Roma show confusion in transfer approach, say radio pundits

Alessandro Romano has emerged as a surprise of the season's start, drawing comparisons to players such as Matic and Strootman, and threatens to become another in a line of regretted departures alongside Calafiori and Frattesi. Roma sold him to Cagliari this summer for a combined fee of approximately €6.5 million in fixed and bonus payments. The sale generated crucial financial flexibility for the club, allowing Roma to avoid selling a key player before 30 June and freeing up resources after earlier departures of Saud, Baldanzi and Sangaré. Romano is now demonstrating the quality that head coach Gian Piero Gasperini had already identified during the previous season. His market value has tripled to around €15 million and is expected to rise further. Critically, Roma hold no buy-back clause; Cagliari would need to be relegated to Serie B to trigger a repurchase obligation, but the Sardinian club's strong start to the campaign has already eased those concerns. The midfielder has also caught the attention of national team officials—Roberto Mancini called him into the Italy squad. Romano made his Italy debut as a starter on Friday against Belgium, playing at the Stadio Olimpico itself—a twist of fate for the player Roma parted with.

Roma are monitoring Giorgi Kvernadze, Frosinone's Georgian winger, as a potential solution to their search for a left-sided attacker with a right foot. The 2003-born winger has scored 5 goals and provided 2 assists across Serie A and the Coppa Italia in recent matches observed by Roma scouts. Frosinone have valued Kvernadze at around €25 million and are unwilling to allow him to leave without a substantial offer. Napoli are also tracking his situation. Roma have made an excellent start to the season with 13 points from 15 available, level on points with Inter and Lazio at the top of the table. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has successfully integrated the summer additions — Balerdi, Molina, Mora, Koulierakis and De Roon — into his system. However, the club recognises that further reinforcements are needed, particularly in the wide attacking position, and has begun preparations for the January transfer window. According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport and confirmed by Il Tempo and Nicolò Schira, Kvernadze has caught the attention of Roma's recruitment staff. The club will face competition from Napoli as they pursue the Frosinone winger ahead of the winter market.

Radio pundit Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport has raised questions about whether midfielder Kvernadze would be the right fit for Roma in January, questioning whether Gasperini wants a ready-made player or would accept a gamble on potential. Torri said: "I don't know if Kvernadze is the right player for January. You have to understand if Gasperini wants a ready player, or if he'll settle for the gamble too. The player seems interesting, seems like a Gasperini type…but is he ready?" He estimates Frosinone would demand €20–25 million, and believes Roma could negotiate a better price if they move quickly. The comments reflect broader questions about Roma's midfield recruitment strategy and the role of Gasperini's playing style in shaping targets. Torri stressed the importance of external factors beyond the market: "You'll also have to see what UEFA tells Roma in mid-November, and what position Roma will be in come December." These references point to Roma's ongoing UEFA compliance situation and their league standing, both of which could influence winter spending capacity and priority. The discussion formed part of a wider radio roundtable on Roman football. Other contributors included Angelo Mangiante of Radio Manà Manà, who addressed Francesco Totti's position with the club, and Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo, who discussed Roma's youth development and midfield depth.

Francesco Repice, a Rai Radio commentator, offered a positive assessment of Roma under Gian Piero Gasperini, saying the club has gained fresh credibility after their match against Inter. Repice believes Roma have the talent to challenge for the scudetto if they sustain their intensity for longer stretches of play. "If Roma raises the intensity from 40–55 minutes to 75–80 minutes, it becomes very interesting for what we all know," he said, referring to the title race. Repice praised several squad members individually. He described goalkeeper Mile Svilar as "an absolute certainty" and highlighted Molina as a world champion with Atlético Madrid whose emotional intensity is no flaw. On Manu Koné, he remarked that "the 40 million euro we were talking about for Koné was a joke. If he starts scoring too, then we'll make comparisons with Rice and talk about those figures." He also complimented the growth of the squad under Gasperini's management, suggesting it justifies financial valuations. Repice defended the tactical omissions of some players, explaining that Gasperini's substitutions in other areas of the pitch prevented earlier changes in attack as usual. On midfielder Marten de Roon, he offered only certainty: "I know he can provide continuity of performance." Of Santiago Castro, Repice said: "When he comes in, he gives what I expected." He concluded: "Roma this year is a strong team," while noting that further developments will emerge in January.

