Roma plan alternatives to fund Malen redemption without Champions League revenue

Roma's management are following the situation of two unhappy forwards who appeal to Gian Piero Gasperini, with Endrick reportedly wanting to leave Real Madrid and Lookman looking for more game time. The Giallorossi are reportedly searching for their next striker in Madrid. The article's headline frames Roma's interest as a move for a future player at Real Madrid, linking the club's search to the coach's preferences. No further details on fees or timing are available from the report.

Arsenal have entered the race for Endrick, joining Milan and Sporting in pursuit of the Brazilian forward, according to English outlet TeamTalk. The Premier League champions have returned to negotiations for the Real Madrid striker in recent weeks, and Mikel Arteta has never given up on the player and is pushing for a fresh attempt in January. Unlike other clubs, such as Roma, Arsenal do not intend to complete a straight loan deal. They are exploring the option of including a technical counterpart, Zubimendi, and securing an option or obligation to buy in order to keep Endrick at the club for the long term. The appeal of the Premier League could change the 2006-born Brazilian's mind, but he still holds Roma and Gasperini in high regard after facing the Giallorossi at the Olimpico. He has also appreciated their attacking style of football, in which he believes he would fit in perfectly and be able to express his qualities. The report suggests Endrick's admiration for Roma and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini remains strong, even as English interest grows. Arsenal's pursuit is built around a structured deal rather than a short-term loan, which sets their approach apart from the Giallorossi's interest.

Journalist Matteo Moretto has said Roma are the principal Italian club pursuing Real Madrid forward Endrick, and that the Brazilian is 70% likely to leave on loan in the January window. Speaking on DAZN Spain, Moretto said the player's own wishes could prove decisive in persuading Real Madrid to open the door to a transfer. Endrick, who was born in 2006, wants more regular game time and would welcome a new experience away from the Spanish capital, as he did last season with his loan at Olympique Lyonnais. Moretto said: "If Madrid were to give the go-ahead for a loan transfer, especially Mourinho, I think what will make the difference is the will of the boy. If Endrick asks to be sold in order to play more, then it can be done." He suggested the deal could move forward if the player formally requested to leave. The journalist put a figure on the chances, saying: "I'd say he will be loaned out at 70%." The assessment is significant, given that only a few weeks ago José Mourinho publicly expressed his wish to keep the Brazilian at Real Madrid for the second half of the season. According to Moretto, Roma are ahead of AC Milan in the race for Endrick in Italy. Sporting director Tony D'Amico has followed the player for some time and watched him closely in the Champions League match against Real Madrid at the Olimpico, where Endrick scored one of the goals in Spain's comeback. AC Milan remain interested, as do several Premier League clubs and Portuguese sides. Moretto stressed that Roma are the Italian club most interested, without indicating that any agreement has been reached. The final decision will depend as much on the player as on Real Madrid's willingness to accept a loan. The need for regular minutes has become a priority for the 20-year-old, particularly with an eye on his international future. Endrick wants to keep developing and to convince Carlo Ancelotti to give him a bigger role with Brazil. His limited playing time at Real Madrid risks slowing that progress, which is why a further loan, following his positive spell at Lyon, is a concrete option. For Gian Piero Gasperini, Endrick would be a high-quality addition to an attack the coach still considers short in numbers. D'Amico is also evaluating other profiles, including Jamie Gittens of Chelsea, but the chance to secure a player of Endrick's calibre on loan remains particularly attractive to Roma, given the financial constraints shaping the club's market. Roma continue to work on the lead, but the decisive step will be a formal transfer request from the Brazilian. At that point, Mourinho and the Spanish club will have to decide whether they are willing to let him leave. D'Amico is keeping watch, hoping to finally complete a deal that fell through last summer.

