Roma target Frosinone winger Kvernadze as D'Amico eyes January market

Roma's summer transfer window proved lengthy and difficult as Gasperini pursued reinforcements sought by the head coach, with many negotiations faltering over financial disagreements with other clubs. Givairo Read of Feyenoord was among the wingers Roma worked on for several days, but no agreement was reached and the Dutch player remained in the Netherlands. However, his future at Feyenoord beyond the current season is uncertain, as multiple elite English clubs have now turned their attention to him. According to teamtalk.com, Liverpool are leading the chase for Read and have been monitoring him for some time, but Arsenal and Manchester City are also watching closely. The interest from English top-flight sides has been fuelled by Read's strong start to the season in the Eredivisie, where he has recorded five assists in seven matches. Liverpool in particular have been impressed by his performances and could see him as a solution to a need on the right flank. Roma's pursuit fell away after requesting a fee of over €30 million just weeks ago, a figure that is now likely to rise further. A concrete move for Read could arrive as soon as January, when the player's valuation will have climbed even higher given his continued progress.

Roma are monitoring Giorgi Kvernadze, Frosinone's Georgian winger, as a potential target to strengthen their attacking flanks this season. Kvernadze has made a brilliant start to the campaign with five goals and two assists across Serie A and the Coppa Italia, attracting interest from multiple clubs. Roma, Napoli and Fiorentina are all tracking the 23-year-old, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. The pursuit reflects an ongoing need at Roma. During the last transfer window, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini wanted to reinforce the wide areas but the club failed to complete the department as he wished. Kvernadze's emergence could see the topic resurface in future windows. The Georgian prefers to operate from the left flank before cutting onto his right foot, a profile that could add quality and unpredictability to Roma's attacking play. Kvernadze was born on 7 February 2003 in Samtredia, Georgia, and came through the youth ranks at Saburtalo before stints with Telavi and Dinamo Batumi. Frosinone signed him in 2023 from Kolkheti-1913 Poti initially on loan with a purchase option, which the club exercised in summer 2024. He is contracted to Frosinone until 2028.

Mile Svilar has emerged as one of Europe's elite goalkeepers under Gian Piero Gasperini, and AS Roma have decisively rejected multiple advances for him this summer, including a concrete approach from Juventus worth over €40 million. The Friedkin Group stood firm, and Svilar has signed a new contract through 2030, anchoring his long-term future at the club. Svilar's form speaks for itself. In five matches this season, he has recorded three clean sheets, 13 saves and an 81.2% success rate on interventions—an average of 2.5 saves per game that places him among the elite goalkeepers with at least fifty official appearances. His performances have been pivotal: decisive interventions against Bisseck and Lautaro in the match against Inter, and against Simeone at Turin. Gasperini's system, which frequently exposes Roma to open-field duels, perfectly suits Svilar's exceptional low-ball exits and one-on-one defending. His development has been consistent since De Rossi's faith in him, followed by the backing of Ranieri, and now the complete trust of Gasperini. At 23, Svilar has rebuilt his career at Roma after difficulties at Benfica, nearly three years into his tenure as the club's undisputed first choice. He has become a leader and an idol to the supporters. One complication shadows his record: after playing for Belgium's youth sides, a 2021 friendly appearance for Serbia prevents him from being called up by the Belgian national team today—a minor disappointment that does not alter his standing at Trigoria.

Roma's radio stations aired sharp opinion on the club's prospects this season, with Nando Orsi declaring the team was built to compete for the Serie A title while singling out Inter's deficiencies. Orsi said: "This year a squad was constructed to compete for the scudetto, but nobody says it out of superstition. Inter has some football-related shortcomings that need to be fixed. Roma is strong and capable, it just needs to manage its resources. Whoever says otherwise does it out of superstition. Roma has a strong squad; Saturday's match confirmed we are among the strongest. Juventus, Milan and Napoli don't seem like teams that can compete—they are too inconsistent. Roma and Inter instead are more ready at a technical level and in terms of their squads." The consensus across Rome's radio networks highlighted Lorenzo Pellegrini's recovery from injury and the decision to keep key players available, as well as praise for goalkeeper Mile Svilar's impact. Simone Valdarchi noted that "Pellegrini, although he has fully recovered from the injury he suffered, still needs to find his match rhythm. The work that will be done at Trigoria in these weeks will also be aimed at raising the condition of number 7." Both Valdarchi and Piero Torri stressed Roma's wish to avoid releasing Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina for Argentina's goodbye match for Messi, with Torri arguing that facing two long flights days before the Como match could harm preparations. Lorenzo Pes praised Svilar as "an important factor" who "gives security to the defence and to those watching him," while Roberto Pruzzo highlighted Leonardo Balerdi as an unexpected positive arrival. Mario Mattioli added that Balerdi, who "played 200 matches in the French league," was demonstrating his value in Italian football. Pruzzo also observed that Inter's perceived threat to run away with the title was not materializing as expected, noting he would wait 7–8 more matches to assess the championship's true level.

