Roma to accelerate forward exits: Dovbyk pursued by two Serie A clubs

Roma have decided against signing free agents to strengthen their squad this summer, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini unconvinced of the approach. The club had allocated roughly €30 million for Leweling, and those funds will now be redirected to the January transfer window, with the club's strategy shaped by how this opening phase of the season unfolds. Jadon Sancho, whose transfer pursuit by Roma was revived in recent reports, will remain out of reach — the player missed Roma's opportunity a year ago and there are no remaining slots to fill. Wilfried Zaha, aged 33, initially appeared to match Roma's requirements but has suffered multiple health problems in recent years and has declined markedly from the Premier League standard of three to four seasons ago. Rafa Guerreiro was another candidate as an experienced left-back capable of playing on the offensive flank if needed, but the Portuguese player suffered recurring muscle problems last season, leaving Roma wary. Gasperini's stated preference is for a physical profile that Guerreiro does not provide.

Roma have declined an approach to sign Raphaël Guerreiro as a free agent, with director Tony D'Amico rejecting the proposal from intermediaries. The Portuguese defender and midfielder, who can operate on the left flank or in central midfield, was presented to the club's hierarchy but has not progressed beyond an initial offer. According to Fabrizio Romano, the deal remains inactive, with Roma having taken no official steps to open formal negotiations. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's priorities centre on maintaining numerical and tactical balance across key positions rather than adding depth at full-back or midfield. The 31-year-old, a former Borussia Dortmund player with extensive European experience, does not currently fit Roma's transfer strategy, and barring unexpected developments in the coming weeks, the prospect is unlikely to be revisited.

Roma rejected Chelsea's advances for Manu Koné during the summer transfer window, turning away concrete interest from the London club without fielding a formal bid. Chelsea had identified the French midfielder as their ideal replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who joined Manchester City. Despite the potential financial benefit to Roma's accounts, sporting director Tony D'Amico and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini agreed that sacrificing such a central figure in Gasperini's system would undermine the team's ambitions. For the Piedmont-born coach, Koné is an indispensable fixture, deployed consistently since arriving in the capital and only absent through injury. Koné's athleticism and ability to swing the momentum of play make him the essential cog in Roma's territorial dominance. Gasperini has relied on the midfielder heavily across Roma's opening fixtures, and he delivered a standout performance in the recent home victory against Atalanta. In that match, Koné recovered seven loose balls and made two interceptions, providing constant support on the transition while working alongside Bryan Cristante with precision in play-switching and through-balls to the forward line. The number 28's contributions since the start of the season—following solid outings against Fiorentina and Lecce—underline why Roma chose to keep him. The rejuvenation of Roma's midfield structure depends on his presence and consistency, a factor that outweighed any transfer fee Chelsea might have offered.

Roma's radio stations weighed in on the club's Champions League campaign launch and squad decisions ahead of Thursday's fixture in Istanbul. Roberto Pruzzo told Radio Radio he saw no red flags in the project: "The sensation around Roma is absolutely positive, there seems to be only one path and they are following it. Everyone is behind the manager, and that feels like the most positive signal. There are technical qualities that let the coach make changes when necessary without negative impact. Right now I don't see any downsides. Until the break I expect Roma to physically surprise opponents—I think they've done targeted planning to go 200 kilometres per hour until the break." Staff changes dominated discussion of squad depth. Ilario Di Giovambattista reported that Nahuel Molina would play against Fenerbahce, while Lorenzo Pellegrini's first call-up would come at Torino. Paolo Marcacci anticipated "surgical changes" for Istanbul, potentially including Santiago Castro for Donyell Malen up front. Paolo Cosenza and Piero Torri both attacked the travel ban on Roma province residents, with Torri calling it "totally unconstitutional" and urging the club to take an official stand. "Why can't I go to Torino to watch Roma? What have I done wrong?" Torri asked. "If there is individual responsibility, the state must guarantee me freedom." Alessio Nardo questioned Gasperini's handling of Salah-Eddine, who has rejected all offers with only the Mexican market remaining open. "He's turned everything down and now he's just going to graze at Trigoria with no real ambition until January," Nardo said. "When Salah-Eddine isn't considered and is out of the project, and when Guerreiro—who played for Bayern Munich last season—is immediately discarded, it makes me think the left-back position is a priority for Gasperini. But he doesn't seem to have chased it aggressively on the market. Salah-Eddine played in a World Cup and African Cup of Nations. If Kostas Tsimikas was there last season, maybe he deserved a chance. Clearly Gasperini really hates him." Lorenzo Pes added that Gasperini had made no current reassessment: "He's stuck with the view he had a year ago. Salah-Eddine doesn't have the characteristics Gasperini wants in his wing-backs." Roma's opening Champions League fixture comes Thursday at 18:45 in Istanbul against Fenerbahce. David Rossi noted the absence of Aurélien Guendouzi and flagged environmental difficulty alongside technical challenge. Nando Orsi backed the title ambition, calling the league Roma's "indubitable objective" while viewing Napoli as in a particular moment and Inter focused on Champions League victory.

