Roma loanees shine across Europe and Italy: Romano steady at Cagliari, Vaz debuts in Premier League, El Aynaoui establishes himself at Leipzig

Roma visit Torino in the fourth round of Serie A on 14 September, seeking to extend their perfect start to the season. The Giallorossi have won their opening three matches and will aim to reach six points and consolidate top spot, though they arrive after drawing their first match of the campaign in Istanbul. Roma's unbeaten streak gives them a strong platform heading into the fixture. Paulo Dybala is available for selection, while Manu Koné is sidelined for the trip.

Daniele Ghilardi is expected to start on the bench for Roma's upcoming match, but Roberto Mancini is monitoring the defender closely and will want to see him in action soon. The former Verona player is eager to make an impression, with an opportunity potentially arriving if Mancini rests after Istanbul. Ghilardi's path to the pitch is currently blocked by Leonardo Balerdi, who has made a strong start with Fenerbahce. The Roma contingent in Italy's squad has extra motivation tonight, knowing the national team commissioner will be watching from the stands. For players like Niccolò Pisilli and Emanuele Lulli, it is a chance to showcase their form, confirm their development and catch Mancini's eye. The Italian side fielding a Roma core creates additional incentive for the club's representatives on international duty to impress.

Emanuele Lulli will face Alessio Cacciamani on the same flank when Roma visit Torino this evening, a meeting that reflects two contrasting paths taken by Italy's youth systems. Roma pursued Cacciamani throughout the summer as a prospect to support Gasperini, but Torino resisted and manager Ignazio Abate chose to give the teenager playing time instead of selling him. Roma eventually discovered Lulli as an alternative. Lulli's emergence this season cannot be attributed solely to Cacciamani's departure, yet the two stories intertwine meaningfully. The space Roma might have created for a purchased young talent—potentially by moving Wesley to the right—became fertile ground for a player developed at Trigoria. Gasperini first prevented Lulli from joining Avellino on loan in the summer, then granted him the opportunity to prove himself in the Roma first team. Lulli has become one of the pleasant surprises of the season's opening weeks. The narrative extends beyond the match itself. Youth academies produce talent, but talent without opportunity remains only a promise. Cacciamani is emerging because Torino had the courage to retain him and Abate the conviction to play him. Lulli is achieving the same because Gasperini, partly through circumstances created by the transfer market, kept him at the club and gave him his chance to compete. Not every Primavera player will become Serie A material, and every young talent should not be kept out of fear of future regret. Yet before looking elsewhere for what is missing, it is sometimes worth examining what lies within. Tonight Cacciamani and Lulli will face each other. While not a headline-grabbing duel, it could tell one of the match's most important stories: young players can emerge only when someone has the courage to let them play.

Marten De Roon is settling into his opening weeks as a Roma player after nine years at Atalanta. Head coach Gasperini, who worked extensively with the Dutchman at Bergamo, brought him in to strengthen the midfield following the departure of Neil El Aynaoui. De Roon has already featured in the closing stages of Roma's match against Lecce, and he has taken a lighter approach to his adjustment by sharing a social media post of a video call with fellow countryman Kevin Strootman, the former Roma midfielder, asking for advice about life in the capital. Strootman spent five seasons in giallorosso between 2013 and 2018, making 131 appearances and scoring 13 goals. He became a fans' favourite for his combative style and the passion he showed for the club. De Roon's post joked about the situation, using his Dutch connection to seek tips on settling in at Roma. De Roon wrote on social media: "Happy to be here. There is only one Dutchman to call when you want advice on Roma." The post reflected the 33-year-old midfielder's sense of humour as he begins life at the Stadio Olimpico, tapping into Strootman's experience of the club and the city to guide his early months in the Italian capital.

