Roma Rule Out Free-Agent Moves, Scrap Guerreiro and Sancho, Target January Window

Roma's squad will remain unchanged until January, with the club deciding against signing free agents and planning to address the left-wing position in the winter transfer window. Guerreiro was offered to the club in recent days, according to Fabrizio Romano, but the former Bayern Munich player did not fully convince head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, and no negotiations have taken place with the player, who remains a free agent. Jadon Sancho, who came close to joining Roma a year ago, has also been proposed following his departure from Aston Villa and current status without a club. However, Roma rejected this option due to significant doubts about the English forward: recovering him to full fitness would require considerable time, and the club decided against pursuing that avenue.

Roma rejected an approach from Chelsea in the closing stages of the summer transfer window over the sale of Manu Koné, the club's hierarchy deciding to keep the midfielder despite financial pressure. Chelsea had identified Koné as the ideal replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who moved to Manchester City, but no formal offer reached sporting director D'Amico's desk. The decision to hold firm reflects Gasperini's reliance on Koné as a cornerstone of the Roma midfield since arriving last year, with the coach having only been without him due to injury. Koné's importance to Gasperini's system lies in his dynamism and physical power in the centre, qualities that enable the manager to control matches. His presence allows the team to dominate possession and transition play. The midfielder has started all three league fixtures, putting in strong performances against Fiorentina and Lecce before Saturday's match against Atalanta delivered further proof of his value to the project. In that Atalanta fixture, Koné recovered the ball seven times and made two interceptions while also orchestrating transitions quickly, supporting Bryan Cristante in build-up play with key passes and through balls. Gasperini's faith in him underlines how central he remains to Roma's Champions League ambitions this season. The club chose sporting stability over the balance-sheet relief a transfer would have provided.

Roma began preparations for their Champions League campaign with a training session on Thursday ahead of their debut in Europe's elite competition against Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Thursday. Lorenzo Pellegrini trained with the group and is targeting a recall to the squad. The club's focus extends beyond the pitch: director D'Amico has identified a need for a left-sided forward, and Roma are considering Jadon Sancho, currently a free agent. New contact has been made with the English player, with the idea of a pay-per-appearance contract arrangement.