Roma pursue Castro as backup to Malen; Bologna contacts ongoing

Roma are reportedly considering Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde as a January target, after agent Jorge Mendes proposed the 23-year-old to the Giallorossi. Il Messaggero reports the move would be an addition to Roma's interest in Jayden Oosterwolde, a name the club has pursued for some time. Mendes also represents Rodrigo Mora, who is on Roma's books. The approach reportedly stems from Balde's limited playing time under Hansi Flick at Barcelona. The numbers back up that picture. Balde, who turned 23 on 18 October, has made very few appearances in La Liga and the Champions League this season, after being one of Barcelona's key players in previous campaigns. In 2025-26 he made 42 official appearances, 31 of them as a starter, despite two muscle problems. The left-back is Masia-trained and left-footed, stands 177 centimetres tall, and relies mainly on pace, acceleration and the ability to carry the ball. He likes to attack space and create overloads down the flank. Rather than a conventional full-back who stays deep, Balde plays more like a full-width winger. He is explosive with the ball, gains ground quickly and often looks to reach the byline or the edge of the box. That profile could suit the aggressive, vertical football Gian Piero Gasperini demands from his side. The main obstacle is financial. Balde is under contract at Barcelona until 30 June 2028, and his deal includes a release clause of one billion euros. His market value is still very high, with current estimates ranging roughly between 40 and 50 million euros. Those figures make a permanent move in January difficult, barring particularly favourable terms. The format of any proposal is therefore central. A loan, perhaps with an option to buy or a more complex arrangement, would change the picture entirely, and the key questions are what structure Mendes has put forward and what Barcelona's position is.

Roma will be without Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala for the trip to Napoli, leaving Gian Piero Gasperini with just two attacking midfielders available, Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé. Bryan Cristante, who has just returned from injury, could be deployed in that role behind Soulé and Donyell Malen, and Gasperini is expected to settle his selection doubts in the coming hours. Lorenzo Pellegrini's situation has also dealt the squad a blow. Daniele Aloisi of Il Messaggero reports that the club must act urgently in the January window. Roma still lack the left-sided winger who plays on his right foot, a signing they did not make even in the previous window. Gasperini reportedly expects at least two additions: one forward and one player to complete the options on the wings of midfield. The club's scouts have Gittense Leweling on their list. Signing Endrick will be harder, though that lead is far from closed. Oosterwolde is also under consideration. The newest name is Balde of Barcelona, a left-back who is finding little playing time under Flick. His availability has been offered through Mendes, the same agent who represents Rodrigo Mora. Any strengthening will require a real effort from the Friedkin Group, which must reinforce a squad that risks reaching the midpoint of the season badly depleted. The hope in Rome is that another signing of Malen's quality can be secured to keep the team performing well.

Lorenzo Pellegrini's injury threatens to reshape Roma's January transfer plans, with sporting director Tony D'Amico now seen as needing to strengthen the attacking department almost by necessity. D'Amico had already admitted at the close of the summer window that the squad was numerically short: "Numerically we are slightly short, one player is missing." Since then the situation has worsened. Paulo Dybala continues to have physical problems, Pellegrini faces a very long spell out, and Gian Piero Gasperini has very few usable men in the final third. One signing may no longer be enough. Roma will certainly look for an attacking winger capable of beating a man, attacking depth and providing the vertical presence Gasperini had requested during the summer. If the physical issues continue to limit rotation, D'Amico could even look to bring two attacking players to Trigoria. The problem goes beyond the starters. Gasperini has Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro as centre-forwards and Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora as the main options in behind them, but depth behind them has become very thin. Niccolò Pisilli and Bryan Cristante could be adapted further forward and Wesley could be pushed up, but these moves leave other areas of the pitch exposed. The January window will therefore no longer simply add to a competitive side; it must correct a structural gap in the squad. A quality winger was already considered a priority after attempts that fell through late in the summer, and the need is now more pressing. The names being tracked remain several. Jamie Gittens continues to be one of the profiles admired, as does Jamie Leweling, who was pursued until the final days of the summer window. Khvicha Kvernadze also remains on the radar as a player monitored for his characteristics and potential. Gasperini asked for depth. Injuries are making that request even more urgent, and January, rather than a simple window to complete the summer's work, risks becoming a decisive juncture for the second half of Roma's season.