Roman radio pundits have been debating a possible move for Brazilian forward Endrick, with contrasting views on whether he would suit Roma. On David Rossi's Rete Sport show, Rossi said Il Corriere dello Sport reported that both AC Milan and Roma were interested in the player, and that Endrick had said he would not join Milan because the club's symbol is the Devil. Rossi questioned whether that could be credible, adding that when a name is this obvious a deal rarely happens unless it is already done. He also said there was a danger Fonseca wanted Endrick at Sporting, where the player had felt at home under Fonseca at Lyon. "Endrick is a fantastic player," Rossi said. "Gittens may play on the left, but between him and Endrick there are, for me, three categories of difference." The debate comes as Roma are in the title conversation. Gianluca Piacentini named three reasons to believe in the scudetto: the league's strongest coach, room to improve through the January transfer market, and a levelled-down Serie A, which he said was shown by Lazio sitting top of the table. He said he hoped the race would be between Roma and Inter. Piacentini also criticised the 'atleta di Cristo' explanation, saying it was not a fair criterion for choosing a destination. Fabio Petruzzi said Endrick sees little of the pitch and may want to leave to play regularly, adding that if he has not played while Vinicius was suspended for four matches, he will never play. He said that if he were an attacker, Gasperini is the first coach he would want to work with, and that Endrick, a left-footed player, can play on the left. Mario Corsi said the Mora-Endrick comparison was a trap because the two are completely different players. He said Endrick has a strong shot, dribbling and heading ability, and that strong players must be signed. He said Malen should not be deployed on the wing because he must stay in the middle, and that Gasperini and D'Amico had not heard from Friedkin for a long time and were somewhat worried. "If they really want to win, they have to make this move." Francesca Ferrazza said Roma need two forwards with Pellegrini gone, and that Endrick offers the best value for money. Lorenzo Pes said Malen's frequent substitutions also happened last year, and that Retegui at Atalanta rarely finished matches. Valentina Catoni said that when Dybala is fit he always plays. Piero Torri recalled Mourinho saying Endrick would not leave Madrid, noted that the Brazil international has started only one match, and said Endrick is a second striker who would sit behind Soulé and Dybala. Roberto Pruzzo said Endrick wants to play and that Italian football has become a second-tier league. Nando Orsi argued Roma need a right-footed winger who plays on the left, and that Endrick would be of little use with Castro already in the squad. Mario Mattioli warned that bringing Endrick into the Roma dressing room could be an unwanted explosion, calling him very difficult to manage and saying he would have to play always and in every match. "He is not a dressing-room man," Mattioli said, adding that Endrick is not the man who says "let's arm ourselves and set off" when a common effort is needed.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini wants to bring in two attacking players, with a striker of pace and thrust the clear priority. Tony D'Amico publicly acknowledged last Saturday that finding such a forward is the aim, a quality the current squad palpably lacks and which was exposed in high-level matches against Manchester, Real and Inter. Endrick is seen as the ideal profile for his technical and athletic qualities. He was deployed in support of the main striker at Lyon a year ago, when Fonseca, who now wants him at Sporting, used him in that role. He has scored 8 goals and provided 8 assists in a few months, a sign of enormous potential that is still largely unexplored. Gasperini would pair him with Malen, with a playmaker behind the front line such as Mora, in a 1-2 attack, and would add a second attacking player alongside him. That second player would be a left-footed winger who can operate as a wide midfielder or a winger, with a profile similar to Moreira: versatile and able to be used in several roles or positions during a match. The alternative would be an attacking midfielder in the mould of Pasalic or Pellegrini, who could come in as part of the rotations. The target is not a deep-lying or central midfielder.

Roman radio pundits have debated Endrick's future, with Filippo Biafora of Radio Manà Manà doubting whether the Real Madrid forward would play every game under Gian Piero Gasperini. Biafora said: "The question for Endrick is only one: he must play a lot. I wonder if with Gasperini he would play all the matches. I'm not sure. He would certainly get more game time than he does today at Real Madrid. I think the coach from Grugliasco would see him on the centre-right." The debate came as several Roman stations weighed in on the club's transfer activity and squad. Ugo Trani of Tele Radio Stereo linked Roma's interest in Endrick to his own Real Madrid situation, saying that Roma are currently paying €25 million for Mora, and that acquiring 100% of his rights and paying Porto €25 million would take the total to €50 million. Trani said: "Mora is doing well in the league and in the Champions League. The problem is the performances of Vaz and Dovbyk. When Bologna send Dovbyk back, you can only sell him on loan. These are Roma's problems." Trani also addressed Endrick directly, saying: "They are talking to several clubs because Mourinho doesn't want to give him to the Friedkins. If you put five clubs in front of Endrick, he will still choose Roma. Roma's directors have been in contact with Real Madrid, with the player's agent and with Endrick himself. The Mourinho obstacle remains, and if he can play a trick on the Friedkins, he would." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio Pomeriggio was more positive, saying: "Endrick wants to play. Italian football has become second-tier; players come here to do an apprenticeship. Dumfries made the difference at Inter, but at Real he never plays. Endrick is strong, he would find a place here. It would be a good challenge for him to win a starting place in a team that is going very well…" Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà took a more cautious line, saying: "We need to ask ourselves a series of questions about Endrick. I consider him a striker. In my view he is not the player Roma are looking for in terms of characteristics." Lorenzo Pes of Teleradiostereo turned to the attack, saying: "Dybala's management intrigues me. The best set-up could be the one seen against Real Madrid, with Soulé on the right and Paulo on the left. With Dybala, Malen performs at his best, but offensive output has not decreased." He added: "The best player at the start of this season is Hermoso."

