Roma pursue Fresneda as Çelik replacement, but Sporting demand €25m

Roma are reportedly looking to add another attacking player in the winter transfer window, with Endrick at the top of their list, according to TMW. Sporting director D'Amico continues to work on a move for the Brazilian from Real Madrid, but Mourinho has no intention of letting him go. Roma's focus, however, is currently on the pitch under Gasperini as the club goes through one of the most intense spells of the season. As an alternative, Roma are considering Kvernadze, a 2003-born forward at Frosinone who has scored 5 goals across Serie A and the Coppa Italia so far. Frosinone value the player highly, and convincing president Stirpe could require between 20 and 25 million euros. Foreign profiles including Gomes, Leweling and Gittens also remain in the running. In the meantime, the club's attention is rightly turned to Cagliari.

AS Roma have extended the contract of young full-back Emanuele Lulli until 30 June 2031, the club confirmed in an official statement. The deal keeps one of the club's emerging players tied to the Giallorossi for five years, with the previous contract had been set to expire at the end of the season. Lulli has made his professional debut this season and scored his first goal for Roma in the match against Genoa. The club described the renewal as a decision strongly shared by both parties, following the winger's growth. He has become a regular part of Gian Piero Gasperini's rotation and has recently put pressure on the established starters on the right flank. The club's official statement read: "AS Roma is delighted to announce the extension of Emanuele Lulli's contract. The Giallorossi winger, who has made his professional debut this season, also finding the first goal of his Roma career in the match against Genoa, has signed a five-year agreement until 30 June 2031. Lulli and Roma continue to write their future together, in the spirit of continuity and belonging to the giallorossi colours. Congratulations, Emanuele!" The new deal is reportedly set to include a gradual increase in salary over the years. The starting base is reportedly around 300 thousand euros, with easily achievable bonuses to be added.

AS Roma have officially extended the contract of young winger Emanuele Lulli until 30 June 2031, with the defender-turned-winger signing a five-year deal. The club announced the renewal through its official channels after reports circulated in recent days. The extension confirms the club's commitment to Lulli, whose development has been significant in the first part of the 2026-27 season. The 2026-27 campaign has brought his professional debut and his first goal for the club, scored against Genoa. The renewal reflects the club's intention to build around a player emerging from within the squad. In the club's statement, Roma said: "AS Roma is delighted to announce the extension of Emanuele Lulli's contract. The giallorossi winger, who has made his professional debut this season and also scored his first goal in the match against Genoa, has signed a five-year agreement until 30 June 2031. Lulli and Roma continue to write their future together, in the spirit of continuity and belonging to the giallorossi colours." Gasperini also praised the player in his press conference.

Roma lost Celik in the transfer market, a departure that many considered painful, but the positive side has been the emergence of Pierluigi Lulli, who has moved from the Primavera to scoring his first Serie A goal. The development has been described as the defining 'sliding door' of the window. The Italian coverage frames Lulli's breakthrough as the positive counterweight to losing Zeki Çelik, whose exit was widely viewed as a painful one for the club. Lulli's first league goal marks a significant step for a player who has come through the youth ranks to the first team. The report was published on 19 October 2026 and is headlined around the idea that Lulli is the key figure to emerge from the market, as Roma look to build on his progress.

Roma's full-backs have become a cornerstone of Gian Piero Gasperini's push to the top of Serie A, a marked shift from last season when they proved problematic. Wesley and Nahuel Molina are now among the club's key strengths, and both will start when Roma resume the league campaign against Como, where they will face manager Fabregas. The turnaround reflects Gasperini's tactical evolution since arriving at the club: in his first season, Wesley was the only defender fully convincing on the flanks, while Zeki Çelik had to make do elsewhere. Now the picture is entirely different. Gasperini has uncovered Emanuele Lulli in the course of the season, and Molina has gradually built his fitness, delivering quality and assists to Roma's attacking phase. For the Como fixture, Gasperini plans to deploy Molina on the right and Wesley on the left. The selection reflects not just Roma's attacking ambitions but also Gasperini's defensive strategy: by using two attacking full-backs, he aims to stretch Como's wide players—Baturina on one flank and Diao on the other—and occupy them throughout the match. Wesley, the more naturally offensive of the pair, will be tasked with driving forward and supporting the build-up play. Molina is likely to carry greater defensive responsibility, balancing his own contributions with the need to contain Como's threats on the wing.

Gian Piero Gasperini will deploy Nahuel Molina and Wesley as twin wingers in Roma's visit to Como, harnessing simultaneous attacking thrust down both flanks to counter Cesc Fabregas's side. With Molina fully recovered and Wesley in continued form, Roma will field two genuine wide operators capable of delivering width, high pressing and chances for the attacking midfielders. The tactical choice targets Como's possession-based play built around Baturina and Diao's unpredictability; Molina and Wesley are instructed to close down Como's wide references and attacking midfielders immediately, forcing them away from build-up play into long balls. In possession, the overlapping runs of Molina and Wesley will create lateral chains with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé, opening space for crosses and inside passes. Last season Roma's right wing relied solely on Wesley alongside the converted Zeki Çelik, but the club now possesses one of Serie A's strongest selections of wide midfielders. Gasperini's side has already created thirteen goalscoring actions from wide midfielders this season—second in the league behind Inter's fourteen. Wesley leads with seven goal contributions, followed by Molina on four and eighteen-year-old Emanuele Lulli, an academy product promoted to the first team, who has added two decisive contributions and demonstrates the depth of alternatives available on the flanks. A key feature of Gasperini's system is the tactical flexibility of both players. Wesley and Molina can interchange wings during matches without loss of effectiveness, alternating deep play and crosses with cuts inside on their stronger foot to link with the attacking midfielders. This constant switching prevents opposing defences from finding fixed reference points and allows Roma to vary attacking approaches throughout the game.

