Roma in Gasperini's first weeks: praise from Balbo, Soulé earns Argentina call

Roma are pursuing Frosinone left winger Giorgio Kvernadze as they continue their search for a solution on the wing following unsuccessful attempts at other targets. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Georgian possesses the attributes Gian Piero Gasperini seeks: he is right-footed, glides past opponents with ease, and has good touch in the box. Frosinone will demand around €25M to negotiate, a price reflective of Kvernadze's explosive start to the season. Including Coppa Italia, he has notched five goals and two assists already, compared to five of each in the entire previous Serie B campaign. Frosinone acquired him from Kolkheti Poti in 2024. Roma are also monitoring Sassuolo's 18-year-old box-to-box midfielder Darryl Bakola, alongside Juventus. His profile reportedly resembles that of Manu Koné, who remains a perennial sale candidate to generate substantial 'plusvalenza' profit. Sassuolo paid Olympique Marseille €10M for Bakola last year, and he has accumulated 12 appearances with each of his clubs so far, providing 4 total assists. The article notes that several Frosinone players have impressed early in the season and may attract top-tier suitors if they sustain their form.

Rodrigo Mora has been singled out as one of the season's early disappointments following a substitute appearance, but broadcaster Francesco Repice has pushed back sharply against the assessment. The 19-year-old Portuguese midfielder was grouped among underperformers during a broadcast of Domenica Sportiva, a judgment Repice described as premature given Mora's contribution since arriving at Roma. Mora has already scored once and provided an assist across his early appearances, alongside several quality performances. His recent omission from the squad against Inter was tactical rather than a sign of decline: Gasperini was unable to make attacking changes because defenders had suffered injuries. Repice stressed that five matches into the season is far too small a sample to draw conclusions, particularly about a teenager signed as a long-term investment. Repice said on air: "You're making a mistake. If you put him among the flops you're making a terrible error. The zero minutes against Inter were because the defenders had got injured and Gasp couldn't make changes up front." He added: "Mora has already scored and is an absolute talent—putting him among the flops is wrong. We're at matchday five and I'd point out that Ramos was paid 70 million." Gasperini is integrating the midfielder gradually into the squad.

Roma have turned their attention to Giorgi Kvernadze, Frosinone's attacking talent, as they pursue a long-standing search for a left-winger. The 2003-born player has made an impressive start to the season with 5 goals and 2 assists across Serie A and the Coppa Italia. Gian Piero Gasperini has been seeking a left-sided winger for two years, and Kvernadze's profile appears to match what the coach wants: a right-footed left-winger capable of driving at defenders, making runs in behind, and offering physicality and pace in the final third. Frosinone acquired Kvernadze for €300,000 but are now targeting a substantial profit of at least €25 million from his sale. The geographical proximity—Frosinone lies roughly 90 kilometres from Rome—adds practical appeal to the pursuit. Napoli are also monitoring the player's availability.

Abel Balbo, the former Roma striker, has praised the club's attacking prowess in an interview with Il Messaggero, backing them to challenge for the Serie A title this season. Balbo said Roma are "beautiful to watch, entertaining and getting results" and predicted "an extraordinary campaign", though he acknowledged Inter remain the stronger squad overall. "Roma is the only one that can compete for the title," he said. Balbo reserved special praise for Dybala and Malen's partnership. On Malen specifically, he said: "He is a simple and effective player and the most difficult thing in football is to play with simplicity and he does it better than anyone. He's quick, he knows how to move, he attacks spaces, he sees goal easily. He is outstanding. He scores goals the way great strikers do." Balbo highlighted Malen's versatility: "He scores in every way. With great play or as he did against Torino by shooting from the ground. The striker is like that — he doesn't care how he puts the ball in the net as long as he scores and reaches the objective." When asked if Malen could surpass the 36-goal record held by Higuain and Immobile, Balbo said: "It's difficult to maintain that goal average but if others have managed it why can't he? I wish it for him because if he does it means Roma would get close to or even actually win the title." On Dybala, Balbo added: "Paulo is a champion and he always improves. This year he is doing extraordinary work, with him on the pitch the team flows better. He is magic and fantasy." Balbo also noted the importance of Roma's Argentine contingent, saying they bring "character and quality" and a "winning mentality that they transmit to the group."