Roma return to the Champions League for the first time in seven years when they travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce on Thursday evening. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will deploy a squad combining several players making their maiden appearance in the competition's main draw alongside seasoned European campaigners. Gianluca Mancini and Manu Koné will make their Champions League debuts, as will younger squad members including Pisilli, Lulli, Mora and Ghilardi. Gasperini can call on considerable experience to balance the newcomers. Paulo Dybala and Marten de Roon have accumulated nearly one hundred appearances between them at the highest level. Nahuel Molina and Mario Hermoso both bring over sixty European appearances from their time at Atlético Madrid, while Donyell Malen, Leonardo Balerdi and Artem Dovbyk add further continental pedigree. Dybala will lead the attack and is targeting a European goal; his last came in the Europa League final in Budapest against Seville. Roma will be supported by approximately 2,300 fans in the away section at the Turkish stadium. The domestic competition faces a ticketing restriction for the upcoming Serie A fixture against Torino: the CASMS has banned ticket sales to residents of Rome province due to potential clashes with Parma supporters travelling to Como, permitting purchases only to AS Roma Card holders from other Italian regions.

Roma return to the Champions League for the first time since March 2019 tonight in Istanbul against Fenerbahce, with Gasperini naming an unchanged side from Saturday's Serie A victory over Atalanta. Paulo Dybala, the 32-year-old Argentine absent from the competition for four and a half years since Juventus faced Villarreal in March 2022, will lead the team's attempt to translate the attacking form that has already impressed in Serie A wins over Fiorentina, Lecce and Atalanta. Dybala has played 253 minutes across Roma's opening three league fixtures under Gasperini's management. Nahuel Molina is the sole fresh name in the starting eleven after building his career in Europe with Atlético Madrid and the Argentine national team. The squad will draw on the experience of players for whom the Champions League anthem is familiar, with Svilar, Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso, Koné, Cristante, Wesley and Malen all named. Malen, who leads the Serie A scoring chart this season, will compete at elite European level for the first time in Roma colours. The night represents a transformation of nostalgia into present pride on the competition's stage, where Dybala has most thrived in his career.

Roma return to the Champions League for the first time in seven years when they travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce on Thursday evening. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will deploy a squad combining several players making their maiden appearance in the competition's main draw alongside seasoned European campaigners. Gianluca Mancini and Manu Koné will make their Champions League debuts, as will younger squad members including Pisilli, Lulli, Mora and Ghilardi. Gasperini can call on considerable experience to balance the newcomers. Paulo Dybala and Marten de Roon have accumulated nearly one hundred appearances between them at the highest level. Nahuel Molina and Mario Hermoso both bring over sixty European appearances from their time at Atlético Madrid, while Donyell Malen, Leonardo Balerdi and Artem Dovbyk add further continental pedigree. Dybala will lead the attack and is targeting a European goal; his last came in the Europa League final in Budapest against Seville. Roma will be supported by approximately 2,300 fans in the away section at the Turkish stadium. The domestic competition faces a ticketing restriction for the upcoming Serie A fixture against Torino: the CASMS has banned ticket sales to residents of Rome province due to potential clashes with Parma supporters travelling to Como, permitting purchases only to AS Roma Card holders from other Italian regions.

Santiago Castro entered Roma's match against Atalanta at the 62nd minute as an unlikely substitute, replacing the league's in-form forward Donyell Malen, yet the move proved to be the turning point in a game the hosts trailed. In his brief appearance, Castro struck the post and crossbar while providing two key passes, underscoring the quality of Roma's bench and prompting head coach Gian Piero Gasperini to praise his aggression. The Argentine's introduction illustrated the gulf between Roma's attacking depth now and the crisis that plagued them throughout the previous season. Last season Gasperini struggled with inadequate backup at centre-forward. Artem Dovbyk managed only 386 minutes in the league, while Evan Ferguson accumulated 776; injuries to both forced the coach into makeshift solutions, sometimes fielding a lone striker. Malen's January arrival from Dortmund transformed the dynamic, yet even then Gasperini was stretched thin managing the Dutchman's workload in a frenetic system that demands fresh energy. Castro's arrival this summer completes the picture. The forward combines goal-scoring instinct, the ability to run channels, ball retention and defensive work rate—qualities already evident in his early outings in red and gold. Gasperini's post-match verdict captured the shift: "The changes were good and that's what we were looking for—to complete this squad with substitutes who could give important help across matches. In finishing and in the forward area we were good, but we lacked intensity. We were sometimes too neat, aside from Castro's post and crossbar." Against Atalanta, Castro fired four shots—two on target and two off the woodwork—laying down a marker as a genuine alternative to Malen. Soulé scored, Molina offered fresh options on the flank and Balerdi commanded the defence like a squad veteran. Gasperini acknowledged the possibility of using both attackers together: "Castro and Malen together? It's an idea for the future. They can coexist, definitely. They can play together. We'll see; we're doing evaluations now. We'll have many matches so there will be chances for everyone and also to vary these systems." The contrast with previous seasons is stark. Roma's manager can now turn to a bench and find genuine competition for the starting eleven rather than, as José Mourinho once lamented, mere children. The scale of available rotation across the squad—particularly in attack and defence—represents a luxury rarely seen at Trigoria in recent years.

