Venturino sidelined for patellar tendon surgery as Roma weighs buyout decision

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."

Gasperini's tactical gamble paid off as Roma came from behind to beat Atalanta, with five substitutions made by the 21st minute of the second half transforming a match the club was losing 1–0 after Ederson's goal. With Ndicka and Mancini struggling against Atalanta's counter-attacks, Gasperini brought on Molina, Soulé, Castro, Ghilardi and Balerdi in rapid succession. The changes proved decisive: Ghilardi and Balerdi immediately steadied the defence and neutralised Atalanta's transitions, while Castro came close with efforts that hit the post and crossbar. Soulé delivered the most telling contribution, providing an assist and scoring a goal in the 93rd minute—an impact matching what he produced in Roma's match at Lecce. Gasperini had stated before the match: "Titolari and riserve ormai non contano più, si gioca in sedici"—effectively that first-team status and substitutes no longer matter, the game is played by sixteen—and the field immediately vindicated him. The depth demonstrated reflects substantial improvement from the previous season. In a match such as Parma last May, the bench contained only Venturino and Vaz; Gasperini now has access to a squad rich with genuine alternatives capable of reshaping a match. The quality of those replacements gives him the tactical weapons to win even when games turn against Roma mid-contest.

Neil El Aynaoui is poised to leave Roma after just one season, with Crystal Palace having tabled an opening offer structured as a loan with a right of purchase that would convert to an obligation under certain conditions. Roma value the midfielder at €30–35 million and are seeking either a permanent sale or a guaranteed obligation to buy, neither of which Crystal Palace's initial proposal meets. Bayer Leverkusen has also shown interest, while Saudi Arabian clubs registered prior enquiries. El Aynaoui's potential departure would mark the near-complete dismantling of the squad built last summer by director of football Frédéric Massara under the supervision of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Bought from Lens a year ago for €23 million plus €2 million in bonuses, El Aynaoui was among Massara's primary investments in summer 2025 and arrived following protracted negotiations for Richard Rios, whom Gasperini had identified as a target midfielder. Yet twelve months on, he has failed to establish himself as a central figure in Roma's project. Of the eight main signings Massara made that summer—El Aynaoui, Wesley, Ghilardi, Evan Ferguson, Bailey, Jan Ziółkowski, Vasquez and Zelezny, plus further arrivals during the season including Robinio Vaz and Donyell Malen in January—almost none remain integrated into the first-team plan. Bailey departed in January; Ferguson and Kostas Tsimikas have returned to their parent clubs; Zaragoza, Venturino and Zelezny have left; Ziółkowski is bound for Monza; and Robinio Vaz is joining Hull City on a paid loan with a purchase option. Only Wesley and Malen have endured as meaningful squad members—notably, both were explicitly endorsed by Gasperini himself. The wholesale reversal reflects a fundamental disconnect between Massara's construction and Gasperini's tactical requirements. The head coach arrived with precise ideas about player profiles: intensity, one-on-one strength, athletic capability, aggression, willingness to defend in open play, and specific positional characteristics. Much of Massara's market activity, the article suggests, proceeded on different criteria. El Aynaoui, aged 25 with international appeal and genuine quality—hardly a failed signing on financial grounds—has attracted bids from Champions League and Bundesliga clubs yet appears expendable to Roma's current thinking. A sale at €30–35 million would recoup the initial investment while generating profit useful for UEFA financial compliance, and would free capital to invest in a midfielder Roma believes better suited to Gasperini's system alongside an attacking winger the head coach has requested for weeks. Roma has already absorbed a year of transfer misalignment and is now attempting correction. Should El Aynaoui depart, Wesley and Malen will stand as the last substantial survivors of Massara's legacy—both players explicitly favoured by Gasperini. The club cannot afford further directional error; Tony D'Amico must construct a roster that is recognisable, coherent and durable, avoiding a return to similar discussions in August 2027 regarding the summer 2026 window.

Roma's final weeks of the summer transfer window will see not only the completion of Gian Piero Gasperini's squad but also a profound transformation of the group built in previous sessions—a wholesale dismantling of the roster assembled under former sporting director Florent Ghisolfi and Ricky Massara. Defender Jan Ziółkowski is poised to leave. The Polish centre-back has opened talks over a move to Monza, who are ready to pay approximately €1.2 million for a paid loan. Details of the buyout clause remain to be finalised, though one proposal links the cost of the loan to Ziółkowski's appearances—the more he plays, the lower the fee for Monza. Roma will not greenlight his departure until a replacement arrives. The primary target is Morato, a Brazilian centre-back at Nottingham Forest, with negotiations centred on a loan formula, though no agreement has yet been reached between the clubs. Thilo Kehrer of Monaco has also been evaluated as an alternative, as has Nayef Aguerd, the 1996-born Moroccan defender at Marseille, in a potential loan deal. More delicate is the situation of Neil El Aynaoui. The Moroccan midfielder has failed to build the tactical understanding with Gasperini required to become a cornerstone of the project, and Roma are ready to let him go after just one season if the right offer arrives. However, proposals from Germany so far have been structured only as loans with buyout clauses, while Trigoria prefers an outright sale. El Aynaoui's departure would force Roma to return to the market. Gasperini had identified Franck Kessié as his target, but the Ivorian is now close to joining Juventus, leaving Roma to find an alternative quickly. Ziółkowski and El Aynaoui could join a lengthy list of players who arrived under Ghisolfi and Massara but have since exited the project: Bailey, Ferguson, Tsimikas, Venturino and Zaragoza are cited, while Robinio Vaz is close to Hull City, with an agreement between the clubs pending the player's approval. The transformation reflects Gasperini's tactical preferences and the new sporting direction's priorities.