Roma greets fans in Dortmund with autographs and selfies ahead of friendly

Manu Koné has surpassed all other central midfielders in Serie A, with Transfermarkt raising his market valuation to €60 million—a €10 million increase from his previous rating. The French midfielder now leads the ranking of central midfielders across the Italian league, ahead of Nicolò Barella (€50 million), Petar Sucic (€45 million) and Scott McTominay (€40 million). Koné's growth extends beyond the central midfield category. His €60 million valuation places him fifth among all Serie A players, behind Lautaro Martinez (€85 million), Nico Paz (€80 million), Kenan Yildiz (€75 million) and Alessandro Bastoni (€65 million). The 2001-born player has become one of Roma's most significant technical and economic assets. Gasperini has established him as a key pillar of the Roma midfield this season. Transfermarkt's update does not reflect an official price set by Roma for a potential sale, but rather an estimate of the player's market value. The figures nonetheless illustrate the dimension Koné has reached: a €60 million valuation, first among central midfielders in Serie A and fifth across all players in the league.

Roma resumed training at Trigoria on 29 September with three key players absent from the session: Donyell Malen, Wesley and Bryan Cristante, all nursing minor injuries from the previous week. Malen is sidelined with a knee problem, Cristante has lower back pain, and Wesley suffered a right thigh strain in the match against Inter. All three will be assessed and gradually reintegrated into group training, with Cristante expected to return by the end of the week. Wesley and Malen should follow shortly after. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is already looking ahead to the major fixture on 11 October despite the upcoming Como match still some distance away. All three injured players are expected to start when fit. The squad will feature a battle for the playmaker role between Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé, while a defensive duel looms between Evan N'Dicka and Leonardo Balerdi. Lorenzo Pellegrini is among those in contention but is unlikely to feature from the start.

Wesley has attracted the attention of Manchester United, with the English club considering the Roma defender as part of their future recruitment plans. According to the British website Theatreofred.com, the Brazilian left-back has impressed Michael Sansoni, Manchester United's director of data. Sansoni joined the club in 2025 after spending 11 years with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team, where he worked as a Senior Performance Engineer and contributed to eight championship-winning seasons with Lewis Hamilton. The approach marks a return of Premier League interest in Wesley following Roma's rejection of a Chelsea offer last summer. The 24-year-old joined Roma from Flamengo in July 2025 on a five-year contract, initially on a deal worth €25 million plus €5 million in add-ons. Manchester United's renewed pursuit suggests the Brazilian has made a strong impression in his first season in Serie A, though Roma are unlikely to consider selling one of their key defensive reinforcements from the previous transfer window.