Santiago Castro arrives in Rome as Roma complete opening transfer move

Liverpool have emerged as the latest heavyweight club to express interest in Roma midfielder Manu Koné, according to journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic. Koné remained at Roma after a summer window in which Atlético Madrid made an approach and Chelsea made contact on the final day of the transfer market, though the latter were only described as "informational contacts" by Roma's sporting director D'Amico. Ornstein stated: "I think there is interest from the Reds for Koné at Roma, and they will have other options too. He was very close to Chelsea before they turned to Camara, and we'll see what position Roma find themselves in during the winter window. He has been examined very carefully by Manchester United and I think Liverpool like him." Despite the external attention, Koné remains focused on Roma and is regarded as one of the fundamental elements of Gasperini's squad.

Mason Greenwood will face Roma for the first time since a failed transfer pursuit, now wearing the Fenerbahçe colours in their Champions League clash in Istanbul. The English forward was a priority target for Gian Piero Gasperini during the summer transfer window, and the Roma coach recently acknowledged his disappointment at failing to complete the deal. Greenwood will instead pose a significant threat in what is Roma's opening European fixture of the season. The transfer saga has captured attention in Turkey ahead of the match. Turkish outlet Fanatik stoked anticipation by using Greenwood's connection to Roma, with the publication stating: "Greenwood will destroy Roma. After having refused them, now he will show his value." For Roma, the task now is to move past what happened in the summer market. Greenwood was identified as a key attacking reinforcement for Gasperini's squad, but the operation fell through and the player opted to join Fenerbahçe instead.

Jeremie Leweling has found himself sidelined at Stuttgart after a dramatic summer transfer saga with Roma that ultimately collapsed. The German forward has appeared only in the closing stages of matches against Bayern Munich and Cologne, totalling just 48 minutes on the pitch. Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeneß prefers attacking midfielders Undav and El Khannouss behind striker Pejcinovic, with Vagnoman occupying the right flank, leaving little room for Leweling in the team's setup. The player's summer proved chaotic. Roma and Stuttgart agreed a €35 million transfer fee, with both clubs satisfied by the deal—Stuttgart especially pleased to receive the revenue. Leweling repeatedly changed his mind, however: he committed to Roma, then reversed course, then reconsidered again, with a plane waiting to fly him to Italy before another change of heart. The indecision infuriated both clubs. Had the move succeeded, Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini had planned to deploy Leweling in a dual role that would have guaranteed regular playing time. Instead, Roma continue without him and perform well, Leweling sits unused at Stuttgart and faces criticism from local supporters. The failed transfer has left both parties worse off.

Roma kick off their Champions League campaign against Fenerbahce in Istanbul, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini confirming a strong starting lineup. Gasperini has retained the core of Roma's winning run this season, with one change: Devyne Rensch starts at left-back in place of Emanuele Lulli. Paulo Dybala takes his regular place in attack, flanking Matías Soulé behind Donyell Malen in a 3-4-2-1 formation. Rodrigo Mora is unused among the substitutes, expected to come on in the second half if needed. Nahuel Molina's first-team debut from the start is postponed. Roma field: Svilar; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Rensch, Cristante, Koné, Wesley; Soulé, Dybala; Malen. Among the squad available from the bench are De Marzi, Gollini, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Koulierakis, Lulli, Molina, De Roon, Pisilli, Mora and Castro. Fenerbahce start with Ederson in goal and deploy Muriqi as their centre-forward, supported by Mason Greenwood and Ferdi Aktörkoglu in attacking midfield. The Turkish side's squad includes Raphaël Varane in their defensive ranks.

