Roma target Chelsea's Gittens as Gasperini's leading priority for left-wing spot

Alessio Cacciamani's name dominated Roma's transfer activity over the summer, but the Torino winger ultimately remained with the club and renewed his contract. Torino's sporting director addressed the matter before his side's match against Udinese, telling Sky Sport that Roma were not alone in their interest. He stated: "Cacciamani and Roma? The giallorossi were not the only ones interested in the player. The president had said he did not want to sell the player: only an important proposal would have prompted evaluation, but this did not arrive and so we will enjoy having him." The director's comments clarify that despite sustained speculation linking Cacciamani to Roma, no offer of sufficient scale materialised to shift Torino's stance on their player. With Cacciamani's contract now renewed, he will continue as part of the Granata's plans moving forward.

Torino sporting director Gianluca Petrachi confirmed that Roma made a genuine attempt to sign Alessio Cacciamani during the summer transfer window. Cacciamani, who started for Torino in their Serie A match against Udinese on 12 October, was among several clubs tracking the winger, but no deal materialised. Petrachi disclosed that Torino's president had stipulated the player would only leave for a sufficiently substantial proposal. Speaking before kick-off, he said: "There was not only Roma interested in Cacciamani. The president had said he didn't want to sell the player: only an important offer would have made us consider it. It didn't arrive, and we're enjoying him." The winger remains at the club as Torino continue their Serie A campaign.

Cicinho, who joined Roma from Real Madrid in August 2007 and won a Coppa Italia and Supercoppa during his time in giallorosso, has backed the club to challenge for honours and urged young Brazilian forward Endrick to make the switch from Madrid if the opportunity arises. Speaking exclusively to Forzaroma.info ahead of Wednesday's match at the Olimpico, the former right-back reflected on Endrick's situation and Roma's current trajectory under Gian Piero Gasperini. Asked whether he would advise Endrick to join Roma or remain at Real Madrid awaiting his chance, Cicinho said: "If I were Endrick, I would go to Roma without thinking twice. I think Real Madrid should also consider this possibility, because it would be very positive for him. A player with his talent needs to be on the pitch, not getting rusty on the bench. He still has a lot to learn and I think he would adapt very well to Gasperini's energetic style and the intensity of his game." Cicinho also addressed Paulo Dybala's worthiness of Roma's number 10 shirt, a subject on which Francesco Totti recently expressed reservations. "The Captain gave Roma's number 10 a meaning that goes well beyond football and borders on magic," Cicinho reflected. "Twenty-four years of devotion to the giallorosso shirt, during which he brought professionalism and dedication to the highest levels and, above all, reminded everyone in the dressing room that they had a duty to represent that fanbase. Dybala is also, as they say in Italy, a fantasist, a player capable of making fans dream, and has already shown great attachment to the club, even refusing economically more advantageous offers. I think the number 10 would be in good hands with Dybala, but we must make peace with the idea that we will never find another Totti." On Roma's title prospects, Cicinho expressed cautious optimism about Gasperini's project but suggested it remains in a growth phase. "Yes, I believe in it, but it seems to me that the Roma-Gasperini project is still in a phase of growth and could reach its peak perhaps in the next season, provided we manage to retain the most important players, like Manu Koné, and continue to strengthen well in the market," he said. "Roma's starting eleven is exceptional, but I believe it is necessary to increase the depth of the squad. The second half against Inter was an example. Matches like that decide the title, not only for the points in the table, but also for the message they send to opponents." Cicinho also spoke of finding contentment away from football, having previously described a period in which he "saw no joy in anything." He credited his family and simpler life with providing genuine happiness. "Being able to be with my wife and my children, seeing them grow. True happiness lies in simple things, in the possibility of enjoying them without rush and with a clear mind, to fully live these beautiful moments. That is the real luxury of life, not cars, parties or spotlights."

