Roma secure Europa League qualification; Malen transfer obligation triggered

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is pushing for reinforcements in the January transfer window, with a meeting between the club and the coach expected in the coming days to set the strategy. The November international break arrives at the right moment for Roma, who are enjoying an exciting start to the season, sitting third in Serie A and unbeaten in the league. Gasperini has now been in charge for 521 days, and the club and its management know that making the final leap in quality will require making the most of the January market. According to Il Tempo, Roma have not lost in Serie A for 18 matches, boast the league's best attack with 31 goals, and have the second-best defence. Gasperini sees the fruits of his work and the growth of a group that functions perfectly. He is aware, however, that there are still details to improve, such as finishing and handling decisive moments, if Roma are to close the gap on Lazio and Inter. That is why the winter window, which opens early on 28 December, is a key step. The top priority is clear: Roma need a fast winger capable of providing depth and unpredictability. Gasperini considers that profile fundamental, partly because players such as Dybala and Pellegrini do not offer constant physical guarantees. In other areas, Roma feel covered. The attack is working thanks to Soulé and Mora, and on the flanks the emergence of Lulli has reduced the urgency to act. Defence and midfield also offer good certainties.

Roma are reportedly preparing to strengthen their attack in January, with sporting director Tony D'Amico working on two signings to support Donyell Malen in the title race. Gian Piero Gasperini is not satisfied with second place, and after eleven league matchdays Roma have the numbers and performances to think bigger than a place in the Champions League. According to Francesco Balzani writing in Leggo, Roma have scored 31 goals, conceded only 10 and collected 27 points. What stands out is the variety of Roma's attacking options. The team no longer relies solely on Malen's goals: defenders Mario Hermoso and Leonardo Balerdi have scored, as have midfielders Bryan Cristante and Niccolò Pisilli, while Matías Soulé and the increasingly impressive Rodrigo Mora have contributed from the attacking midfield roles. This has come despite an emergency in recent weeks that deprived Gasperini of key players. Meanwhile, the progress of the young players is providing new resources. Lulli, Ghilardi and above all Mora are showing they can be much more than simple alternatives, a depth that was lacking until a few weeks ago. The bigger upgrade could come in the January transfer window. D'Amico has already confirmed his intention to give Gasperini the quick, space-attacking wide forward the team has lacked since last summer. The idea, according to Leggo, is to repeat the Malen model: a loan with an option to buy for a quality player who is finding little space at his current club. Endrick of Real Madrid and Jamie Gittens of Chelsea are under observation. The two profiles are very different but share a search for greater continuity. The operations remain complex and no agreements have been finalised. A midfield move is also not ruled out, and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg of Marseille, already assessed in the summer, has been linked with Roma again. Roma go into the international break third on 27 points, two behind capolista Lazio and one behind Inter. When action resumes, the fixtures are against Parma and Monza, before a derby that could take on even greater significance. Gasperini continues to preach caution but does not hide his ambition.

Gian Piero Gasperini's side are refusing to settle for second place after another dominant performance, with the coach's words on Saturday night seen as the clearest signal yet. Roma have scored 31 goals and conceded 10, numbers that match the best in Europe, and the atmosphere around the club is united, with fans, the club, the coach and the squad all pulling in the same direction. Roma are no longer reliant on Malen, with goals coming from across the team: defenders such as Hermoso and Balerdi, midfielders such as Cristante and Pisilli, and now also attacking midfielders such as Mora and Soulé. Gasperini has managed the recent demanding run before the international break without Svilar, Dybala, Koné and Pellegrini, the team's most representative players. Francesco Balzani, writing in Leggo, expects the first three to be back at their best when Serie A resumes, a further positive sign alongside a fixture schedule that, before the derby, favours Roma against Parma and Monza. The emergence of young players such as Lulli, Ghilardi and Mora is also giving the squad more depth. Roma's position is strengthened by the fact that the club are looking for a wide attacking player, with sporting director D'Amico admitting it yesterday. The move is expected to follow the Malen pattern: a loan with an option to buy for a player who is getting little game time elsewhere and who could flourish under Gasperini at Roma. The chase is closing in on Endrick and Gittens, who are increasingly on the fringes at Real Madrid and Chelsea. A midfield arrival is also considered likely, with Hojbjerg, who is leaving Marseille, a name to watch.

Rodrigo Mora's time has arrived, with the Portuguese teenager scoring in a third consecutive Serie A match against Sassuolo, following earlier goals against Cagliari and Udinese. In the past few hours he has also earned his first call-up to the Portugal senior national team, in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era. The Corriere della Sera's Simone Valdarchi writes that there is no crown to inherit and no blasphemous comparison to make; this is simply the story of a teenager who has handled the normal difficulties of arriving in Italian football with brilliance, in an important city like Rome and in a season when Gasperini wants to aim for the top of the league. For weeks, things were not going so well for Mora, but he has kept working and waiting for his moment. In recent weeks, with Dybala out and set to return after the international break in Parma, Mora has found space in the trequartista role, adding flair to matches with his touches in the final 30 metres. Alongside his three consecutive Serie A goals, he produced the assist for Soulé's opening goal for Roma against Manchester United at Old Trafford last Tuesday. It was his second assist of the season, after the one against Real Madrid for Malen. Those were not ordinary fixtures. With the goal against Sassuolo, the Portuguese now has four goals, making him the club's second-highest scorer alongside Pisilli and Soulé, behind Malen, who is on 12. Valdarchi's point is that Mora is a teenager, born in 2007, who is adjusting to a new league and a demanding city. Mora's first senior call-up with Portugal marks a further step in a rapid rise, and the youngster now combines international recognition with a growing role in Gasperini's attacking options.

