Roma radio: Tel and Leao emerge as Greenwood alternatives as Fenerbahçe move nears

AS Roma are already planning reinforcements ahead of the January transfer window, with head coach Gasperini keen to add a forward to strengthen the squad. The primary target remains Endrick of Real Madrid, the Brazilian who was in Roma's sights last summer and continues to struggle for minutes under Mourinho, having played only four minutes so far. Real Madrid are open to allowing him to leave, even on loan. Milan are also interested, but Aston Villa have emerged as serious contenders. According to Cadena SER, the Birmingham club have moved to the front of the queue and hold an advantage over both Italian sides. Endrick's lack of playing time at the Bernabéu has made him available for a potential move away from Spain.

Roma have renewed their interest in Issa Doumbia following his maiden start for Italy against Turkey on Sunday, which the Giallorossi won 3–1. The 22-year-old Sporting CP midfielder impressed Roma and Juventus during the match, according to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur. Doumbia played the full 90 minutes and was involved in the build-up to Italy's first and third goals, a display that has brought fresh attention to a player Roma were already monitoring during the summer transfer window. Doumbia moved from Venezia to Sporting in June and signed a contract until 2031 with the Portuguese club. His agreement includes a €80 million release clause, officially confirmed by Sporting at the time of his transfer. That figure does not necessarily represent Sporting's asking price for any negotiation, but demonstrates the club's confidence in the player and the difficulty of engineering a move in the near term. For now, Roma's stance appears to be one of interest and observation rather than active pursuit. The midfielder's performance in the Stadio Olimpico victory gave him a significant platform at international level. His involvement in two of Italy's goals under Roberto Mancini underlined the quality that has drawn Roma's eye previously, and the display has intensified Italian clubs' focus on a prospect already known to the Giallorossi.

Maurizio Sarri, the current Atalanta manager and former Lazio head coach, addressed Marten De Roon's departure to Roma in an interview with Corriere di Bergamo. The transfer sparked controversy among Atalanta supporters, who displayed a banner during the Atalanta–Cagliari match reading: 'You chose to pass through our history but not to belong to it… Goodbye'. Gian Piero Gasperini defended De Roon in his press conference, saying: 'What was he supposed to do? The old shoe.' Sarri offered his own perspective on the midfielder's exit, stating: 'With me he never spoke; he dealt directly with the club.'

Roma return from international duty with most players available for Sunday's trip to Como, the first of two fixtures that will test Gasperini's squad before Real Madrid arrive at the Olimpico four days later. Manu Koné and Rodrigo Mora returned yesterday, while Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro rejoin today after their commitments with Argentina's national team. Bryan Cristante remains sidelined by a knee ligament problem, opening the door for Marten de Roon to make his Roma debut from the start alongside Koné in midfield. The selection puzzle centres on the third attacking option alongside Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala. Lorenzo Pellegrini, fully recovered after a long absence, is favoured by some outlets after training throughout the break at Trigoria. Others back Soulé despite his late return from Argentina, while Rodrigo Mora retains a genuine chance after being the most used Roma player during the international window, clocking 225 minutes and scoring an overhead kick for Portugal Under 21. Gasperini has three very different solutions competing for one shirt, with Real Madrid's proximity potentially influencing Sunday's starting lineup. Malen and Wesley have both cleared their respective injury problems and are expected to feature against Como without concern. The Brazilian should return as a starter on the flank, though a contest remains between Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli for the opposite side. In defence, Evan N'Dicka appears to have a slight edge over Balerdi, having resumed regular training at Trigoria while Balerdi only returns today. Malen has scored six goals in the first five matches and carries a significant objective into the resumption: approaching the 36-goal records of Higuain and Immobile. He scored 20 Serie A goals in 2026 alone—more than any other player—and had found the net at the Sinigaglia last season before Como's comeback. Dybala has seized the break to work without interruption, transforming physically and delivering greater consistency: 497 minutes played, four assists and three goals created so far, though his own goal drought stretches back to 18 January. The technical duel between Dybala and Como's Nico Paz will be one of the match's most compelling threads. Gasperini and Como manager Cesc Fabregas represent opposite generations and contrasting approaches to attacking football. Fabregas seeks to control rhythm and possession; Gasperini favours intensity, pressure and direct play. They have nearly thirty years between them, stand respectively as Serie A's youngest and oldest managers, and have won two matches each in four previous meetings. Their recent encounters have produced friction—Gasperini objected to Fabregas's use of the goalkeeper in Como's build-up, while Fabregas criticised Gasperini's failure to greet him after one fixture. Sunday's fixture, arriving at only the sixth matchday, already carries weight in gauging both teams' ambitions.

Paulo Dybala will again lead Roma's attack on Sunday at Como as the club's most talented player, tasked with creating the decisive moments to unlock the opposition's defence. At 32, Dybala carries the creative burden of comparison with Lionel Messi and represents a different generation of South American talent—one almost eleven years younger than the Argentina legend. The forward arrives at the fixture in his fifth season in giallorosso colours, having played 497 minutes from the start of the 2026-27 campaign. Head coach Gasperini is now demanding more from Dybala beyond his well-known generosity and all-action presence. The focus is on more penetrative movements in the final third, more pace and dribbling, and more powerful shots on goal—particularly as Dybala chases an away goal after thirteen matches without one. Roma's 4-0 advantage in shots on Inter's goalkeeper Martinez during the pre-international break fixture offered encouraging signs of Dybala's attacking intent. He returns from a careful summer training regimen designed to sustain his performance against the passage of time, ready to face Como's side under Fabregas alongside youngster Nico Paz, operating on the attacking midfield line behind centre-forward Donyell Malen with Lorenzo Pellegrini presumably at his side.

Donyell Malen has returned to full training and is ready to lead Roma's attack in the coming fixtures after recovering from a knee issue that kept him out of international duty. The international break ends and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has his full squad available again for the run of matches ahead, starting with Como on Sunday followed by Real Madrid in four days. Malen has scored six goals in five Serie A matches so far this season—an extraordinary rate that puts him on track to challenge the league record of 36 set by Higuaín and Immobile. The forward is chasing his second goal at the Sinigaglia after converting a penalty in Roma's previous visit, though that match ended in a comeback defeat under Como's manager Fabregas. Malen has netted 20 goals across all competitions in 2026, outpacing Como's Christos Douvikas (13 goals) and matching Lautaro Martínez as Serie A's top scorers in the calendar year. Gasperini is counting on his main striking threat to deliver better results this time and help Roma maintain their lead in the standings. Paulo Dybala will partner Malen in attack, while the third attacking role is a three-way contest between Lorenzo Pellegrini (the favourite), Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé. Soulé returns today from Argentina alongside Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro, meaning he may start from the bench for Sunday's Como match and feature against Real Madrid instead. In defence, Evan N'Dicka holds an advantage over Balerdi for selection. Como's director of sport said yesterday: "It will certainly be a stimulating match, extremely difficult against one of the strongest teams in the league. We want to test ourselves seriously to prove we are their rivals."