Roma's summer recruits have been involved in 36.5% of the club's goals this season, with 15 of the team's 41 strikes involving one of them. Gian Piero Gasperini has relied heavily on seven players who were not part of the squad in the last match of the previous campaign: Nahuel Molina, Marten de Roon, Leonardo Balerdi, Rodrigo Mora, Emanuele Lulli, Santiago Castro and Konstantinos Koulierakis. Lulli came up from the Primavera. Molina has been the most-used player, with 751 minutes, one goal and two assists. He is followed by De Roon (732 minutes), Balerdi (639), Mora (595), Lulli (546), Castro (370) and Koulierakis (225). Gasperini has given minutes to every summer arrival, including the Primavera graduate, showing confidence in the quality of the new players. Mora has been the most productive, with four goals and two assists. His recent form, with a sharp improvement in the latest matches, has eased doubts about the investment made in the summer, reported at €25 million plus 50% of a future resale, for a valuation of €50 million. Across all competitions, the new players have taken part in 15 of Roma's 41 goals. By comparison, at the same stage of last season, Massara's summer signings from that campaign had contributed to just three goals: Wesley with one goal, Ferguson with one assist and Tsimikas with one assist.

Fidelis Castro's goal and assist, earned in two starts at home to Genoa and Cagliari, have revived debate over the striker's place in the Roma squad and the money spent on him. The Argentine, fresh from a call-up to the national team, has once again drawn criticism from those who question whether Roma needed him at all, and whether he is worth the reported €35 million outlay. Some critics said last summer that Roma should have targeted Robinio Vaz instead, and that the money spent on Castro was wasted. The article notes that Vaz, who is described as a well-paid bit-part player at Hull City, would have been a better investment, and suggests that Dovbyk, who after just three months had worn out much of Bologna's patience, could have been kept. Against this, the writer argues that Castro has the hardest job among Roma's forwards. He plays almost exclusively in place of Malen, and when he comes on, the team is often more tired and less composed than when Malen is leading the line, leaving Castro to chase the ball alone and run down opponents mounting comebacks. Castro made his first start against Genoa, where he scored the first goal, decisive for the win, with a moment of magic. In his second start, against Cagliari, he struggled, as did the whole side, which came from behind to win and only really hit form in the closing stages. The writer contends that this was enough to revive the criticism seen over the summer, when the transfer market was labelled a disaster partly because the backup striker had cost so much. The article argues that it is too complicated for critics to consider that Malen is a cannibal who leaves his backup only a few minutes, and only when he has no energy left. The writer draws a comparison with the 1985-86 season, when Eriksson's Roma came close to the Scudetto. Pruzzo was the prolific starter, with Bruno Conti and Boniek alongside him, while Graziani and the young Tovalieri provided cover. Tovalieri was a key figure in the Coppa Italia that season and scored three goals in 22 appearances in the league, the writer notes, because Pruzzo left few scraps. The point is that Roma have an outstanding striker and a very good deputy, and that critics should be grateful rather than anxious. The article adds that last season, Ferguson and Dovbyk were the forwards, and that in January, before Malen arrived, Roma had brought in Vaz and tried to sign Füllkrug.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma are scoring far more goals than a year ago, with 19 more in their first eleven matches of the season and 12 different scorers, compared with eight last season. The comparison, drawn during the international break, shows a clear improvement across the board. Last year at this stage Roma sat first in the table alongside Inter, but with fewer points: 24 then, against 27 today. The attack has changed most noticeably, moving from the pairing of Dovbyk and Ferguson to Malen and Castro. Roma are also creating more. They are taking 19.4 shots per game against 13.2 last season, with 6.5 on target against 4.7, and they are getting into the opposition box more often, with 37.2 touches per game against 26.2. Their expected goals (xG) have nearly doubled, rising from 1.32 to 2.38 per match. The one negative is goals conceded, which have risen from 5 to 10. Gasperini is willing to accept that cost. The figure is also affected by the absences of Svilar and Koné. When both are on the pitch, Roma's average is lower than it was a year ago. The numbers point to a team that is both more potent and more consistent than the one that finished last season, with the new attacking set-up at the heart of the gains.