Roma are closely tracking two breakthrough prospects as the club pursues a strategy of acquiring young talent to strengthen the squad's depth and potential. Following summer additions Rodrigo Mora and Santiago Castro, the Giallorossi have set their sights on Mathis Bakola, a French midfielder born in 2007 at Sassuolo, and Giorgi Kvernadze, a Georgian winger at Frosinone. The club intends to move early to secure Bakola ahead of the January window, though Juventus have also registered interest in the eighteen-year-old. Kvernadze, born in 2003, represents a concrete candidate for the January transfer window and possesses the characteristics of a left-sided winger with attacking thrust and quality that head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has long sought to complete the forward line. Roma must overcome competition from Napoli, who are also pursuing the Frosinone talent. The January window will likely determine whether either deal progresses further, with the left-winger position emerging as a priority for Gasperini to address the attacking setup.

Former striker Abel Balbo has praised Roma's early-season form under Gian Piero Gasperini, saying the team is entertaining to watch and delivering results. Balbo singled out Donyell Malen for particular praise: "He is very strong, scores like the great strikers and is functional to Gasperini's style of play." He also commended Paulo Dybala: "He is magic and fantasy; with him on the pitch the team runs better." On Roma's league position, Balbo assessed that while Inter remain superior, Roma are now the only side capable of competing for the title. Matías Soulé has earned a callup to Argentina's squad following a strong start to the 2026–27 season. The winger has scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist across his first 6 matches. Soulé will join teammates Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi in the Argentina setup for forthcoming friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin. The fixture against Benin on 6 October will be Lionel Messi's final appearance for the Argentina national team. Soulé marked the moment on social media: "Enjoying these moments."

The international break has arrived with 12 Roma players involved across their national teams. Today, 24 September, two Roma defenders featured for their countries: Evan N'Dicka and Konstantinos Koulierakis. N'Dicka faced Ghana at 21:00 Italian time in a qualifier for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, representing Ivory Coast in Group C alongside Somalia and Gambia. The Roma centre-back was in contention for a starting place in Ivory Coast's defence. The probable lineup saw N'Dicka positioned alongside O. Diomandé in defence, with Y. Fofana in goal, and Kessié, Sangaré and Oulaï across midfield, while Pépé, Bonny and Yan Diomandé formed the attacking line under manager Renard in a 4-3-3 formation. Koulierakis played for Greece against Serbia at the Rajko Mitic stadium in Belgrade at 20:45, competing in the opening match of the 2026–27 Nations League. The defender was also pushing for a starting berth. Greece lined up in a 4-2-3-1 with Vlachodimos in goal, Vagiannidis and Mavropanos flanking Koulierakis and Retsos in defence, Zafeiris and Kourbelis holding midfield, and Tzolis, Pelkas and Bakasetas supporting forward Douvikas.

Roma are monitoring Giorgi Kvernadze, Frosinone's Georgian winger, as a potential solution to their search for a left-sided attacker with a right foot. The 2003-born winger has scored 5 goals and provided 2 assists across Serie A and the Coppa Italia in recent matches observed by Roma scouts. Frosinone have valued Kvernadze at around €25 million and are unwilling to allow him to leave without a substantial offer. Napoli are also tracking his situation. Roma have made an excellent start to the season with 13 points from 15 available, level on points with Inter and Lazio at the top of the table. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has successfully integrated the summer additions — Balerdi, Molina, Mora, Koulierakis and De Roon — into his system. However, the club recognises that further reinforcements are needed, particularly in the wide attacking position, and has begun preparations for the January transfer window. According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport and confirmed by Il Tempo and Nicolò Schira, Kvernadze has caught the attention of Roma's recruitment staff. The club will face competition from Napoli as they pursue the Frosinone winger ahead of the winter market.