Roma have a troubling record after international breaks. Across the last two seasons—2024–25 and 2025–26—the Giallorossi returned to action eight times following domestic breaks and won only twice, a pattern that will concern Gian Piero Gasperini ahead of Sunday's trip to Como, which marks the team's restart. The streak began in September 2024 under Daniele De Rossi. After opening defeats, Roma drew 1–1 away at Genoa, with Koni De Winter equalising in the 96th minute. De Rossi was sacked two days later and replaced by Ivan Juric. The next break brought no relief: on 20 October, Roma lost 1–0 at home to Inter. That defeat preceded Juric's own departure and the arrival of Claudio Ranieri. On 24 November, Ranieri's first game back after a break ended in a 1–0 loss at Napoli. Only in spring 2025 did Roma secure their first post-break win of the 2024–25 season, beating Lecce 1–0 away—their sole victory in four such restarts that year. The trend persisted into 2025–26. Gasperini's first post-break match came on 15 September when Torino won 1–0 at the Olimpico. In October, Roma faced Inter again and again lost 1–0 at home despite a positive display. Victory finally arrived in November: away at Cremonese, Roma won 3–1, with goals from Matías Soulé, Evan Ferguson and Wesley. That remains their second and most recent post-break success across the eight matches studied. April brought another heavy defeat, losing 5–2 at Inter; however, Roma responded by winning six of their final seven league matches to secure third place and Champions League qualification.

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at the Trento Sports Festival on 2 October, discussing the foundations he has laid at Roma since his appointment and his vision for the season ahead. The Roma head coach outlined his tactical philosophy and explained how he has worked with the squad over the early weeks of the 2026–27 campaign. "My objective was to create something new, to lay new foundations straight away," Gasperini said. "We never spoke about my past; we had to create something new, based on new concepts of play that were different from what several players were used to. There are two ways in football: waiting for your opponent to lose the ball, or the other way—going to take it. This was the first concept, not to wait for the opponent, and everything else came from that." Gasperini praised his defensive options, singling out Mario Hermoso and Gianluca Mancini as key figures. He described the defence as his "gladiators," adding that Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka have been among Europe's best in recent months. On Mancini specifically, Gasperini revealed he had worked to improve the centre-back's attitude: "I knew Mancini, but when I was his opponent I'd think to myself, 'Why is he so unpleasant?' and I tried to tell him straight away, 'Look, this is hurting you—for many years you haven't gone to the national team because of these attitudes.' It was the first thing I worked on. He had a fantastic season, people started talking about Mancini as a player again, and he's returned to the national team." Gasperini offered extensive insight into Paulo Dybala's resurgence, attributing the Argentine forward's improved fitness to his training methods. "He's started as hasn't happened to him for years. I knew him at Palermo when he was very young; many years have passed but he, like all great players, still has enthusiasm and strength," Gasperini explained. "He had years of physical fragility. I thought it was a training issue. Many told me he had silk muscles, that I had to preserve him, and he kept getting injured. He has remarkable fibre; some injuries were random. This season's start is extraordinary physically. He doesn't miss a minute of training or matches. This shows what I've always believed: through training you can improve durability and performances." Regarding Dybala's reluctance to shoot from distance, Gasperini noted: "That's a legacy we'll get over soon. He got injured shooting with Milan and Torino last year and it stayed with him. Now he's overcoming it; he stopped sprinting and to see him jumping past opponents again... we'll return to shooting like before." When asked if he has coached better poets than Dybala, Gasperini responded: "I have a long career and have trained many strong players. Dybala is among the top, if not the absolute top. Ilicic and the Papu too—they're poets because they touch different strings from everyone else." Gasperini discussed young academy prospects Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli, explaining his approach to youth development: "I grew up in the youth sector, coaching 11-year-olds through to the Primavera. I've maintained that approach and it's taught me to see the boy not as something to evaluate but as something to imagine how he might become. Pisilli already had value and experience; Lulli wasn't even always a starter in the Primavera. I have the habit of bringing a few boys from Primavera into training. I saw important characteristics in him and this year I brought him to the retreat. He played against Borussia Dortmund, a demanding match. These are the boys who tell you by how they play if they're ready. The answers come from watching them on the pitch." On Bryan Cristante, Gasperini confirmed a knee injury: "He had a knee problem but when you play many matches, if you're out two weeks you risk missing five matches. He'll miss the first games but will recover quickly." Donyell Malen's arrival was described as unexpected: "Sometimes the planets align and things happen you don't think about. He was a known player; we'd had a friendly where I saw his characteristics. These things happen during the market where you sometimes don't plan anything. We were looking for a striker because Dovbyk and Ferguson were injured. There were several names and suddenly I learned of this opportunity. He was leaving Aston Villa for tactical reasons; he wanted to be a centre-forward and I've always seen those characteristics in him. He has three fundamental touches—the closer he is to the box, the more deadly he is."