Lorenzo Pellegrini's injury threatens to reshape Roma's January transfer plans, with sporting director Tony D'Amico now seen as needing to strengthen the attacking department almost by necessity. D'Amico had already admitted at the close of the summer window that the squad was numerically short: "Numerically we are slightly short, one player is missing." Since then the situation has worsened. Paulo Dybala continues to have physical problems, Pellegrini faces a very long spell out, and Gian Piero Gasperini has very few usable men in the final third. One signing may no longer be enough. Roma will certainly look for an attacking winger capable of beating a man, attacking depth and providing the vertical presence Gasperini had requested during the summer. If the physical issues continue to limit rotation, D'Amico could even look to bring two attacking players to Trigoria. The problem goes beyond the starters. Gasperini has Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro as centre-forwards and Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora as the main options in behind them, but depth behind them has become very thin. Niccolò Pisilli and Bryan Cristante could be adapted further forward and Wesley could be pushed up, but these moves leave other areas of the pitch exposed. The January window will therefore no longer simply add to a competitive side; it must correct a structural gap in the squad. A quality winger was already considered a priority after attempts that fell through late in the summer, and the need is now more pressing. The names being tracked remain several. Jamie Gittens continues to be one of the profiles admired, as does Jamie Leweling, who was pursued until the final days of the summer window. Khvicha Kvernadze also remains on the radar as a player monitored for his characteristics and potential. Gasperini asked for depth. Injuries are making that request even more urgent, and January, rather than a simple window to complete the summer's work, risks becoming a decisive juncture for the second half of Roma's season.

Roma travel to Napoli with their attack severely depleted, and Gian Piero Gasperini must decide whether to start Rodrigo Mora or move Bryan Cristante behind Donyell Malen for Saturday's clash at the Maradona. The injuries to Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini have removed two key players from the final third at the same time, while Manu Koné is still sidelined. Moving a midfielder further forward therefore means thinning out another area of the team. Mora is the more natural option. He is one of the few specialist attacking midfielders still available, and although his talent is obvious, he is still adapting to the demands of Italian football, Gasperini's tactical requirements and a system that asks a great deal of players without the ball. He did not manage to make the impact he would have liked against Slovan, but the emergency could offer him a major opportunity. The alternative is Cristante, who has just returned from injury. He could be deployed a few metres further forward, a position he knows well, which would give Roma more physicality, runs into the box and presence in the central zone. Among midfielders who can adapt to the final third, Cristante appears to have a slightly better chance than Niccolò Pisilli. In that case, Pisilli would stay alongside Marten de Roon in midfield, avoiding further weakening a unit already without Koné. It is a more conservative choice in terms of balance, but it would still allow Gasperini to add weight and experience behind the striker. Up front, there appear to be no doubts about Matías Soulé and Malen. The Argentine remains the main creative reference, while the Dutchman will again lead the attack. Santiago Castro is practically the only natural alternative to the centre-forward, and there remains a possibility, perhaps once the match is under way, of seeing both strikers on the pitch together. However, the starting line-up tells only part of the problem. Roma arrive in Naples with very few options to change the shape of their attacking play during the game, and that is the aspect that concerns Gasperini most on the eve of a period in which fixtures will follow one another without pause.

Lorenzo Pellegrini's injury looks set to keep him out for far longer than first feared, with at least three months on the sidelines and a return to action not expected before 2027. The diagnosis is a high-grade injury at the distal musculotendinous junction of the semitendinosus in his right thigh, which Roma are reportedly considering treating surgically. The club is awaiting further specialist assessments before deciding. The timeline is a far cry from the 20 days Gasperini suggested straight after the Roma-Slovan Bratislava match. The location of the injury is the main concern, as the problem sits near the knee where the semitendinosus joins its tendon, a particularly delicate area that requires more caution than a standard muscle-belly injury. If surgery is chosen, it would further extend his recovery, and the season could be over. This is another serious setback for Pellegrini, who has only recently returned to availability. He had already missed the summer preparation because of an earlier physical problem and had only recently started to win back minutes and consistency under Gasperini. The injury leaves Gasperini facing a problem he had repeatedly flagged as one of the season's main risks. The attacking department has suddenly become very short. Pellegrini is set to be out for a long time, Dybala is still sidelined, and rotation options in the final third are reduced to practically Soulé and Mora, with Pisilli or Cristante possibly pushed forward and the option of using Malen and Castro together. Gasperini had said clearly after the Slovan match: "If we don't recover Dybala quickly, we'll become really short of players." At that time the extent of Pellegrini's injury was not yet known, and the remark now carries even more weight. The consequences extend to the January transfer market. Roma had already planned a new signing to strengthen mainly the attack, but Pellegrini's long absence may further change the priorities of Tony D'Amico. A market that a few weeks ago looked set to add quality now risks becoming necessary in numerical terms too. At least one attacking reinforcement will be needed to immediately widen Gasperini's options, and depending on how the infirmary evolves, Roma may be forced to do more. January therefore becomes a fundamental stage in building the squad, as facing the second half of the season with so few alternatives up front would be a difficult risk to sustain.

