Roma in talks over Gittens; Fofana, Pedro and Bahoya remain in the frame

Roma have renewed their interest in Issa Doumbia following his maiden start for Italy against Turkey on Sunday, which the Giallorossi won 3–1. The 22-year-old Sporting CP midfielder impressed Roma and Juventus during the match, according to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur. Doumbia played the full 90 minutes and was involved in the build-up to Italy's first and third goals, a display that has brought fresh attention to a player Roma were already monitoring during the summer transfer window. Doumbia moved from Venezia to Sporting in June and signed a contract until 2031 with the Portuguese club. His agreement includes a €80 million release clause, officially confirmed by Sporting at the time of his transfer. That figure does not necessarily represent Sporting's asking price for any negotiation, but demonstrates the club's confidence in the player and the difficulty of engineering a move in the near term. For now, Roma's stance appears to be one of interest and observation rather than active pursuit. The midfielder's performance in the Stadio Olimpico victory gave him a significant platform at international level. His involvement in two of Italy's goals under Roberto Mancini underlined the quality that has drawn Roma's eye previously, and the display has intensified Italian clubs' focus on a prospect already known to the Giallorossi.

Maurizio Sarri, the current Atalanta manager and former Lazio head coach, addressed Marten De Roon's departure to Roma in an interview with Corriere di Bergamo. The transfer sparked controversy among Atalanta supporters, who displayed a banner during the Atalanta–Cagliari match reading: 'You chose to pass through our history but not to belong to it… Goodbye'. Gian Piero Gasperini defended De Roon in his press conference, saying: 'What was he supposed to do? The old shoe.' Sarri offered his own perspective on the midfielder's exit, stating: 'With me he never spoke; he dealt directly with the club.'

Marten de Roon's summer transfer to Roma from Atalanta caused significant controversy in the final days of the transfer window, complete with offensive banners from his former supporters. De Roon, who is expected to start for Roma at Como for the first time, has already explained the split as a result of his marginal role in Atalanta's project. However, new Atalanta manager Maurizio Sarri told Corriere di Bergamo that de Roon never discussed the move with him directly: "With me de Roon never spoke; he went straight to the club." Sarri's comments suggest the departure was driven by club leadership, specifically Percassi and Giuntoli. Former Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini defended the Dutch midfielder's decision, saying: "What was he supposed to do, wear an old shoe?"