Roma's loanees across Italy and Europe made an impact on the weekend. Artem Dovbyk was the standout performer, coming off the bench in the 66th minute for Bologna against Sassuolo and scoring the equaliser in the 91st minute to secure a 2–2 draw and the Rossoblu's first point of the season. The Ukrainian striker's decisive finish came in an Emilia derby on loan with a right of redemption clause. Elsewhere, young goalkeeper Radoslaw Zelezny put in a strong performance for Perugia in their 2–1 victory over Pineto, playing all 90 minutes as the side's first-choice keeper. The 2006-born Zelezny was blameless for the goal conceded and made several crucial saves, including a high-quality intervention in the first half and a decisive stop in the second. He is on loan at the Umbrian club with an option and counter-option attached. Midfield prospect Alessandro Romano again started for Cagliari in Serie A, remaining on the pitch for the full 90 minutes as the Sardinians won 1–0 away at Lecce thanks to a Daniel Maldini goal in the 29th minute. Romano's loan includes an obligation to buy if certain sporting conditions are met. Neil El Aynaoui made an immediate first-team debut for RB Leipzig, starting in the away fixture against Werder Brema and playing until the 75th minute. However, Leipzig suffered a 3–1 defeat. The Moroccan midfielder's move is on loan with a right of redemption. Filippo Reale, a 2006-born defender, played the full 90 minutes for Carrarese on the flank in their 1–0 home loss to Empoli, conceding in the 74th minute; he is on loan with an option and counter-option in Roma's favour. Luigi Cherubini started in attack for Benevento in the first half at Ascoli before being substituted at the interval; Benevento were reduced to ten men in the 41st minute by Prisco's red card and lost 1–0 to a Brunori penalty in the closing stages. Cherubini's loan includes a right of option and obligation to buy. Mattia Mannini received his first call-up after joining Benevento on loan but remained unused from the bench in the same Ascoli defeat. Angeliño was an unused substitute as Deportivo La Coruña won 3–2 away at Villarreal in La Liga. Robinio Vaz was included in a Premier League squad for the first time after a late-market transfer to Hull City but did not feature in a 0–0 draw with Aston Villa. Jan Ziółkowski was unavailable for Monza's away trip to Parma—which ended 1–1—due to a plantar fascia problem requiring monitoring. Marash Kumbulla likewise missed Rayo Vallecano's 3–2 victory over Racing Santander as he continues to deal with a knee issue.

Gian Piero Gasperini held his pre-match press conference ahead of Roma's Serie A fixture against Atalanta on matchday three, addressing injury updates and his feelings about the club. Paulo Dybala's tests have shown nothing concerning, though he will train on the day of the press conference to build confidence before three matches this week. On free-agent recruitment, Gasperini expressed doubt: "I believe it is difficult, I do not know what the possibilities might be, but I would not count on it much." He closed the door firmly on reintegrating Salah-Eddine, stating the player "has had several opportunities that he has refused. As far as Roma goes, I have already made choices and he is not in Roma's plans." Evan N'Dicka's injury status has improved substantially, with Gasperini saying "N'Dicka much better, I believe he is in the match. Today we will try him out." Lorenzo Pellegrini is progressing gradually and may return "perhaps with Inter or after the break," indicating a timeline beyond the immediate fixtures. Donyell Malen continues to impress, though Gasperini suggested working on his repertoire. The coach praised Rodrigo Mora's development after two consecutive appearances: "He is young but has already shown his talent against Fiorentina and Lecce. He has ample room for growth in the physical aspect, resistance and fitness. We are dealing with a boy of absolute value." Gasperini defended his decision not to name hierarchies in midfield despite the departure of Neil El Aynaoui and the arrival of Marten de Roon. "Pisilli is very far advanced: he has taken on maturity, awareness, he has grown, he is strong," Gasperini said. "I have four players there, I do not make hierarchies. De Roon, Balerdi and the latest arrivals must reach their best condition; they will play spells and we will see them at full-time probably after the break. Pisilli, Koné and Cristante are solid. We play in 16 and there are many matches. Do not make distinctions between those who start at the beginning and those who come in because in the end you will see that the playing time will be similar for everyone." On squad depth and tactical flexibility, he confirmed Santiago Castro and Mora can operate as forwards and that multiple tactical interpretations are possible. When asked about his time at Roma changing him, Gasperini reflected: "Certainly this experience has enriched me. I arrived in a different environment after nine years of great satisfaction and great integration with the city and the environment. It was not an easy choice, but I am happy to have made it because the conditions no longer existed. Great gratitude and great respect though for Atalanta. To feel alive again, the Roma piazza has been the maximum: it motivates you, stimulates you and we needed to improve the squad, so there was the challenge of needing to improve on what had been done up to that point." On Matías Soulé, he confirmed the player's pubalgia is behind him and he has recovered to excellent condition.

