gian Piero Gasperini's eye. While Endrick is a striker and left-footer who has shown he can operate in a secondary role at Lyon, his arrival may prove redundant given Paulo Dybala's elevated form and Matías Soulé's recent return to top condition — both players already operate in the centre-forward areas where the Brazilian would likely be deployed. Director Tony D'Amico is therefore pursuing alternative options, with initial contact already made on two specific players. The first is Georgian left-winger Kvernadze, a right-footed player with an imposing physical presence, pace and goalscoring ability who could compensate on that flank for the different profile offered by Rodrigo Mora. The second is Ruben van Bommel of PSV, son of the former Milan and Barcelona midfielder and current Belgium coach. Van Bommel, born 2004, was sidelined by a serious injury last season but has since recovered and is back at peak fitness. Van Bommel has scored 2 goals and provided 4 assists, and has already gained early Champions League experience. Roma's recruitment staff view both players as capable of strengthening the squad in areas where tactical balance is needed.

Roma are close to securing a contract renewal with Emanuele Lulli after the defender emerged as a standout performer in the club's opening weeks of the 2026-27 season. Lulli impressed Gasperini during a pre-season friendly against Dortmund in mid-August, confirming his credentials for the campaign ahead. The club is now moving to tie down his future. With Lulli's contract set to expire in 2027, Roma's management and the player's representatives are in final negotiations. The proposed deal would extend his terms until 2031 on a salary of €500,000 annually, with performance bonuses to increase the package further.

Roma are preparing a significant bid of close to €25 million to sign Frosinone left winger Giorgi Kvernadze, a priority target for head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and sporting director Tony D'Amico. The Georgian, born in 2003, has made an explosive start to the season with 5 goals and 2 assists, showcasing technical ability, pace and continuous dribbling that has earned him the Serie A lead in successful dribbles. Kvernadze plays as a natural right-footer capable of devastating one-on-one play, a profile Roma have identified as the dominant left winger they need after failed attempts to sign Summerville and Leweling. Roma face competition from Premier League and Bundesliga clubs monitoring Kvernadze closely, but the club lead the race. The Georgian has also attracted interest in comparisons to compatriot Kvaratskhelia, with whom he shares the same agent and similar movement patterns. Kvernadze has overcome rival candidate Jamie Bynoe-Gittens in Roma's thinking. Having developed in Georgia through Saburtalo and Dinamo Batumi before joining Frosinone, the winger would be positioned alongside Paulo Dybala's quality and Donyell Malen's power in Roma's attack, offering the chance to make the decisive step into elite football.

Roma face Como in a tactical battle between Fabregas and Gasperini, two coaches with contrasting philosophies seeking to dictate play. Gasperini is considering deploying Rodrigo Mora on the trequarti in support of Dybala and Malen, a move with both technical and tactical significance. Against Como's four-man defence, this setup would allow Mora to exploit space between the lines and combine quickly with two players whose strengths complement each other: Dybala's ability to read situations others miss and Malen's capacity to attack space immediately. Marten de Roon is expected to anchor midfield, providing equilibrium and tactical knowledge of Gasperini's systems crucial against Como's possession-based approach. Evan N'Dicka is favoured over Leonardo Balerdi in defence, with Nahuel Molina and Wesley operating on the flanks. The match's decisive factor may lie on the wings. Como build superiority through passing and draw pressure to free players in space; Roma counterpress through individual aggression and advanced recovery. The fullbacks will be fundamental, needing to support attacking play without leaving the corridors Como exploits. Molina and Wesley could prove decisive both in pressing and by forcing Como's wingers to defend, preventing Fabregas's side from developing their game with continuity. The sides have met twice previously in contrasting circumstances. At the Olimpico, Roma imposed themselves through intense pressing, with Wesley scoring the decisive goal. In the return fixture, a side lacking clear attacking reference points gradually lost shape and ceded initiative to Como. However, this Roma present different offensive possibilities. The presence of Malen, Dybala's talent and Mora's potential deployment offer Gasperini solutions capable of troubling a well-organised team like Fabregas's. Roma must start aggressively, press immediately and prevent Como from gaining confidence in their passing patterns.

Roma's radio phone-in shows debated the Friedkin Group's position in football following reports of the sale of Everton, with opinion divided on whether the move signals a strategic retreat from sport or a commitment to focus solely on Roma. Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport argued the Everton sale could be a precursor to exiting Roma: "The sale of Everton by the Friedkin could be a step towards also selling Roma. They invested first in the stadium and then in the club there. Here in Rome they did the opposite. It may be they realised football is not the business they imagined and are liquidating. When there is final approval for the stadium construction, they could decide to leave Roma too." Tiziano Moroni took the opposite view, seeing the move as freeing resources to concentrate on Roma. Checco Oddo Casano suggested Everton's position in England and location offered poor strategic returns, though he too speculated the Friedkin might eventually sell Roma. Piero Torri expressed hope the sale was genuine, saying: "If the Friedkin have only Roma, it is better for us." On the pitch, David Rossi criticised Gasperini's approach to midfield strength: "There is one thing Gasperini is very wrong about: the number of central midfielders Roma needs to have available. I think four is too few, given the type of strain they undergo. When one gets injured, you have only one substitute at midfield. If there is an unfortunate suspension or something else, you are left with two central midfielders for two places. An ambitious squad cannot go into a grind like the one coming up with three midfielders for two spots. There is another aggravation: Pisilli is a different kind of reserve from all the others—more of an alternative than a reserve. If you need a thinking midfielder, that is another weakness." On Rodrigo Mora, Francesca Ferrazza of Tele Radio Stereo said: "The problem for Mora is that he needs time, but Roma has no time. He would need to be protected and sheltered, and for that another player should have been signed to give him time to grow. Instead he has to be a starter already, because you have Soulé who is adapted to the left, you have Pellegrini, and you have nothing else. The point seems clear to me: Mora would need to be sheltered, but we have no time for it." Mario Corsi backed Mora's quality and urged Gasperini to start him at Como. Roberto Pruzzo suggested Pisilli deserved midfield minutes on Sunday. Mario Mattioli rated a draw as the most likely result at Como, defending Marten de Roon's fitness despite his age: "I have followed him always—he is an inexhaustible motor. He has 35 years, and well, there are players who have an athleticism and longevity that others do not. Perhaps he cannot play every match, but we will see his contribution in the coming matches."

Roma are working on multiple transfer targets for the January window beyond Endrick, the Brazilian forward who has caught coach Gian Piero Gasperini's eye. While Endrick is a striker and left-footer who has shown he can operate in a secondary role at Lyon, his arrival may prove redundant given Paulo Dybala's elevated form and Matías Soulé's recent return to top condition — both players already operate in the centre-forward areas where the Brazilian would likely be deployed. Director Tony D'Amico is therefore pursuing alternative options, with initial contact already made on two specific players. The first is Georgian left-winger Kvernadze, a right-footed player with an imposing physical presence, pace and goalscoring ability who could compensate on that flank for the different profile offered by Rodrigo Mora. The second is Ruben van Bommel of PSV, son of the former Milan and Barcelona midfielder and current Belgium coach. Van Bommel, born 2004, was sidelined by a serious injury last season but has since recovered and is back at peak fitness. Van Bommel has scored 2 goals and provided 4 assists, and has already gained early Champions League experience. Roma's recruitment staff view both players as capable of strengthening the squad in areas where tactical balance is needed.