Roma have reached the top of Serie A alongside Inter and Lazio after the opening phase of the season, but attention has already turned to a gruelling month ahead combining league and Champions League fixtures with no respite until November. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has relied heavily on the established core of the squad in the early weeks, with the summer signings introduced gradually, rotating between starting roles and substitute appearances. The intensity of the coming period will require him to call on the full squad of twenty-two players. Among the summer arrivals, Leonardo Balerdi has made an immediate impact, supported by strong performances from Nahuel Molina, the former Atlético Madrid player who provided his first assist against Inter and impressed on the left flank against Torino despite arriving with delayed pre-season preparation due to World Cup commitments. Rodrigo Mora has shown promise in two starts against Fiorentina and Atalanta, though he has found reading the game more difficult as a substitute—though he did score from the bench at Lecce. Gasperini is focused on unlocking the Portuguese midfielder's potential as a player capable of making a difference through his quality. The squad refresh is completed by Koulierakis, Lorenzo Pellegrini and especially Marten de Roon, a signing Gasperini strongly advocated for to strengthen and provide balance to the midfield.

Roma have made an emphatic start to the 2026-27 season, claiming four wins and two draws across their opening six matches without defeat, and their attacking shape under Gian Piero Gasperini is becoming increasingly defined. The side have generated one of Serie A's strongest offensive phases, producing 111 total shots over six matches—an average of 20.6 per game—with 68% coming from the central area, 18% from the left and 15% from the right. Gasperini's system combines aggressive pressing, high tempo and collective play with relentless shot creation, generating 14 goals so far: 12 from open play, one from a set piece and one on the counter. Donyell Malen has emerged as the attacking focal point, already on six goals with 20 shots (10 on target) as Roma's primary reference point in the box. However, the creative engine runs through Paulo Dybala on the right flank. The Argentine leads Serie A for chances created (22) and assists (4), and has completed 201 successful passes, underscoring his centrality to Roma's build-up play. Gasperini's tactical identity also involves using inverted wingers—Wesley, for instance, frequently plays on the left to cut inside onto his right foot, a pattern that generated his goal against Juventus last season in a 3-3 draw at the Olimpico. In the match against Inter, Nahuel Molina, deployed on the left, finished with three shots. While Roma shoot most from the centre, the right flank proves most productive in creating opportunities, generating 39% of offensive chances. The combination of Dybala's creativity and the movement patterns Gasperini has installed suggest Roma's attacking threat remains multifaceted and difficult to defend, grounded in the manager's clear strategic blueprint of aggressive, high-tempo football that prioritises collective movement and continuous offensive production.

Roma's attacking threat from full-back positions has transformed under Gian Piero Gasperini this season, with the discoveries of Emanuele Lulli and the arrival of Nahuel Molina — described as a clear upgrade on Zeki Çelik — providing multiple offensive weapons beyond Wesley alone. Last season the giallorossi often struggled on the wings, but now rank among Serie A's most dangerous teams in wide areas. Lulli has created 4 chances, Molina 7 and Wesley 13 from their full-back positions, totalling 24 opportunities for Gasperini's side. This figure is surpassed in Italy only by Inter, whose wing-backs Dimarco and Diouf have combined for 26.

Francesco Repice, a Rai Radio commentator, offered a positive assessment of Roma under Gian Piero Gasperini, saying the club has gained fresh credibility after their match against Inter. Repice believes Roma have the talent to challenge for the scudetto if they sustain their intensity for longer stretches of play. "If Roma raises the intensity from 40–55 minutes to 75–80 minutes, it becomes very interesting for what we all know," he said, referring to the title race. Repice praised several squad members individually. He described goalkeeper Mile Svilar as "an absolute certainty" and highlighted Molina as a world champion with Atlético Madrid whose emotional intensity is no flaw. On Manu Koné, he remarked that "the 40 million euro we were talking about for Koné was a joke. If he starts scoring too, then we'll make comparisons with Rice and talk about those figures." He also complimented the growth of the squad under Gasperini's management, suggesting it justifies financial valuations. Repice defended the tactical omissions of some players, explaining that Gasperini's substitutions in other areas of the pitch prevented earlier changes in attack as usual. On midfielder Marten de Roon, he offered only certainty: "I know he can provide continuity of performance." Of Santiago Castro, Repice said: "When he comes in, he gives what I expected." He concluded: "Roma this year is a strong team," while noting that further developments will emerge in January.