Roma placed two young players in Tuttosport and Transfermarkt's Golden Boy 2026 rankings on Saturday, 12 September. Rodrigo Mora occupies 28th place, while Emanuele Lulli ranks 76th. Former Roma player Robinio Vaz, now at Hull City, also appears in the top 100 at 91st. On the women's side, Roma Femminile secured a place in the Women's Cup semi-final following victory over Fiorentina and Inter's simultaneous win over Lazio. They will face Sassuolo on Sunday at 12:00, the same opponent that beat them in the group stage and will also be their first league adversary of the season. The match will be broadcast on Sky Sport and NOW. In Serie A, Monday brings the first managerial meeting between Ignazio Abate and Gian Piero Gasperini, separated by 29 years and 637 top-flight benches. Gasperini has reached 640 bench appearances, climbing to fifth on the all-time list; his next target is Nils Liedholm at 644. Il Foglio highlighted Roma's impressive start under Gasperini, driven by an increasingly full Stadio Olimpico and a squad in strong form. The publication stressed the significance of the club's decision to reject Manu Koné's departure, a choice that strengthened the bond between coach and supporters. Roma's early season has become a symbol of unexpected momentum and high expectations.

Emanuele Lulli and Rodrigo Mora have been included in the 100-candidate shortlist for the Golden Boy 2026 award, the annual prize for the best footballer under 21 in Europe's top divisions. Lulli is ranked 76th while Mora sits 28th on the list published by Tuttosport. The award ceremony approaches with interest focused on the calibre of contenders. The previous edition was won by two PSG players. Robinho Vaz, who departed Roma during the most recent summer transfer window on loan to Hull City in the Premier League, also features among the nominees. The top 10 showcases elite talent across Europe. Pau Cubarsí, Barcelona's defender and World Cup winner with Spain, leads the rankings. He is followed by Ayyoub Bouaddi (Manchester City), Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain), Yan Diomande (Real Madrid), Victor Froholdt (Porto), Rayan (Bournemouth), Endrick (Real Madrid), Jorrel Hato (Chelsea) and Estevao (Chelsea).

Two Roma players have made the 100-candidate shortlist for the 2026 Golden Boy award, which honours the best under-21 footballer in Europe's top five leagues. Emanuele Lulli (ranked 76th) and Rodrigo Mora (28th) are among the nominees selected by Tuttosport in collaboration with Transfermarkt. Mora, a Portuguese class of 2007, is described as one of Europe's brightest young talents, while Italian full-back Lulli has begun to establish himself in the Roma squad this season, having been preferred to Molina in the league three times. Former Roma player Robinio Vaz (91st) also appears on the list. The Golden Boy selection criteria include performance, market value, club status, player potential and the difficulty level of the league.

Roma's loanees across Italy and Europe made an impact on the weekend. Artem Dovbyk was the standout performer, coming off the bench in the 66th minute for Bologna against Sassuolo and scoring the equaliser in the 91st minute to secure a 2–2 draw and the Rossoblu's first point of the season. The Ukrainian striker's decisive finish came in an Emilia derby on loan with a right of redemption clause. Elsewhere, young goalkeeper Radoslaw Zelezny put in a strong performance for Perugia in their 2–1 victory over Pineto, playing all 90 minutes as the side's first-choice keeper. The 2006-born Zelezny was blameless for the goal conceded and made several crucial saves, including a high-quality intervention in the first half and a decisive stop in the second. He is on loan at the Umbrian club with an option and counter-option attached. Midfield prospect Alessandro Romano again started for Cagliari in Serie A, remaining on the pitch for the full 90 minutes as the Sardinians won 1–0 away at Lecce thanks to a Daniel Maldini goal in the 29th minute. Romano's loan includes an obligation to buy if certain sporting conditions are met. Neil El Aynaoui made an immediate first-team debut for RB Leipzig, starting in the away fixture against Werder Brema and playing until the 75th minute. However, Leipzig suffered a 3–1 defeat. The Moroccan midfielder's move is on loan with a right of redemption. Filippo Reale, a 2006-born defender, played the full 90 minutes for Carrarese on the flank in their 1–0 home loss to Empoli, conceding in the 74th minute; he is on loan with an option and counter-option in Roma's favour. Luigi Cherubini started in attack for Benevento in the first half at Ascoli before being substituted at the interval; Benevento were reduced to ten men in the 41st minute by Prisco's red card and lost 1–0 to a Brunori penalty in the closing stages. Cherubini's loan includes a right of option and obligation to buy. Mattia Mannini received his first call-up after joining Benevento on loan but remained unused from the bench in the same Ascoli defeat. Angeliño was an unused substitute as Deportivo La Coruña won 3–2 away at Villarreal in La Liga. Robinio Vaz was included in a Premier League squad for the first time after a late-market transfer to Hull City but did not feature in a 0–0 draw with Aston Villa. Jan Ziółkowski was unavailable for Monza's away trip to Parma—which ended 1–1—due to a plantar fascia problem requiring monitoring. Marash Kumbulla likewise missed Rayo Vallecano's 3–2 victory over Racing Santander as he continues to deal with a knee issue.