Roma's early-season form has sparked debate among Rome radio commentators about the club's ability to challenge for the Serie A title. Leonardo Balerdi, the defender who arrived this summer, has made an immediate impact that surprised analysts, though questions remain about the decision to bench Evan N'Dicka and the inconsistency of established players. Mattioli told Radio Radio that Balerdi "is a player of experience, he has played 200 matches in the French league. I'm pleased he came to Italy and is showing what he is worth." Pruzzo added: "I did not expect Balerdi's impact, it is a positive surprise. He is reactive, very practical and does not take risks when there is no need to. On the defensive phase he is numerically sound, he is an added value." Orsi struck a bullish tone about Roma's prospects, saying the squad was built to compete for the title this year and that Roma, alongside Inter, are more ready technically and in terms of squad depth than Juventus, Milan and Napoli, which he described as "too inconsistent." Carina offered a more measured assessment, praising Balerdi's impact but cautioning that benching N'Dicka—"the strongest in one-on-one marking in Serie A"—required courage. He criticised Gianluca Mancini's defending, saying "on the goal conceded by Roma there is his fingerprint," and suggested that with five matches played, it is premature to draw firm conclusions about title contenders, noting that Juventus and Milan remain close in points despite negative talk. Pes on Teleradiostereo highlighted Mile Svilar as a decisive advantage over rivals including Inter and Como, describing him as "a goalkeeper who brings points" and an element that provides security. Pes added that if Roma can increase their goalscoring output beyond the players currently delivering—Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Niccolò Pisilli—the team will become genuinely interesting.

Leonardo Balerdi has become an indispensable leader of Roma's defence, translating a temperament forged in adversity into commanding performances at the highest level. Against Inter, he delivered a masterclass in defending, dominating his duel with Thuram through the match before asking to be substituted due to cramps. His performance—6 recoveries, 4 duels won out of 5, and 2 contrasts won out of 3—underscored just how vital he has become to Roma's ability to maintain a high defensive line. Barerdi's journey to this point has been marked by transformation. As a boy at Boca, his first coach nicknamed him "Rummenigge" for his physicality and blonde hair; teammates called him "Balazo" for his explosive temperament. He initially wanted to become a midfielder, inspired by Boca greats like Gago, Riquelme and Palermo, but his fierce character pushed him towards the centre of defence. At Marseille, however, that same intensity created friction. Manager De Zerbi publicly rebuked him after a defeat to Auxerre, saying—as reported by Équipe—"You have humiliated us and you have humiliated the club. You don't have the balls. And you, Leo, have less balls than all of them." At Roma, everything changed. Balerdi has blossomed into a complete defender: elegant, quick, dominant in the air and skilled in playing vertically. The sharpness of his defending against Inter—a spectacular battle of bodies with Thuram across the match—confirmed how much he has matured. When he departed the pitch, Roma's defensive shape immediately dropped deeper, a telling sign of his indispensability to the team's structure.

Paulo Dybala has been invited by Lionel Messi to attend the Argentina captain's final match with the national team on 6 October, an invitation that also extends to Roma defender Nahuel Molina. Roma are evaluating whether to release Dybala for the fixture, and according to Corriere dello Sport, the club's preference is to keep him at Trigoria during the international break. The decision hinges on the fixture schedule. Roma's squad, under Gian Piero Gasperini, will return to action just five days after Messi's farewell—on the road against Como in Serie A. The two intercontinental journeys required within days would burden Dybala with travel recovery, jet lag, and preparation for the league match. Roma would rather have Dybala at their training base working under Gasperini's supervision and fully ready for the campaign's resumption. Molina faces the same situation and the same club stance. No final decision has been made, but Roma's current position is to retain Dybala in the capital during the break.

