Roma in talks with Genoa over Baldanzi and Venturino; El Shaarawy interest dismissed as rumour

Lionel Messi has included Porto talent Rodrigo Mora in his curated list of ten emerging talents, offering a significant endorsement as Roma prepare a move for the young player. The selection was announced in October 2025 as part of Messi's collaboration with Adidas, titled "Messi +10 - Season 2". The campaign featured the Argentine legend shuffling playing cards and laying them on a table, with narration explaining the selection process: "The perfect hand... everything begins with the deck. Nothing is left to chance. Every card is taken into account and a true master knows how to select them. A complete hand of aces, the perfect 10. This is how you choose the future of the game." Rodrigo Mora's card appeared among the ten selections. Mora could arrive at Roma in the coming days to join Gian Piero Gasperini's squad, though not all supporters have yet been convinced of his qualities. The "Messi +10" initiative celebrates a new generation of players who see the game differently, driven by the same creative spark that defined Messi's two-decade career at Barcelona. The list includes peers such as Nico Paz and Mika Godts—all sponsored by Adidas. Notably, Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, also an Adidas athlete, was omitted, suggesting Messi views him as an established talent rather than an emerging prospect.

Rodrigo Mora's transfer is nearing completion, but head coach Gasperini has reiterated his need for reinforcements across the squad. In talks yesterday with sporting director Tony D'Amico, Gasperini stressed the requirement for two attackers and a left winger to complete the team. Mora, the 19-year-old Portuguese forward represented by Jorge Mendes, fits the profile Gasperini requested—an attacker with similar characteristics to Paulo Dybala, to be deployed on the left. Roma will pay Porto €25 million, with the Portuguese club retaining 50% of any future sale, a clause that can be cancelled by paying an additional €25 million by 2027. With Mora progressing, Roma's focus shifts to securing a left winger. Tottenham's Udogie remains the strongest candidate, though negotiations centre on the structure of the deal and the potential departure of Spence to Inter. Luis Henrique of Inter has recently emerged as an alternative; Inter values him at €30 million and Roma is studying a loan deal with a right of purchase. Cacciamani of Torino also remains a target, with Torino willing to lower their asking price to €15 million.

Roma is closing in on signing Rodrigo Mora from Porto in what would be the club's fourth summer acquisition. Head coach Gasperini has long sought a player to fill the wide role, and the club is confident Mora, a 2007-born talent naturally a number 10, can be repositioned on the flank. Sporting director D'Amico has tabled €45 million, structured in a creative format designed to limit the immediate financial impact on the club's balance sheet. In-principle agreement has been reached and Jorge Mendes is overseeing the fine details. Mora will sign a five-year contract with an escalating wage structure, earning approximately €2 million net per season on average. The move comes as Gasperini continues to reshape his squad following his appointment last season. Roma remains active in the market, pursuing Cacciamani from Torino as a secondary winger option; the young fullback has experience as a wing-back from his youth career. Luis Henrique, surplus to requirements at Inter, has been offered but has not yet attracted serious interest. Tottenham has declined a loan-with-purchase-option arrangement for Udogie. If Soulé departs, Roma will reportedly attempt to sign Endrick, though Real Madrid is said to be determined to keep the Brazilian.

Roma's attacking department has been decimated ahead of the 2026–27 season, with coach Gian Piero Gasperini now overseeing just five senior forwards for the role — down from ten options at the end of January. The remaining quartet consists of Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, and Robinio Vaz, with young prospect Arena also available. The collapse mirrors Gasperini's repeated public calls for investment in attack. Speaking exactly a year ago on 4 August 2025 at the English national team's St. George Park facility in Burton Upon Trent, Gasperini outlined his philosophy: "It concerns all clubs that spend large sums on attackers. The offensive department is the most sought after and most expensive. Teams with strong attacking players are more competitive." That same summer, Roma pursued Fabio Silva and Jadon Sancho without success, settling on a loan move for Romain Bailey as a last-minute solution. By the end of 2025, Roma had assembled eight attacking options — Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson, Bailey, Soulé, Baldanzi, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Lorenzo Pellegrini — to fill three positions in Gasperini's preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. The winter transfer window swelled that number to ten through the departures of Bailey and Baldanzi and the arrivals of Malen, Vaz, Bryan Zaragoza, and Lorenzo Venturino. However, only Malen performed consistently. With just twenty days until the league campaign begins, Roma faces a critical shortage. The club is reportedly making another approach for Nusa and preparing a move for Fofana to bolster the depleted ranks.