Roma closed the summer transfer window with a tactical anomaly on the flanks that Gasperini must now correct. The club welcomed Nahuel Molina, an international-level operator, and promoted Emanuele Lulli from the Primavera, but departed with three established wide players: Zeki Çelik despite a renewal near completion (he chose Juventus), Kostas Tsimikas at the end of his loan spell, and Angeliño on a permanent exit. From 1 September, Gasperini has four full-backs available—Wesley, Devyne Rensch, Molina and Lulli—with a critical shared characteristic: all four are naturally right-footed. In a system where wide players are fundamental, this represents a significant imbalance that demands correction. The left flank presents a particular problem. Wesley, who proved a credible option there last season when Angeliño suffered injuries and Tsimikas disappointed, operates from an inverted position—offering a diagonal cut inside toward attacking midfielders but sacrificing natural overlapping runs and first-time crosses. This inversion does suit the movement style of Donyell Malen, a forward more suited to fluid attacking play than penalty-box poaching. On the right last season, Çelik provided physical reliability; in the opening two league matches of the current campaign, Lulli has dominated the position. The 2007-born academy product is carving out his space with force, quality and intent, constraining Molina's deployment. The Argentine debutant, not yet at full fitness, entered Monday's match against Lecce at the hour mark when the contest was settled after 25 minutes, positioned on the left flank rather than his natural right, then shifted across later with Lulli moving to the opposite wing. Rensch, who remains unavailable, can operate on both flanks. Salah-Eddine, a genuine left-footer in the squad, has been excluded from the Champions League list and is outside Gasperini's project. During the three-month summer window, Roma pursued numerous full-back profiles—Fresneda, Cacciamani, Read, Moreira and Luiz Henrique among them—prompting discussion of Wesley returning to the right flank. None materialised, leaving the club with four naturally right-footed wide defenders. Gasperini's Atalanta tenure established the template for offensive wing-back football: over nine years in Bergamo, he consistently deployed pure left-footers on the left (Gosens, Ruggeri, Reca, Bakker) or right-footed players with exceptional weak-foot technique or cut-inside dribbling (Spinazzola, Mæhle, Castagne). Gosens and Ruggeri delivered eye-catching output: 12 goals and 8 assists in 2020-21 for the former; 2 goals and 6 assists in 2023-24 for the latter. The most concrete path forward at Roma appears to be Wesley's cut-inside dribbling combined with attacking-midfielder interplay. However, a move into the free-agent market remains possible: Guerreiro, returning after a decade between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, represents the ideal profile for the left flank, though explosive pace is not his hallmark. Diatta is also on the radar; he can fill all wide positions and could serve a dual-role function.

AS Roma faces UEFA review of its settlement agreement compliance after a summer transfer window costing approximately 125 million euros in purchases and 30 million in sales, with capital gains reaching only 25 million. The club will defend its position to UEFA at Nyon by highlighting a dramatic reduction in the wage bill—the primary evidence it claims of its sustainability strategy. Last season the payroll exceeded 133 million euros gross; it has now fallen to around 113 million, moving closer to the 100-million target. The wage cuts stem largely from player departures including Zaragoza, Çelik, Angeliño, Tsimikas, El Shaarawy and Dovbyk. The signing of Santiago Castro, a younger player with a lower salary spread across multiple years, exemplifies Roma's shift in strategy. Significant savings also came from the exits of El Aynaoui, Vaz, Ziółkowski and Kumbulla. Contract renewals for Dybala, Mancini, Cristante and Pellegrini followed the same model, reducing the fixed portion of salaries in favour of performance and appearance bonuses; these four extensions alone saved approximately 15 million euros. New arrivals Castro, Mora, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi and De Roon will cost around 25 million euros gross combined. Roma's overall wage reduction stands close to 45 million euros, reflecting the club's revised commercial approach as it attempts to satisfy UEFA's conditions set out in the 2022 settlement agreement.