Roma's radio stations aired sharp opinion on the club's prospects this season, with Nando Orsi declaring the team was built to compete for the Serie A title while singling out Inter's deficiencies. Orsi said: "This year a squad was constructed to compete for the scudetto, but nobody says it out of superstition. Inter has some football-related shortcomings that need to be fixed. Roma is strong and capable, it just needs to manage its resources. Whoever says otherwise does it out of superstition. Roma has a strong squad; Saturday's match confirmed we are among the strongest. Juventus, Milan and Napoli don't seem like teams that can compete—they are too inconsistent. Roma and Inter instead are more ready at a technical level and in terms of their squads." The consensus across Rome's radio networks highlighted Lorenzo Pellegrini's recovery from injury and the decision to keep key players available, as well as praise for goalkeeper Mile Svilar's impact. Simone Valdarchi noted that "Pellegrini, although he has fully recovered from the injury he suffered, still needs to find his match rhythm. The work that will be done at Trigoria in these weeks will also be aimed at raising the condition of number 7." Both Valdarchi and Piero Torri stressed Roma's wish to avoid releasing Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina for Argentina's goodbye match for Messi, with Torri arguing that facing two long flights days before the Como match could harm preparations. Lorenzo Pes praised Svilar as "an important factor" who "gives security to the defence and to those watching him," while Roberto Pruzzo highlighted Leonardo Balerdi as an unexpected positive arrival. Mario Mattioli added that Balerdi, who "played 200 matches in the French league," was demonstrating his value in Italian football. Pruzzo also observed that Inter's perceived threat to run away with the title was not materializing as expected, noting he would wait 7–8 more matches to assess the championship's true level.

Gian Piero Gasperini is refusing to ease off during the international break, instead using the coming weeks to prepare Roma for a late-autumn peak when his teams have historically shown their strongest form. While Inter gave their squad six days of complete rest, Gasperini has maintained high-intensity training at Trigoria, though the programme is inevitably shaped by the departure of twelve international players. The squad remaining in Rome includes Mile Svilar, Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala, Mario Hermoso, Bryan Cristante, Devyne Rensch, Nahuel Molina and Marten de Roon, alongside players requiring specific work—notably Wesley, who must build his athletic base, and Lorenzo Pellegrini, who is returning from a lengthy absence and has already begun an intensive programme to rejoin regular rotation. Gasperini is also considering organizing a friendly match that could involve some youth-team players. Gasperini's approach reflects a precise logic. His teams have consistently shown their best athletic performance between late autumn and early winter, when the benefits of summer preparation become fully absorbed. His most famous precedent came in his first Atalanta season, when six consecutive league wins in November 2016 transformed a team with survival as its target into a Europa League contender. Similar runs followed in 2021 and 2024. Roma have already started well despite not yet operating at full capacity—some new players are still integrating, others building fitness, and Pellegrini has barely begun his season. The stretch ahead will demand depth: the combination of league and Champions League fixtures will produce a sequence of closely spaced matches making it impossible to rely on the same eleven throughout. For this reason Gasperini does not want a pause. He wants a launchpad. The logic is that Roma have already built their league position during the summer; now the coach wants to prepare their bodies for autumn. If the pattern his squads have followed repeats itself, the strongest part of the season may still be to come.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is closing in on a competitive return after a lengthy absence. The midfielder, who has not featured in any match for Roma this season, last played in April against Pisa. Gasperini's coaching staff has designed targeted tests during the international break to rebuild his match fitness and rhythm as Pellegrini gradually increases his training workload. Pellegrini's comeback will give Gasperini an added resource in the attacking midfield area, a department so far built around Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora. The 29-year-old is determined to repay the manager's faith and prove himself on the pitch. Beyond the immediate Roma picture, Pellegrini harbours a second objective: returning to the Italian national team and reclaiming his place under Roberto Mancini after two years away. According to Corriere della Sera, Pellegrini has been sidelined for roughly six months and remains the only outfield player in Roma's squad yet to debut in the 2026–27 campaign. His push for match sharpness and a return to previous form represents a significant boost to Gasperini's squad depth as the season progresses.