Artem Dovbyk scored for the first time in eight months, netting Bologna's equaliser against Sassuolo in the 91st minute. The Ukrainian striker, on loan from Roma with a purchase option, grabbed the ball and sprinted towards the corner flag in celebration, removing his shirt and earning a yellow card for the act. Dovbyk's goal came after a spell marked by injury and poor form since arriving at Bologna on loan this summer. The 2–2 draw represents a turning point for the forward, who was unable to find the net during a difficult period at Roma before departing.

Roma's radio stations weighed in on the club's Champions League campaign launch and squad decisions ahead of Thursday's fixture in Istanbul. Roberto Pruzzo told Radio Radio he saw no red flags in the project: "The sensation around Roma is absolutely positive, there seems to be only one path and they are following it. Everyone is behind the manager, and that feels like the most positive signal. There are technical qualities that let the coach make changes when necessary without negative impact. Right now I don't see any downsides. Until the break I expect Roma to physically surprise opponents—I think they've done targeted planning to go 200 kilometres per hour until the break." Staff changes dominated discussion of squad depth. Ilario Di Giovambattista reported that Nahuel Molina would play against Fenerbahce, while Lorenzo Pellegrini's first call-up would come at Torino. Paolo Marcacci anticipated "surgical changes" for Istanbul, potentially including Santiago Castro for Donyell Malen up front. Paolo Cosenza and Piero Torri both attacked the travel ban on Roma province residents, with Torri calling it "totally unconstitutional" and urging the club to take an official stand. "Why can't I go to Torino to watch Roma? What have I done wrong?" Torri asked. "If there is individual responsibility, the state must guarantee me freedom." Alessio Nardo questioned Gasperini's handling of Salah-Eddine, who has rejected all offers with only the Mexican market remaining open. "He's turned everything down and now he's just going to graze at Trigoria with no real ambition until January," Nardo said. "When Salah-Eddine isn't considered and is out of the project, and when Guerreiro—who played for Bayern Munich last season—is immediately discarded, it makes me think the left-back position is a priority for Gasperini. But he doesn't seem to have chased it aggressively on the market. Salah-Eddine played in a World Cup and African Cup of Nations. If Kostas Tsimikas was there last season, maybe he deserved a chance. Clearly Gasperini really hates him." Lorenzo Pes added that Gasperini had made no current reassessment: "He's stuck with the view he had a year ago. Salah-Eddine doesn't have the characteristics Gasperini wants in his wing-backs." Roma's opening Champions League fixture comes Thursday at 18:45 in Istanbul against Fenerbahce. David Rossi noted the absence of Aurélien Guendouzi and flagged environmental difficulty alongside technical challenge. Nando Orsi backed the title ambition, calling the league Roma's "indubitable objective" while viewing Napoli as in a particular moment and Inter focused on Champions League victory.

Roma trained at Trigoria on 7 September with full focus on their Champions League debut on Thursday in Istanbul, under the watch of CEO John Galantic and sporting director Tony D'Amico, ahead of a possible visit from the Friedkin ownership. No residual effects from the intense Atalanta match meant the entire squad was available to Gasperini, who allowed himself a smile when Santiago Castro performed penalty press-ups during a training session. Lorenzo Pellegrini, who recently signed a contract renewal, has fully recovered from a right thigh rectus femoris injury and has been training with the group for a week, putting him in contention for the Fenerbahçe encounter. However, his debut in the competition will likely come on the following Monday at Turin.

Paulo Dybala will face Fenerbahçe in Istanbul on Thursday evening as Roma return to the Champions League for the first time in eight years. The Argentine has not played in the competition since Juventus fell to Villarreal in the group stage on 16 March 2022. Dybala has made 53 Champions League appearances, scoring 18 goals, and returns to Europe's elite club competition having remained at Roma despite doubts surrounding the team's ability to qualify. He has started every pre-season match and all three league fixtures so far this season, missing only 15 minutes against Fiorentina and Lecce while providing four assists, though a goal remains elusive. Thursday's matchup will see Dybala reunite with former teammates Romelu Lukaku and Mason Greenwood, both now with Fenerbahçe. Greenwood was reportedly a candidate to join Roma this summer, while midfielder Sofyan Amrabat—whom Dybala has clashed with multiple times in Rome derbies—is sidelined by suspension. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to field experienced defender Nahuel Molina ahead of Emanuele Lulli, with the attacking responsibilities shared between Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora at centre-forward. Both have never played in the Champions League, though they have company among Roma's debutants in the competition: Gianluca Mancini, Wesley, Manu Koné and Niccolò Pisilli are all making their first appearance. Players with prior Champions League experience include Mario Hermoso, Evan N'Dicka, Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Leonardo Balerdi, Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro. Meanwhile, the Italian Football Federation's legal department has opened an investigation into events following Roma's Serie A match against Atalanta. Atalanta's chief executive Luca Percassi allegedly verbally assaulted Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico in the post-match period, according to multiple witnesses. Inspectors were not present at the time; federal prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné will now assess the evidence.