Roma returned to the Champions League for the first time in seven years on 10 September 2026, drawing 1-1 with Fenerbahçe in Istanbul in the opening match of the league phase. Bryan Cristante gave Roma the lead in the 38th minute with a long-range strike into the corner, but Fenerbahçe equalised in the 48th minute through Brown, who capitalised on a defensive error to beat Mile Svilar one-on-one. The draw ended a run of three consecutive Serie A victories for Gian Piero Gasperini's side ahead of their European return. Gasperini fielded Devyne Rensch at right-back on his first start in the competition, with Matías Soulé starting in the attacking midfield ahead of Rodrigo Mora alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. Roma controlled possession throughout the first half, forcing Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Ederson into saves from Dybala in the 20th minute and Malen in the 42nd, while Gianluca Mancini squandered a clear chance at the back post in the 33rd minute. Mason Greenwood posed the primary threat for the hosts on the counter-attack, and his influence continued into the second half until Fenerbahçe made changes in the 70th minute, introducing Romelu Lukaku and Ferdi Kahveci for Vedat Muriqi and Serdar Aktürkoğlu. Roma were awarded a penalty in the 69th minute which was then converted as a free-kick from the edge of the area, though Paulo Dybala's subsequent pass to Malen saw his effort blocked by the Fenerbahçe defence. Cristante received a yellow card in the 85th minute, as did Fenerbahçe's Yüksek for a hard challenge on Dybala in the 84th. Gian Piero Gasperini made three substitutions in the 74th minute, withdrawing Rensch, Mancini and Soulé to introduce Leonardo Balerdi, Nahuel Molina and Rodrigo Mora. The referee was Jesús Gil Manzano of Spain, with César Soto Grado operating as VAR. The draw left Roma's opening European campaign balanced at the first hurdle. Fenerbahçe named İsmail Kartal as their manager, while Roma's squad included Giorgio De Marzi, Pierluigi Gollini, Niccolò Pisilli and Santiago Castro among those available from the bench.

Vincent Candela has given Roma an upbeat assessment of their return to the Champions League, insisting the club's fixture list against Europe's elite represents a reward rather than a burden. Speaking on the day Roma began their League Phase campaign, the former defender praised the draw that will take the team to Paris, Manchester and Madrid, saying: "I prefer to face the big clubs: because I know where I'm going and I know how to prepare myself. Going to Manchester or Paris is beautiful, it's real Champions League." Candela added that he considers the draw "perfect" and that Roma have "been kissed by fortune" after finishing third in Serie A last season. Roma's first fixture is a trip to Turkey to face Fenerbahce, a match Candela does not underestimate. "In Turkey it's never a walk in the park, but you have to play as you have in the first three league matches and above all we must not get injured," he said. "The atmosphere will be heated, but it's all very fascinating. I believe we are on the right path. You could see it too with the comeback against Atalanta: this Roma never dies." Candela stressed that strong early results in the League Phase will be crucial to approaching later matches with greater serenity, and noted that Sporting, AEK and Lille could be decisive in determining Roma's European fate. However, the away trip to Manchester United concerns him more than the visits to Real Madrid or Paris. "The English reality goes at another speed," he explained. On the players, Candela reserved particular praise for Paulo Dybala, describing him as a treasure of football. "Yes. He is one of the few who has so much experience at these levels. At a technical level he is an asset of football. He still delivers things you barely see anymore, things in the style of Totti, Zidane, Ronaldo. He is in excellent physical condition after a year of work with Gasperini." Donyell Malen also earned strong backing: "He has rare qualities. He can do damage to Fenerbahce and I would not be surprised if he put difficulties in the defences of PSG or Real Madrid. Plus this year there is also Castro, so physically he can be managed better in such a long season." Candela also spoke about head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's connection to the club, noting that the manager has already built strong belonging despite his recent arrival. "He has won the Europa League and done the Champions with Atalanta, so he knows these stages. But above all he already has a strong sense of belonging with Roma. You don't need 15 or 20 years: if you are loyal, honest and put passion in, you prove it right away and people feel it and see it. Sometimes I go to watch training at Trigoria, he thinks about football from morning to evening and then wanted to know the symbols like me and Totti, going to dinner with us. It's not obvious. It's beautiful and he deserves everything he is receiving from the fans."