Roma's summer recruits have been involved in 36.5% of the club's goals this season, with 15 of the team's 41 strikes involving one of them. Gian Piero Gasperini has relied heavily on seven players who were not part of the squad in the last match of the previous campaign: Nahuel Molina, Marten de Roon, Leonardo Balerdi, Rodrigo Mora, Emanuele Lulli, Santiago Castro and Konstantinos Koulierakis. Lulli came up from the Primavera. Molina has been the most-used player, with 751 minutes, one goal and two assists. He is followed by De Roon (732 minutes), Balerdi (639), Mora (595), Lulli (546), Castro (370) and Koulierakis (225). Gasperini has given minutes to every summer arrival, including the Primavera graduate, showing confidence in the quality of the new players. Mora has been the most productive, with four goals and two assists. His recent form, with a sharp improvement in the latest matches, has eased doubts about the investment made in the summer, reported at €25 million plus 50% of a future resale, for a valuation of €50 million. Across all competitions, the new players have taken part in 15 of Roma's 41 goals. By comparison, at the same stage of last season, Massara's summer signings from that campaign had contributed to just three goals: Wesley with one goal, Ferguson with one assist and Tsimikas with one assist.

Nahuel Molina has become one of Gasperini's most dangerous players in Roma's opening Serie A fixtures, proving to be a decisive summer acquisition for €13 million. The Argentine has demonstrated his impact through aggressive ball recovery in advanced positions—notably helping create Manu Koné's opening goal—and his consistent threat from distance. After five league matches, Molina ranks among Serie A's best for chances created (2.9 per 90 minutes, behind only Dybala and Wesley in giallorosso), ball recoveries (5.04 per 90), and possessions won in the opponent's third (0.78 per 90), according to Sofascore data. Roma have finally secured a right-sided threat matching Gasperini's tactical demands, addressing a weakness from last season when the club saw only sporadic contributions from a combination of Zeki Çelik and Kostas Tsimikas on that flank. Alongside other key acquisitions—Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala and Leonardo Balerdi—Molina is reshaping the team's profile. Some observers outside Rome had already suggested he represented a downgrade compared to Çelik, but offensive and defensive statistics offer no room for interpretation. Molina's record through early September demonstrates substantial improvement across all phases: key passes, dribbling, expected assists, ball recoveries and possessions won in the advanced third all favour the Argentine over his predecessor.

Roma hold first place in Serie A ahead of Saturday's fixture against Inter. The side has conceded only one goal in the league this season—Ederson's effort in Atalanta's limited attempts—a defensive record matched among Europe's top five leagues only by Arsenal, the Europa League runners-up. In Germany, Freiburg lead with one goal conceded in three matches; in Spain, Real Madrid and Barcelona both have four; in France, four clubs have conceded two. Gasperini has overhauled Roma's defence compared to last season. Out are N'Dicka, Wesley and Koné; in are Balerdi, Molina and Pisilli. Balerdi and Molina have just arrived—Argentine internationals of substance, neither a routine acquisition. Balerdi missed the World Cup through injury; Molina was Copa América runner-up alongside Paulo Dybala after winning the World Cup in Qatar. The contrast with last season is stark. A year ago, Gasperini would have replaced N'Dicka and Wesley with Ziolkowski and Tsimikas, neither of whom remain at the club. Similarly, El Aynaoui would have started in place of Koné, but he too was moved on after just one season.