Rodrigo Mora is settling into Roma after arriving from Porto this summer with high expectations and a significant financial investment. The Portuguese midfielder has had to earn every minute of playing time while adapting to Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical demands at Trigoria. So far this season he has made 5 appearances across Serie A and the Champions League for a total of 187 minutes — the equivalent of roughly two full matches. In Gasperini's 3-4-2-1 formation, Mora has been rotating primarily with Matías Soulé to complete the attacking trio alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in an offensive department rich with talent and competition. Gasperini expects Mora to deliver concrete contributions in goals and decisive plays, elements essential to increase the attacking threat and prevent the entire goalscoring burden falling on Malen alone. The opportunity to significantly raise his playing time comes immediately after the international break. From Como to Sassuolo, Roma face an intensive tour de force of 9 matches over 27 days — including 3 Champions League fixtures — in which squad rotation will be intense and all squad members will have the space to prove their worth.

Donyell Malen has become Roma's ideal centre-forward under Gian Piero Gasperini's guidance this season. The 27-year-old Dutch forward, now operating centrally rather than from the wing as he did at Aston Villa, has formed a complementary partnership with Paulo Dybala that echoes Roma's great attacking pairings of the past—Pruzzo with Falcao, Conti, and Totti with Batistuta. While shy and reserved away from the pitch, Malen transforms into an unstoppable force once play begins, combining precise coordination, a devastating first step, and clinical finishing. Gasperini deserves credit for identifying Malen's finishing potential and repositioning him closer to goal. The repositioning from the wing to a more advanced attacking role has made him the driving force of Roma's offensive system. Malen's statistics underline his impact: he is averaging a goal every 58 minutes played and maintains a frequency of at least two shots on target per match. This efficiency demonstrates the effectiveness of Gasperini's tactical adjustment and the quality Malen brings to the Giallorossi attack.

Francesco Totti has revealed that AS Roma attempted to persuade him to present the number 10 shirt to Paulo Dybala during his official unveiling in 2022. The club sent Totti an indirect message asking him to hand over the iconic number, but he declined. Totti's response was direct: "But you are all mad." Totti explained that the number 10 carries profound historical weight at Roma and cannot simply be assigned to a player without them first establishing a meaningful journey at the club. The retired captain acknowledged Dybala's quality as both a footballer and a person, but emphasised the significance of continuity and the bond built with the club over time. He stressed that the number 10 of Roma carries weight and would inevitably invite comparisons with himself. Totti told the club: "If you have the courage, give it to him yourselves. Nothing against the player — quite the opposite, I like him very much, and he is a very good lad. If you have this intention, go ahead, without putting me in the middle. The 10 of Roma weighs heavily, and it would bring inevitable comparisons with me. Dybala, if he is fit, can make the difference for you."

Abel Balbo, the former Roma striker, has praised the club's attacking prowess in an interview with Il Messaggero, backing them to challenge for the Serie A title this season. Balbo said Roma are "beautiful to watch, entertaining and getting results" and predicted "an extraordinary campaign", though he acknowledged Inter remain the stronger squad overall. "Roma is the only one that can compete for the title," he said. Balbo reserved special praise for Dybala and Malen's partnership. On Malen specifically, he said: "He is a simple and effective player and the most difficult thing in football is to play with simplicity and he does it better than anyone. He's quick, he knows how to move, he attacks spaces, he sees goal easily. He is outstanding. He scores goals the way great strikers do." Balbo highlighted Malen's versatility: "He scores in every way. With great play or as he did against Torino by shooting from the ground. The striker is like that — he doesn't care how he puts the ball in the net as long as he scores and reaches the objective." When asked if Malen could surpass the 36-goal record held by Higuain and Immobile, Balbo said: "It's difficult to maintain that goal average but if others have managed it why can't he? I wish it for him because if he does it means Roma would get close to or even actually win the title." On Dybala, Balbo added: "Paulo is a champion and he always improves. This year he is doing extraordinary work, with him on the pitch the team flows better. He is magic and fantasy." Balbo also noted the importance of Roma's Argentine contingent, saying they bring "character and quality" and a "winning mentality that they transmit to the group."