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at the ninth edition of Il Festival dello Sport in Trento alongside new Roma CEO Galantic, discussing the club's strong start to the season and his first months in charge. The coach explained his vision from day one: "My objective was to create something new, to lay new foundations immediately. We never spoke of my past—we had to build something fresh, founded on new concepts of play that were different from what several players were used to. There are two ways in football: waiting for the opponent to lose the ball or going to take it. This was the first concept, not waiting for the opponent, and everything else stemmed from that." Gasperini praised his defence, singling out Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso as standouts. On Mancini specifically: "I knew him, but when I was his opponent I'd think 'why is he so disagreeable?' and I told him straight away 'this penalises you—for years you haven't gone to the national team because of these attitudes.' It was the first thing I worked on. He had a fantastic season, people started talking about Mancini as a player again, and he returned to the Nazionale." Hermoso, he said, brought defensive grit combined with Spanish quality and important experience from his time at Atlético Madrid. Gasperini also highlighted Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka, noting they had been Europe's best defence for months. On Paulo Dybala's remarkable form, Gasperini revealed his belief that the Argentine's previous injury problems stemmed from training rather than fragility. "Lots of people told me he has silk muscles, that I had to preserve him, and he kept getting injured. He has remarkable fibre—some injuries were just bad luck. This season's start is extraordinary physically. He doesn't miss a minute of training or a match. It's proof of what I always believed: through training you can improve resilience and performance." When asked if Dybala's recent shot from distance showed progress, Gasperini explained: "That's a legacy we're overcoming soon. Last year he hurt himself shooting against Milan and Torino and it stayed with him. Now he's getting past it—he wasn't sprinting anymore and to see him jumping over opponents again is great. Soon we'll be back to shooting like before." He also offered high praise for Dybala's overall quality: "My career is long and I've coached many strong players. Dybala is among the top, if not the absolute top. Ilicic and the Papu too—they're poets because they touch chords different from everyone else." Gasperini discussed some younger squad members who have impressed him. On Emanuele Lulli, who was not always a starter in the Primavera: "I have the habit of bringing some young players from the Primavera into training. I saw important characteristics in him and this year brought him to the retreat. He played against Borussia Dortmund, a challenging match. The young players tell you through how they play if they're ready. The answers come from watching them on the pitch." He also defended recent criticism of another academy product: "It's another young man who grew through our youth system. He's very interesting. I was sorry about what happened last week—it seemed we'd found the player to fix the Nazionale and then he was excessively criticised. Perhaps it's the adults who need to stay calm in their judgment." On Santiago Castro's arrival, Gasperini said: "Sometimes the planets align and things happen you don't plan. He was a known player—we had a friendly where I saw his characteristics. The market is a place where sometimes you don't plan anything. We were looking for a striker because Dovbyk and Ferguson were injured. There were several names and suddenly I learned of this opportunity. He was leaving Aston Villa for tactical reasons; he wanted to be a centre-forward and I've always seen those qualities in him. He has three fundamental touches, and the closer he is to the box the more lethal he is." When pressed on whether Castro could surpass Gonzalo Higuaín's records, Gasperini said: "I said that to motivate him—I'm joking a bit. Let's say if he reaches 30 I'm happy." Gasperini reflected on his decision to leave Atalanta for Roma, calling it a major turning point in his career—comparable only to his shift from playing to management and his move to Crotone in Serie C. "I arrived with the conviction it was something owed rather than wanted, and that it was time to cross the Rubicon. You do it with lots of doubts, but you know when you make that choice you don't go back, and it's gone well." On the season's challenges ahead, he rejected the idea of being solely focused on rivals: "I always look at our path. Depending on the moment, Hannibal could be someone else. Before it was Juventus, now perhaps Inter, who is the best team in Italy. If you always chase the strongest you can lose yourself. The objective is to look at ourselves and improve."