Matías Soulé has been entrusted with Roma's attacking play for the trip to the Maradona, with Gian Piero Gasperini relying on him as the last available genuine creative option. Paulo Dybala is absent, and Lorenzo Pellegrini is injured, leaving the attack severely depleted for what is billed as a championship supermatch. According to Il Messaggero, Roma are rallying around their last available true playmaker. With the injury list full and the attack stripped bare, Gasperini is placing his faith entirely in Soulé, who must carry the team in a setting that holds particular meaning for him. It was at Napoli a year ago that his outstanding start to the previous season was abruptly halted by a fierce groin injury (pubalgia), which forced months of pain, time on the bench and rest after a start of seven goals and seven assists. Despite a summer dominated by transfer speculation and the possibility of a sale, Soulé has won back the trust of the club's environment and reclaimed his place in the side through his performances. Now, without his usual partners, he is ready to take centre stage: he must play in Donyell Malen and lead the team on a night that carries the feel of a major test.

Rodrigo Mora is being handed greater responsibility after Lorenzo Pellegrini's injury, which could keep the midfielder out until 2027 with a high-grade tear to his right thigh. Roma face Napoli at the Maradona tomorrow, and Mora is set to play alongside Matías Soulé behind centre-forward Donyell Malen, as Paulo Dybala is also sidelined with a calf injury. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini must now reshape his plan for Mora, whose game time has so far been gradual. In Serie A he has played an average of 46 minutes per match, according to Niccolò Maurelli writing in Repubblica. Mora now wants to take control of the attacking department and become Malen's new focal point. The two already share a strong understanding, as shown against Real at the Olimpico, when the Portuguese set up the striker for the goal that made it 2-1 for the time being. Mora will need to quickly absorb the tactical idea of the coach, who wants him to be more decisive in front of goal.

Rodrigo Mora is set to be handed a starting role for Roma's difficult away trip to Napoli at the Maradona, with Lorenzo Pellegrini injured and Paulo Dybala continuing to struggle with physical problems. According to La Repubblica, the emergency that has decimated Roma's attack gives the young Portuguese playmaker the chance to become a central figure on the night. Mora is expected to line up alongside Matías Soulé in the attacking midfield behind Donyell Malen. Until now he has been eased in gradually and has played only a handful of minutes in the league. He will need to show the maturity required to carry the weight of Roma's build-up play, and he can build on the understanding he has already shown with Malen in Europe against Real Madrid. To strengthen the trust of Gian Piero Gasperini, Mora must also improve in front of goal, increasing his effectiveness and adding to his goal tally. It is an important test, and a night that could mark his definitive arrival at the heart of the Giallorossi project. The report puts Mora's opportunity squarely in the context of Roma's injury problems in attack. Pellegrini's absence and Dybala's recurring fitness issues have left Gasperini with limited options, and the match at the Maradona is a demanding assignment for a player still building his place in the side.