Leonardo Balerdi scored two goals in Roma's win over Napoli, and Matías Soulé has become a tactical weapon on the right, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. With Paulo Dybala absent from the spotlight, the Argentine trio of Balerdi, Soulé and Castro has taken centre stage for the Giallorossi. Balerdi, a defender, had already impressed in Roma's opening matches with his defensive displays. In Naples, though, he went forward with courage and conviction to claim the glory in the opposition box, and his two goals reflect a strong, precise team mentality. Gazzetta writer Alessio D'Urso described him as a boxer who refused to go down, and the Argentine core rallied around him. Soulé is also playing superbly and has become a tactical weapon, especially on the right flank. Molina and Castro, who came on as substitutes like Balerdi, brought hunger and fire to the side, pushing Roma beyond their most critical moments. The article describes Balerdi's display on Saturday evening as the source of joy for Roma supporters.

Roma's Argentine contingent is taking on an ever-greater role under Gian Piero Gasperini, and the latest proof came in the dramatic comeback at the Maradona, where all three goals were scored by Argentines. Leonardo Balerdi and Matías Soulé have become key figures in the giallorossi side, and Paulo Dybala is set to return to the squad. Balerdi's rise has been the most surprising story. He arrived from Marseille in the final days of August, greeted with little enthusiasm given the doubts that had surrounded his spell in France. Gasperini and sporting director D'Amico nonetheless saw a modern, technical centre-back, quick in recovery, physically strong and with the personality of a leader. Roma took him on loan for around one million euros, with a redemption fee that, according to various press reconstructions, is between 14 and 16 million euros. It is a far less glamorous move than other summer investments, but it risks becoming one of the most successful deals of the window. His performances had already impressed, but his breakthrough came in Naples. Coming off the bench after the break, Balerdi scored first with a left-foot strike and then with a commanding header, earning two draws and stopping Roma from giving up. He does not merely protect his area: he pressures opponents, can play out from the back and is not afraid to join the attack, exactly the kind of defender Gasperini wants for an aggressive defence that plays far from its own goal. His redemption is therefore considered increasingly likely. Soulé, meanwhile, confirms the talent of a player who now appears to have found consistency and maturity. Only a few months ago his future looked far from certain, with a possible sale discussed concretely in the summer and Roma prepared to listen to important offers. The transfer market did not bring a departure, and that stay now seems to carry a completely different meaning. At 23, Soulé is showing clear growth in the consistency of his performances, his ability to make an impact and the personality with which he handles the toughest games. Against Real Madrid, Genoa and Napoli, the Argentine was among Roma's most dangerous players. In the Champions League he served two assists against the Blancos, while at the Maradona he reopened a game that seemed lost with a superb left-foot strike after a exchange with Malen. It is his third league goal, after those scored against Lecce and Atalanta. Beyond the numbers, his growth in possession and in taking responsibility stands out. Soulé no longer lives only on individual flashes: he looks for the decisive pass, takes part in build-up play and carries the weight of the attack on his shoulders. Starting from the right, where he can cut inside onto his left foot, he is becoming one of Gasperini's most valuable weapons. Nahuel Molina and Santiago Castro, who came on in the second half against Napoli alongside Balerdi, also helped change the face of the match with energy, aggression and fresh attacking options. Counting Dybala, that makes five Argentines, and they are giving Roma something beyond technical quality. Molina said after the draw at the Maradona: "Having five in the squad is beautiful, we give our blood, we always want to win even when we start from the bench." Dybala's return is now on the horizon. The Argentine responded positively to the latest tests on the pitch and yesterday resumed training with his teammates after the calf problem suffered against Real Madrid. According to Angelo Mangiante, the Joya will be called up for tomorrow evening's Roma-Cagliari, initially from the bench. His recovery is a valuable boost ahead of the trip to Udine on Saturday and, above all, the Champions League clash at Manchester United on 3 November. Dybala has yet to score this season, but before his injury he was one of the team's main attacking reference points, thanks to his ability to create chances and raise quality in the final thirds. His return also opens tactical possibilities. Gasperini can alternate Dybala and Soulé, manage their energy, or look for solutions that let the two left-footers coexist, adding unpredictability and quality in the final third. Behind them, Balerdi is claiming more space, while Molina and Castro offer important alternatives. This Argentine Roma is no longer just Dybala's: it has become a collective resource built on talent, personality and the grit that stopped the giallorossi from surrendering at the Maradona.

Roma's Argentine contingent is becoming increasingly decisive, with five South American players now providing the emotional force and decisive edge in the Giallorossi's play. While the Italian core of Cristante, Mancini, Pisilli and Pellegrini supplies structure, personality and tactical backbone, the Argentines are described as the team's emotional component and the factor that tips matches. Their performances are increasingly central to Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical plans. Leonardo Balerdi scored a brace in the 3-3 draw with Napoli at the Maradona, while Matías Soulé became more central to Roma's attacking play, scoring the goal that reopened the Napoli contest with a piece of high-class skill. Santiago Castro was decisive in unlocking the match against Genoa and provided the assist for Nahuel Molina's goal against Napoli, and Molina also scored in the European fixture against Slovan Bratislava. Paulo Dybala remains the technical reference point of the attack, capable of lighting up the team and guiding its ambitions. The five players differ in technical characteristics but share a common thread of temperament and determination. When Roma must dig in to find a reaction on the pitch, the contribution of the Argentine players turns suffering into opportunity, bringing quality, pride and tactical substance.