Francesco Totti has disclosed in his autobiography *Oltre* that Roma approached him to personally hand Paulo Dybala the number 10 shirt when Dybala arrived at the club in the summer of 2022. Totti declined the offer directly. The number 10 has remained unassigned at Roma since Totti's retirement, worn by no other player in the years since. Totti explained his refusal was not a reflection on Dybala as a player. "If you have the courage, give it to him yourselves," Totti said. "Nothing against the player—quite the opposite, I like him very much, and he is a very good person. If you intend to do this, go ahead, but don't involve me." His core objection was to the framing of the decision: he did not want to become the guarantor of a choice made by the club without his involvement. "I didn't want the responsibility for someone else's decision to fall on me, a decision I had absolutely nothing to do with. The Roma number 10 carries weight, and it would inevitably invite comparisons with me. Dybala, if he's fit, can make a difference." In *Oltre*, Totti outlined his vision for the shirt's future. He said he would never retire the number 10 permanently—"that would be like denying a wonderful dream to children. Every day I hope another Totti emerges: someone born in Rome, raised in Rome, who chooses Roma for life, for eternity." However, he argued against assigning it to players with limited tenure. "It would be a different matter to give that uniform to someone who arrives from the other side of the world, stays for a limited period and then leaves. It is too important a symbol, and should only be entrusted to someone who could potentially play for Roma for fifteen or twenty years."

Roma are closely tracking two breakthrough prospects as the club pursues a strategy of acquiring young talent to strengthen the squad's depth and potential. Following summer additions Rodrigo Mora and Santiago Castro, the Giallorossi have set their sights on Mathis Bakola, a French midfielder born in 2007 at Sassuolo, and Giorgi Kvernadze, a Georgian winger at Frosinone. The club intends to move early to secure Bakola ahead of the January window, though Juventus have also registered interest in the eighteen-year-old. Kvernadze, born in 2003, represents a concrete candidate for the January transfer window and possesses the characteristics of a left-sided winger with attacking thrust and quality that head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has long sought to complete the forward line. Roma must overcome competition from Napoli, who are also pursuing the Frosinone talent. The January window will likely determine whether either deal progresses further, with the left-winger position emerging as a priority for Gasperini to address the attacking setup.

Marten De Roon has played 361 matches under Gian Piero Gasperini — more than any other player in the world — and the midfielder's integration at Roma will be defined not by tactical learning but by physical fitness. De Roon arrived at Trigoria without having played minutes in the early part of the season under his previous manager, prompting Gasperini to use him cautiously. The international break, however, offers a chance to rebuild his athletic condition to match the high-intensity football Gasperini demands, with his role in the squad rotation set to increase substantially from October onward. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the plan is to alternate De Roon primarily with Bryan Cristante, forming a midfield pairing with either Manu Koné or Niccolò Pisilli. Rather than a rigid hierarchy, Gasperini will deploy flexible combinations that allow tactical adjustment and energy management without sacrificing balance. At 35, De Roon represents an investment in the present, not the future — unlike younger squad members such as Mora, Castro, or Koulierakis. He brings experience, reading of the game, personality, and an almost automatic understanding of what Gasperini demands on the pitch. For a coach seeking to "play in twenty" — using a deep squad across many matches — having such a player provides a shortcut. De Roon does not need to learn the system; he simply needs to regain his legs to execute it. He has already built a strong relationship with his Dutch compatriot Donyell Malen, and his prior knowledge of Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante has made his entry into the dressing room feel natural. By observation, he appears to have been at Roma far longer than a few weeks. The fixture list after the break is designed to accelerate his integration. Between Serie A and Champions League, Roma face a congested schedule that will make it impossible to demand everything constantly from Cristante, Koné, and other midfielders. In Europe, De Roon's extensive international experience under Gasperini — understanding rhythm, moment management, and composure in high-stakes matches — will prove invaluable. From October onward, he could finally become the certainty Roma needs.

Roma are pursuing two emerging talents this season as they continue to focus on youth development. Bakola, an 18-year-old midfielder from Sassuolo, is being tracked for a potential move next season, with Roma considering blocking him now before rivals like Juventus move in. Kvernadze, a Georgian winger from Frosinone, is already on Roma's radar for a January transfer and fits the profile of the left-winger role that head coach Gasperini has long requested. The pair follow recent moves for Rodrigo Mora and Santiago Castro in Roma's youth recruitment strategy. Kvernadze faces competition from Napoli for his signature, according to Francesco Balzani writing in Leggo. Roma's scouting operation has identified both players as standout performers in the early weeks of the 2026-27 campaign, with the club balancing long-term planning on Bakola against more immediate January prospects with the Georgian.