Roma are third in Serie A, still unbeaten in the league and just two points behind capolista Lazio, and the Gasperini side have five good reasons to believe they can overtake them before Christmas. Their 31 goals in the first eleven matchdays represent a record in Roma's history. The Gazzetta dello Sport highlights that record as the most striking statistic. Roma have scored 31 goals in eleven matches, an average of 2.82 per game. No Roma side had ever scored as many after eleven league rounds. The goals are not down to Donyell Malen alone, who already has 11 league goals this season. Gasperini has seen 14 different players score, including defenders and midfielders, and the team finds the net in many ways and through many players. Gasperini has come through a gruelling spell of nine matches in less than a month with a squad decimated by injuries. Koné has already returned against Sassuolo, while Svilar and Dybala are expected back when the league resumes, both described as fundamental to the team's balance. Mancini is aiming to return against Parma, while Rensch still has some doubts. Pellegrini's recovery will take longer, and he will not return until January. Getting back players of this calibre could significantly increase the coach's options. Beyond the pitch, there is a great deal of enthusiasm among the team, the coach, the club and the fans. The Olimpico continues to push the giallorossi, while at Trigoria there appears to be a harmony that was not always taken for granted in recent years, a unity of purpose that could prove decisive in the most delicate moments of the season. The squad also has plenty of room to improve thanks to its many talents. Soulé, Mora, Wesley, Ghilardi, Lulli, Pisilli and Castro are gaining experience and personality. The most obvious case is Rodrigo Mora, still just nineteen, already decisive in the league and also featuring in the Champions League. When the league resumes, Roma face Parma away and Monza at the Olimpico, two fixtures that look manageable on paper. In the same period Lazio play Lecce and Torino, while Inter face Atalanta and Genoa. The calendar could allow the giallorossi to close the gap on their rivals and perhaps reach December at the top of the table. Gasperini does not want to settle for second place, and the January transfer window could add further options to a squad already considered competitive.

Roma are dreaming of the Serie A summit after a dominant start to the 2026-27 campaign, with the club scoring freely and sitting third in the table. Gian Piero Gasperini's side have scored 31 goals in 11 matchdays, the best start in the club's history, averaging 2.82 goals per game. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Roma sit just behind Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Leipzig among the leading European leagues' goalscoring rankings, ahead of PSG, Real Madrid and Brighton. Dusan Malen has been the standout, already on eleven goals, but the scoring is spread across the squad: fourteen players have found the net, which the paper describes as a truly collective idea of football. Roma are third, just two points behind capolista Lazio, and both Rome clubs are unbeaten after eleven matchdays, a historic first. After the international break, Roma face what look like easier fixtures against Parma and Monza, while Lazio and Inter have tougher assignments. That scenario opens the door to Roma reaching the top of the table by December. The mood inside the club is also improving. Past tensions appear to have been put aside, and Trigoria, the team, the fans and the board are pulling in the same direction. La Gazzetta dello Sport notes that this energy is becoming the invisible engine behind a dream that is taking clearer shape with each passing day.

Roma face another league fixture tomorrow evening, a win that could put them within one step of the top of Serie A depending on other results and would send the giallorossi into the international break with more confidence after their comeback in Manchester. Gasperini will have three key players fully available during the break: Svilar, Koné and Dybala. Pellegrini, however, will remain sidelined for a long period. In recent matches, the three-man combination of Malen, Soulé and Mora has produced positive results. Malen has continued to score regularly, Soulé has become increasingly central to the attacking build-up, and Mora has found his form, registering a goal or an assist in every recent match in which he has been actively involved. The real problem, however, is the lack of depth. Reserves are currently missing, partly through injury and partly through structural shortcomings that have been flagged repeatedly since late August. For this reason the club is actively searching for the right signings to give the coach in the transfer window, which in this case must also strengthen the attacking department. The situation resembles last year, when the primary aim was to find a couple of attacking players. Four arrived in the end: Malen, Venturino, Vaz and Zaragoza, with only one, the Dutchman, proving decisive. Gasperini is strongly focused on Endrick. The Brazilian was the chosen target last summer, but after a near move to Ciampino, Mourinho's ill-timed intervention stopped the deal. So far Endrick has performed well, and very well only at the end of the match against Roma, which is an irony of fate, but he continues to find limited playing time. He is left-footed, and combines excellent basic technique with accelerations that would be very useful to Roma even when a match is already underway. Imagine Endrick in place of Mora in the second half in Manchester. Maguire and his teammates would have had reservations about pushing forward, as happened especially after the cruel penalty awarded by Manzano. Endrick is part of Roma's plans and is the primary target, but it is not enough. Gasperini would like to complete the department with two players: the Brazilian plus another number ten, second striker or attacking player who is right-footed and physically well built. Gittens is mentioned, out of favour at Chelsea, and above all Kvernadze, who for his age and wage would fit perfectly into the sustainability path set at Trigoria in recent months. Numerically, Pellegrini's serious setback and the new problems for Dybala could push the club and coaching staff to reflect carefully on the squad numbers. Roma cannot realistically withstand the weekly double commitment with Malen (plus Castro), Mora, Soulé and then the adapted players. The overall picture of incomings could be completed by a midfielder with running and physical power, to cover Koné's physical difficulties and De Roon's age. A trio of signings could make Roma's squad resistant to injuries and able to cope with the demands of the Champions League, Serie A and the Coppa Italia, which returns in January.

