Roma hold fire on Udogie as left-back puts transfer on pause

Gian Piero Gasperini is already planning Roma's January window despite the club sitting top of the table with a functioning attack led by Dybala and Malen. Between appearances at the Trento Festival and work at Trigoria, Roma are targeting reinforcements in the attacking department, focusing on players currently struggling for minutes at their clubs. A conversation between CEO Galantic and Gasperini at the festival underscores Roma's philosophy of planning winter moves in advance. Roma's priority remains a quality wide forward, with evaluation also ongoing into a more complete profile like Oosterwolde. Four players already tracked in the summer transfer window remain in the club's sights: Gittens, Leweling, Luiz Henrique and Endrick. The common thread linking them is a shortage of regular playing time. Gittens, a Gasperini favourite, has yet to debut in the Premier League. Leweling plays only sporadic minutes at Stuttgart and was excluded from the initial squad list under new national team coach Klopp. Luiz Henrique remains blocked in Russia by bureaucratic issues that have also cost him national team call-ups. Endrick's situation is the most delicate. Mourinho secured him at Real Madrid over the summer, but the Brazilian has virtually disappeared: just four minutes across La Liga and the Champions League combined. That picture of underuse could shift as soon as November, when UEFA will make decisions on the Settlement Agreement, opening new scenarios potentially favourable to Roma heading into the winter market.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is pressing Roma to strengthen their attacking ranks in the January transfer window, a priority that remained unmet during the summer. At the Festival dello Sport in Trento, CEO John Galantic was asked about a possible January arrival and responded: "Nice question." Gasperini immediately added: "Very nice." While the comment was partly tongue-in-cheek, it underscores the coach's determination to add an attacking winger, a position he had already requested in the summer window. Roma's focus remains on securing an attacking wide player, though the club has also considered a full-back option in Jayden Oosterwolde. Four names dominate the shortlist: Jamie Gittens, Jamie Leweling, Luiz Henrique and Endrick. A common thread links most of them — they are struggling for minutes at their current clubs. Gittens, reportedly among Gasperini's preferred targets, has not yet made a Premier League appearance. Leweling has accumulated only 146 minutes across Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League competition for Stuttgart without starting a match, a lack of game time that also cost him a place in Jürgen Klopp's initial squad list as Germany's new national team coach. Luiz Henrique remains in Russia following bureaucratic obstacles that delayed Roma's pursuit last summer; the Brazilian has also lost ground in the national team setup, making a January reopening of talks less straightforward. Endrick represents a different scenario. The Brazilian was close to Roma in the summer before José Mourinho chose to retain him at Real Madrid. The Portuguese manager had praised him publicly, but has given him only four minutes across league and Champions League fixtures so far. Should his situation remain unchanged, a loan move could become realistic in January. Financial constraints will prove decisive. UEFA's ruling on Roma's Settlement Agreement breach is due in November, and that verdict may constrain the club's negotiating room. Gasperini's technical priority is unmistakable — an attacking wide player — but the scope for converting that request into a concrete deal remains to be determined by the financial outlook.

Roma have moved ahead of AC Milan in the pursuit of Real Madrid's Endrick, already opening discussions with the player's representative agency Roc Nation and positioning themselves for direct talks with Madrid's hierarchy during the Champions League match at the Olimpico on 14 October. The Brazilian winger has endured a difficult start at Madrid, limited to just four minutes of playing time due to a muscle injury and seeking rhythm through Brazil's friendlies against Australia and India. Madrid rejected approaches from Milan and Aston Villa in the summer, but that stance could shift in January if Endrick's minutes remain scarce through the congested autumn fixture schedule. Roma intends to exploit the Champions League encounter to speak directly with Madrid's board and press their case for either a loan or transfer move. Milan, for their part, rely on owner Cardinale's established partnership with Roc Nation, strengthened by joint investments in the United States. However, Madrid holds the final say: the club has previously loaned Endrick out—to Lyon without recall options—to aid his development. Should the player seek regular playing time midway through the season, Roma are ready to move decisively into the running.