Roma Hold Firm on Key Players as Gasperini Eyes Greenwood Push

Roma are preparing a January move for Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens on loan, with head coach Gasperini already in agreement with the player. Gittens has struggled for first-team opportunities at Chelsea, appearing only 55 minutes in cup competition and never in the Premier League this season. His representatives have sought clarification from the club about a possible departure. Last summer Roma made a strong push to sign him, attracted by the prospect of reuniting him with Donyell Malen, with whom he played at Dortmund. Chelsea refused a loan deal at that time unless it involved midfielder Manu Koné in exchange. The situation is expected to shift in January. Alonso does not favour Gittens, and Chelsea are now open to a loan with a purchase option to prevent his value depreciating further. Roma remain interested and would be frontrunners if a deal materializes, given that Gittens had already agreed to join Gasperini's project. The club are also monitoring Frosinone's Giorgi Kvernadze, a Georgian player who has not yet received official contact but interests Gasperini for both the current season and future planning. Roma are considering blocking a move now ahead of a summer transfer, with a fee around €25 million being discussed for the 2027 window.

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 resume their title push four days before Sunday's Serie A fixture at Como. Gian Piero Gasperini entered the decisive phase of preparation with the squad finally coming together after a three-week international break. The Argentine trio of Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi were expected back at Trigoria today following their commitments with the national team and Argentina's final match with Messi. Rodrigo Mora and Manu Koné had already returned yesterday after international duty. Encouragingly, Wesley and Donyell Malen have progressively increased their workload in recent sessions, training partially with the group, and from today could be fully integrated. Both are set to be available for Sunday's 12.30 kickoff at Sinigaglia, where Roma will defend their shared first-place position with Inter and Lazio. Bryan Cristante remains the only confirmed absence through injury. Marten de Roon is the leading candidate to replace him in midfield alongside Koné, with Wesley on the left and Nahuel Molina on the right. The left-wing spot remains unresolved, with a straight battle between Soulé and Mora, though Lorenzo Pellegrini is poised to challenge both. Pellegrini spoke about his readiness: "I feel good, the break has helped." The midfielder's availability underlines Roma's growing depth as they bid to sustain their challenge at the top of the table.

Roma return from international duty with most players available for Sunday's trip to Como, the first of two fixtures that will test Gasperini's squad before Real Madrid arrive at the Olimpico four days later. Manu Koné and Rodrigo Mora returned yesterday, while Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro rejoin today after their commitments with Argentina's national team. Bryan Cristante remains sidelined by a knee ligament problem, opening the door for Marten de Roon to make his Roma debut from the start alongside Koné in midfield. The selection puzzle centres on the third attacking option alongside Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala. Lorenzo Pellegrini, fully recovered after a long absence, is favoured by some outlets after training throughout the break at Trigoria. Others back Soulé despite his late return from Argentina, while Rodrigo Mora retains a genuine chance after being the most used Roma player during the international window, clocking 225 minutes and scoring an overhead kick for Portugal Under 21. Gasperini has three very different solutions competing for one shirt, with Real Madrid's proximity potentially influencing Sunday's starting lineup. Malen and Wesley have both cleared their respective injury problems and are expected to feature against Como without concern. The Brazilian should return as a starter on the flank, though a contest remains between Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli for the opposite side. In defence, Evan N'Dicka appears to have a slight edge over Balerdi, having resumed regular training at Trigoria while Balerdi only returns today. Malen has scored six goals in the first five matches and carries a significant objective into the resumption: approaching the 36-goal records of Higuain and Immobile. He scored 20 Serie A goals in 2026 alone—more than any other player—and had found the net at the Sinigaglia last season before Como's comeback. Dybala has seized the break to work without interruption, transforming physically and delivering greater consistency: 497 minutes played, four assists and three goals created so far, though his own goal drought stretches back to 18 January. The technical duel between Dybala and Como's Nico Paz will be one of the match's most compelling threads. Gasperini and Como manager Cesc Fabregas represent opposite generations and contrasting approaches to attacking football. Fabregas seeks to control rhythm and possession; Gasperini favours intensity, pressure and direct play. They have nearly thirty years between them, stand respectively as Serie A's youngest and oldest managers, and have won two matches each in four previous meetings. Their recent encounters have produced friction—Gasperini objected to Fabregas's use of the goalkeeper in Como's build-up, while Fabregas criticised Gasperini's failure to greet him after one fixture. Sunday's fixture, arriving at only the sixth matchday, already carries weight in gauging both teams' ambitions.

Lionel Messi said goodbye to international football on the night of 7 October 2026 in an emotional ceremony at the Mas Monumental, with Argentina defeating Benin 3–0. Three Roma players were part of the Argentina squad: Leonardo Balerdi appeared on the bench, while Santiago Castro and Matías Soulé were not included in the matchday squad, though all three felt the weight of the historic moment. Castro, who has cited Messi as a direct inspiration for his love of football, posted on Instagram: "Thank you for every moment you gave us with this shirt, thank you for bringing the colours of Argentina to the highest level, thank you for never abandoning this country and for putting yourself on the front line for millions of people, thank you for making me fall in love with football and the national team, thank you for BEING ARGENTINIAN!!" Soulé, whose playing style has been shaped by studying Messi, recalled meeting his childhood idol in recent days during the national team gathering. When Soulé was 17 and had not yet made his professional debut, he met Messi and said: "I was so nervous, meeting him was a dream. I didn't want to wash my hand after shaking his." Now, six years later, Soulé has made his senior international debut — a full-circle moment for both young players who grew up watching Messi's first World Cup in 2006 as children and have now closed that chapter alongside him. Balerdi, the defender, shared a longer dressing-room history with Messi and had more opportunities to exchange words and gestures with the legend of Rosario. Nahuel Molina, who experienced football's greatest joy alongside Messi by winning the World Cup together, wrote from home: "Thank you eternally captain, you deserve all of this and much more, thank you for everything you gave Argentinians, it was a pleasure to share so many beautiful moments with you." Paulo Dybala marked the occasion more simply on social media, posting a photograph of Messi alongside the infinity symbol and the Argentina flag.