Roman radio pundits have delivered a blunt verdict on Roma's squad after the club's recent results, with several voices arguing the thin squad is now costing the team in the Champions League. Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà said: "La rosa della Roma è corta e lo sarà per altri due mesi, perché il mercato riaprirà a gennaio. Campionato e Champions sono impegnativi e questo lo paghi inevitabilmente. Se ci aggiungi la questione infortuni, la situazione grava ancora di più." The debate follows Roma's defeat at Manchester and their match against Como, with the pundits split on how the team performed. Ugo Trani of Tele Radio Stereo praised Gian Piero Gasperini for refusing to blame referees, saying: "Gasperini fa bene a non parlare di arbitri per non dare alibi alla squadra, i giocatori non si devono deconcentrare." Trani argued that the squad is incomplete: "La Roma non ha una squadra completa, Gasperini l'ha detto a fine mercato e anche D'Amico lo ha confermato. Entrano giocatori che in Serie A valgono e in Champions no." He added: "La crescita si fa comprando i giocatori", and said Roma need players who make the difference, not cover such as Zaragoza and Venturino. He also suggested Forbs would be useful, not only Tresoldi. Trani said Roma had changed their attitude across the whole team, not just Pisilli, and felt the match should have been settled in the first half. He noted Como are in a better position than Roma and that their absences are less damaging. On Mora, he said he was playing as a full-back at Manchester and that Gasperini chose Pisilli because he might defend better. Trani also said Como have strong players and that Valle would be a starter at Roma. Francesco Balzani of Tele Radio Stereo said Roma played a first half at Manchester similar to Como's, but that Fabregas's side did not give up in the second half, which he described as what big teams do. He called Nico Paz an above-average player in Italy. On injuries, he said Svilar would return after the international break, and that Dybala's fitness test would be assessed that day. He said it was not advisable for Koné to join up with the national team after missing so many matches. He argued the most damaging absence is Svilar's, as Gollini does not offer the same control of the defence. He said N'Dicka remains the best defender, Mancini is not at his peak and Ghilardi will find more space. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio Pomeriggio said Sassuolo look the ideal opponent for Roma, who need to lift their heads and reach the break without forcing the return of long-term injured players. He added: "Gli infortuni fanno purtroppo parte di un calcio frenetico che costringono gli atleti a fare sforzi che un tempo non c'erano." Simone Valdarchi of Radio Manà Manà said Roma have got used to bouncing back quickly from defeats, pointing to 17 positive results as proof of their quality. He said preparation for Saturday's match would only begin that day, with training at Trigoria in the early afternoon. He said the return from Manchester had been complicated by several issues, and the usual recovery session was skipped the day before. He added that the day's work would show what to expect from the home fixture.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has drawn up a shopping list as the club looks to strengthen its squad, with three signings reportedly in mind before the international break. Roma face Udinese, Manchester United and Sassuolo as the last three matches of a gruelling run of nine games in 28 days, and they are doing so short of numbers. Svilar, Dybala and Koné will not be available tomorrow, and only the last two are hoping to return from the next fixtures. The squad is stretched thin. Gasperini said earlier in the season: "La rosa va allungata" ("The squad needs to be lengthened"). While awaiting the UEFA ruling expected in November, the sporting director is already working to reinforce the team. Last January, Malen, Vaz, Venturino and Zaragoza arrived at the club. Gasperini would be content with three targeted signings: an attacking winger, a backup for Wesley and a dynamic central midfielder. For the attacking unit, the names linked are Leweling and Gittens. A surprise could be van Bommel of PSV Eindhoven, a player Roma have been monitoring for some time. Roma are also not giving up on Endrick. Real Madrid have little room for the Brazilian, who wants to leave. D'Amico will need to find the right formula, which could resemble the deal that brought Bobby in a year ago: a loan with an obligation to buy on certain conditions. Attention then turns to the wide midfield. Mendes has offered Balde of Barcelona, while the new name is Pascini of Atlético Mineiro. The most pressing problem, however, is midfield. Pellegrini will return in 2027, and Koné has frequent physical problems. Roma need a energetic runner in the centre of the park, and Moses of Slavia Prague is on the notebook.