Roma's pundits on Rome's radio stations were largely positive about the club's recent results, but they were divided over Mora and the January market. Roberto Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio, said: 'Mora is absolutely not ready for this stage, and Roma must sign Lookman. Do a six-month loan.' He also said Castro does not play when Malen is fit and that Mora did not take advantage of his chance, adding that a striker is needed in January. Mario Corsi of Tele Radio Stereo was more worried: 'I said Mora had to play to get used to his teammates, but there is a Mora problem. Do you remember Bojan Krkic? I would not want him to suffer the same fate.' Corsi said Mora was an embarrassment in front of goal, had shot at a photographer and had got everything wrong on Sunday, including his passing. The debate followed a run of matches after the heavy defeat to Real Madrid. Mario Mattioli of Radio Radio said Roma were fortunate to face Genoa and Slovan Bratislava afterwards, as they could restore their mental focus, and that Roma had taken full advantage. He described Slovan as a side who do not belong in the Champions League, suggesting they were better suited to the Europa League or Conference League. Fabio Petruzzi of Rete Sport argued that Roma make their opponents look weak: 'Genoa were weak, Slovan are weak, they are all weak... even Real Madrid were weak until ten minutes from the end. I would start saying Roma are strong.' Alessio Nardo of Tele Radio Stereo said he could hardly recall a smaller side worse than Slovan Bratislava, adding that they could not keep the ball for more than three seconds. David Rossi of Rete Sport praised the defence under Gian Piero Gasperini: 'What impresses me is that the defenders have improved most with Gasperini. Ghilardi started two matches, against Lecce and against Slovan, and I remember him more for what he does in attack than in defence. Ghilardi is a starter now. Hermoso, we did not know who to pin it on, and now he is a leader. Balerdi arrived while Marseille fans were celebrating, and here he is dominant. N'Dicka has improved a lot... Roma have a back line that I believe is the strongest in Italy.' Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport noted that Roma had rotated five starters in defence over the last two matches while conceding no goals. He said the comparison between Malen and Castro and Ferguson and Dovbyk was harsh. Pes argued that Gasperini had not overused Pellegrini, who had started two matches, and said Pellegrini was prone to injury, which he had always been. Pellegrini is now 30, Pes said, and the problems are getting worse. Checco Oddo Casano said Roma should consider the futures of Dybala and Pellegrini in June, after seeing how many matches they had played. The radio hosts agreed that a striker is needed, and Pruzzo said he would name the player to be signed in January. Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport said he was supporting Manchester United against Como that evening, because a defeat for the English side would leave Roma with a final chance. He also said Roma had regrets about Fenerbahce and Real Madrid, where a result was possible, and warned that Roma could arrive at the third-last match ranked behind others in the table.

Malen and Castro have already outscored Dovbyk and Ferguson's entire Serie A campaign of last season, after just seven matchdays. The two current forwards have scored seven goals between them in Serie A this term, against one from Dovbyk and Ferguson across the whole of 2025-26. Roma have 16 points after seven rounds this season, compared with 15 at the same stage last year, so the points tally is almost identical. The difference lies in the attack. Roma have found the forwards they lacked a year ago, with the Dutchman and the Argentine both scoring and each able to make the difference when the other is missing. Last season, Ferguson and Dovbyk struggled to make an impact and to get shots away. Their combined Serie A tally that year was six goals, a figure Malen and Castro have already surpassed in only seven matches. The two strikers have also combined for nine goals in all competitions this season: eight from the Dutchman and one from the Argentine. Dovbyk and Ferguson were never really an option together, as they were too similar and too cumbersome to make a two-man attack work. Gasperini has preferred to play with a single striker, but that is not a written rule, and the head coach could now change his mind. With Dybala's physical condition a factor, Malen and Castro are in contention to start together from the first minute in the Champions League against Slovan. It would be a test of whether the pair can coexist. Their characteristics differ, but the quality is there. Castro has already shown he deserves a place, scoring a spectacular goal on his first start, and he does not want to be merely an alternative. Gasperini has recognised that. The Argentine has shown he can make an impact, and the big question now is whether Gasperini will field the two of them together against Slovan.

Santiago Castro starts as Roma's number nine for the first time in nearly a year, with Donyell Malen sidelined through suspension. The last Roma striker to hold that role as a starter was Artem Dovbyk in November against Udinese; Malen claimed the position in January. Castro has not scored since a Europa League match against Roma at the Olimpico, a performance that impressed both Gasperini and Francesco Totti, who recommended him to the coach. He has spent the last three matches on the bench, though in the period before the international break he came off the bench regularly and earned applause despite his goal drought. Castro's selection comes after a string of solid performances that earned him a call-up to his national team. The forward comes into the match having hit the woodwork twice against Atalanta. His task today is to end his dry spell while filling the gap left by Malen's absence. Last season, after three matches without a goal, he broke his duck against the same Atalanta side, then managed by Vieira. Castro arrived as the first signing of the most recent transfer window and also the most expensive. He carries heavy expectation to deliver immediately. Several Primavera players are in contention for a squad place. Panico, Arena, and Camara are hopeful of being called up, with the final selection to be confirmed this morning.