Roma weighs holding Dybala during break as Messi invites him to Argentina farewell

Roma have begun moving in the January transfer window and have identified Frosinone winger Giorgi Kvernadze as a priority target. The Georgian, born 2003, has scored 5 goals and provided 2 assists across Serie A and Coppa Italia in recent outings that Roma scouts have monitored closely. Napoli are also tracking the situation. The club sits joint-top of Serie A with 13 points from 15 available after an impressive start to the 2026–27 season, level on points with Inter and Lazio. Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico recognises that reinforcements are still needed, particularly a left-winger with a right foot — a specific profile the club has prioritised. The five summer signings brought in to implement manager Gian Piero Gasperini's ideas — Leonardo Balerdi, Nahuel Molina, Rodrigo Mora, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Marten de Roon — have integrated well, but the squad remains incomplete ahead of the mid-season market. According to reports from Nicolò Schira and confirmed by Il Tempo, Roma have begun their groundwork for January. Kvernadze's form has caught the attention of Roma's recruitment team as the club prepares to strengthen in the coming weeks.

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.

Gianluca Mancini is on course to start at centre-back for Italy against Belgium, according to tactical work at the national team's Coverciano training base. The Roma defender has featured consistently in the centre of defence during recent sessions as coach Roberto Mancini tests a 4-3-3 formation, pairing him regularly with Di Lorenzo, Calafiori and Coppola, who holds the edge over Scalvini due to a minor physical issue. The presence of the Roma centre-back offers security, experience and continuity to the Italian defence, with upcoming sessions before the squad departs for Rome expected to clarify final details — but the indications are clear that Mancini is a fixed point in Italy's defensive setup. The national team is entering the decisive phase of match preparation with technical drills and ball work to settle on the starting eleven. The coaching staff is still evaluating remaining doubts in midfield and attack. Former Roma player Romano, now at Cagliari, has been given opportunities alongside Barella and Tonali in the middle, with Frattesi also under close consideration as an alternative. In the attacking third, the forward line tested with Zaniolo, Pio Esposito and Raspadori could be reshuffled to introduce quality alternatives including Vergara, Zoma or Maldini.

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.

Paulo Dybala has signed a new annual contract with Roma heavily weighted to performance. The forward has taken a 72 per cent pay cut from his previous deal, with a fixed base of €2.2 million. He will earn an additional €100,000 for each match in which he plays as a starter for at least 45 minutes, up to a maximum of 20 appearances and €2 million in bonus payments. Niccolò Pisilli marked his 22nd birthday on Wednesday as a protagonist in Roma's latest fixture. Against Torino, he set a new club record for distance covered in a single match at 12.53 kilometres, adding a goal despite suffering from cramps. The midfielder has also scored four goals and provided an assist in his last four matches for the Under-21 side, strengthening his case for further involvement with the first team. Roma's women's team began their Champions League campaign today with a fixture at OH Leuven's Den Dreef stadium, kicking off at 18:45 and broadcast on Disney+. Manager Piovani said: "We have the opportunity to bounce back immediately," seeking redemption after losing the Women's Cup final on penalties to Juventus. Piemonte travelled with the squad but is unlikely to feature due to a cracked rib, while Pilgrim remains sidelined and Lukasova is unavailable.

Paulo Dybala has undergone a striking transformation at Roma this season, shifting from a pure finisher to a playmaker under Gian Piero Gasperini. With four official assists in Serie A — reportedly seven without regulatory technicalities — he has become the league's leading provider. The change reflects reduced obsession with scoring and greater focus on team service, aided by an exceptional physical condition never matched since his arrival at the club and buoyed by new attacking partners including Donyell Malen, who have eased the burden of single-handedly leading the attack. Dybala's resurgence stems principally from his fitness, managed by new athletic staff led by Alessandro Pilati, who arrived from Genoa after 22 years there. He has logged record minutes across Serie A and the Champions League, underpinned by his decision to abandon personal trainers and rely solely on occasional pilates sessions with his wife Oriana. That choice has yielded immediate results alongside strong leadership in the dressing room, evidenced by his decision to cut his salary significantly to remain tied to Roma. This period of enhanced prominence coincides with an invitation from Lionel Messi to participate in what is likely Messi's final match for Argentina, against Benin at the Monumental stadium. Gasperini and his coaching staff, however, prefer to avoid a long and demanding journey on the eve of the league's resumption and Roma's fixture against Como. The plan is to keep Dybala at Trigoria, protect the work accomplished so far, and ensure continuity in the new chapter of the club's campaign.

Roma have begun moving in the January transfer window and have identified Frosinone winger Giorgi Kvernadze as a priority target. The Georgian, born 2003, has scored 5 goals and provided 2 assists across Serie A and Coppa Italia in recent outings that Roma scouts have monitored closely. Napoli are also tracking the situation. The club sits joint-top of Serie A with 13 points from 15 available after an impressive start to the 2026–27 season, level on points with Inter and Lazio. Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico recognises that reinforcements are still needed, particularly a left-winger with a right foot — a specific profile the club has prioritised. The five summer signings brought in to implement manager Gian Piero Gasperini's ideas — Leonardo Balerdi, Nahuel Molina, Rodrigo Mora, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Marten de Roon — have integrated well, but the squad remains incomplete ahead of the mid-season market. According to reports from Nicolò Schira and confirmed by Il Tempo, Roma have begun their groundwork for January. Kvernadze's form has caught the attention of Roma's recruitment team as the club prepares to strengthen in the coming weeks.

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.