Roma find themselves in unexpected stasis on the transfer market one month before their Serie A opener against Fiorentina, hampered by slow planning, a complex summer constrained by Settlement Agreement rules, and difficulty delivering the reinforcements Gian Piero Gasperini has requested. As of late July, Roma had completed zero signings and just one minor departure, leaving six players from last season's squad still to be replaced: El Shaarawy, Ferguson, Tsimikas, Celik, Venturino, and Zaragoza. The club also has several players ready to depart—Salah-Eddine, Kumbulla, and Dovbyk among them—while others including Soulé and Koné remain uncertain. Contract complications surround Dybala, and Pellegrini's position requires clarification. Delays stem from structural issues worsened by Tony D'Amico's late arrival as sporting director, who became operational only in the final ten days of June following a dispute with Atalanta, compounded by World Cup scheduling and Settlement Agreement restrictions. Gasperini intends to compete at the highest level while preserving the squad's core and adding only a few elite signings. Roma pursued Mason Greenwood and Luis Summerville at length, becoming committed to the Dutch player beyond their budgeted limits before the deal collapsed entirely.

Roma are pursuing Summerville to fill the most glaring weakness in Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical system. The club has identified a right-footed attacking winger—capable of playing as a trequartista or winger on the left—as the top priority for the new season, with sporting director D'Amico now working alongside Gasperini to address the gap. The void has persisted for seasons. Throughout August, the club sought a loan deal for a right-footed attacking option without success, pursuing targets including Fabio Silva (who remained at his club with one year remaining on his contract) and Jadon Sancho via videoconference. January brought only unsuccessful temporary deals for Bryan Zaragoza and Lorenzo Venturino, alongside the unproven centre-forward gamble of Robinio Vaz, signed for €25 million. Summerville's arrival would finally remedy what has been an obvious deficiency in Roma's attacking setup under Gasperini.

Roma's attacking department has been decimated ahead of the 2026–27 season, with coach Gian Piero Gasperini now overseeing just five senior forwards for the role — down from ten options at the end of January. The remaining quartet consists of Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, and Robinio Vaz, with young prospect Arena also available. The collapse mirrors Gasperini's repeated public calls for investment in attack. Speaking exactly a year ago on 4 August 2025 at the English national team's St. George Park facility in Burton Upon Trent, Gasperini outlined his philosophy: "It concerns all clubs that spend large sums on attackers. The offensive department is the most sought after and most expensive. Teams with strong attacking players are more competitive." That same summer, Roma pursued Fabio Silva and Jadon Sancho without success, settling on a loan move for Romain Bailey as a last-minute solution. By the end of 2025, Roma had assembled eight attacking options — Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson, Bailey, Soulé, Baldanzi, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Lorenzo Pellegrini — to fill three positions in Gasperini's preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. The winter transfer window swelled that number to ten through the departures of Bailey and Baldanzi and the arrivals of Malen, Vaz, Bryan Zaragoza, and Lorenzo Venturino. However, only Malen performed consistently. With just twenty days until the league campaign begins, Roma faces a critical shortage. The club is reportedly making another approach for Nusa and preparing a move for Fofana to bolster the depleted ranks.

Roma find themselves in unexpected stasis on the transfer market one month before their Serie A opener against Fiorentina, hampered by slow planning, a complex summer constrained by Settlement Agreement rules, and difficulty delivering the reinforcements Gian Piero Gasperini has requested. As of late July, Roma had completed zero signings and just one minor departure, leaving six players from last season's squad still to be replaced: El Shaarawy, Ferguson, Tsimikas, Celik, Venturino, and Zaragoza. The club also has several players ready to depart—Salah-Eddine, Kumbulla, and Dovbyk among them—while others including Soulé and Koné remain uncertain. Contract complications surround Dybala, and Pellegrini's position requires clarification. Delays stem from structural issues worsened by Tony D'Amico's late arrival as sporting director, who became operational only in the final ten days of June following a dispute with Atalanta, compounded by World Cup scheduling and Settlement Agreement restrictions. Gasperini intends to compete at the highest level while preserving the squad's core and adding only a few elite signings. Roma pursued Mason Greenwood and Luis Summerville at length, becoming committed to the Dutch player beyond their budgeted limits before the deal collapsed entirely.

AS Roma are closing in on Crysencio Summerville, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini expecting a resolution in the coming days. The club has raised their bid to €50 million to persuade West Ham to sell the Dutch international and fend off competition from Aston Villa. Gasperini will have final say once Roma and Summerville's agents reach an agreement on personal terms. Despite publicly casting doubt on the transfer during Saturday's press conference—a tactical move to maintain negotiating leverage—Gasperini is eager to bring the winger to Rome. The breakthrough hinges on agreeing contract details with Summerville's representatives, the final hurdle before the deal can be completed. Roma's willingness to climb to the €50 million mark signals their determination to secure one of their priority targets this window. The next 24 to 48 hours are viewed as critical to the outcome. Summerville, who would join a squad already including attackers such as Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, and Stephan El Shaarawy, represents a significant investment in Gasperini's vision for the team.