Roma radio stations have dissected the team's opening weeks of the 2026-27 season, focusing on attacking output, midfield deployment, and the defensive lapses that cost them against Inter. Gianluca Piacentini noted that while the team has impressed overall, Santiago Castro has yet to score despite solid performances, and the attacking group has contributed only three goals total—two from Matías Soulé and one from Rodrigo Mora—leaving room for improvement. Donyell Malen, who remained in Rome during the international break, has been the standout performer among the forwards. The consensus is that Roma's attackers, particularly Castro, Soulé and Mora, would have benefited from staying at Trigoria rather than joining their national teams for what several commentators dismissed as unnecessary international fixtures. Francesca Ferrazza explained that criticism of Paulo Dybala's reduced shooting is misplaced: "Now they're criticising Dybala because he doesn't score and doesn't shoot, but in my opinion it's precisely a deliberate choice to shoot less in goal. A choice shared with the manager, by the way. To extend his season and his career, he plays for others more than for himself." The discussion around Lorenzo Pellegrini centred on tactical fit. Lorenzo Pes raised concerns about how Pellegrini will adapt to Gasperini's intensity: "What intrigues me is how he might fit into certain systems. When you play with a trequartista, that is his best position, perhaps in that role he's the best you have, but when you line up differently on the pitch I'm not sure how much he can adapt. Last season he did reasonably well but in a very different Roma—now it's much more intense. Gasperini says he can see him in midfield too, but in that role he's never actually put him there." Mario Corsi challenged the narrative around Gianluca Mancini's role in Inter's goal, pointing out that four Roma defenders were on the pitch yet failed to function as a unit. He argued the real issue is a lack of a player who can beat his man consistently. Piero Torri stressed that after the international break, Roma will need all available players, with Gasperini having stated the team must operate with a squad of 20 across a seven-match stretch. Roberto Pruzzo offered a positive assessment, noting that Malen's presence this season—absent last year—and Dybala's apparent full recovery give Roma credible tools to challenge Inter, especially once the remainder of the transfer window closes. Luigi Salomone suggested that had Roma's previous manager substituted a different forward earlier against Lazio, the result might have shifted dramatically. The international break will resume mid-October, after which Roma face a compressed fixture list in both Serie A and the Champions League that will test squad depth and tactical flexibility.

Roma radio stations analysed the club's 2–2 draw with Inter, with discussion centring on squad fitness and tactical depth ahead of a busy fixture schedule. The match was widely praised for its quality, though opinions differed on whether Roma should feel satisfied or regretful. Lorenzo Pes, speaking on Tele Radio Stereo, highlighted Wesley's physical condition as a concern. "The one who seems most in difficulty at a physical level is Wesley," Pes said. "He had the injury a few days before the season started and didn't have a chance to begin like the others. I saw him behind, but I think the others are in good shape and this break can help him." Pes also noted that Gasperini has suggested using Lorenzo Pellegrini in midfield, though he has not yet deployed him in that role during matches. Franco Melli judged Roma and Inter the two best teams in the league, with Inter still holding the edge. Luigi Ferrajolo identified the match as the season's finest but warned of structural issues: "The problem with Roma is duration. They press and attack frenetically for 45 minutes, then drop. Gasperini must also understand why so many goals are being conceded early in the second half." Alessandro Vocalelli suggested Roma's regret stemmed from failing to win rather than pride in a competitive display. Roberto Pruzzo framed Roma as credible title contenders, noting that the arrival of Donyell Malen from the start rather than mid-season strengthens the squad alongside Paulo Dybala's strong form. Piero Torri projected intense rotation in the coming weeks. "Roma will play seven matches in 20 days on returning from the break," he said, "and will need everyone. I expect all players to see action, including and especially Lorenzo Pellegrini, who has finally found form and will be an extra weapon in both the league and the Champions League. The same for Castro—he will start some matches. De Roon too. Perhaps Koulierakis in rotations, Mora, and so on. Some will remain starters because they are solid foundations of Gasperini's fixed formation, like Koné, Mancini and Dybala, but I expect significant turnover."