Roma linked with Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde as January target

Chelsea remain interested in Roma midfielder Manu Koné, according to Ben Jacobs, with the Premier League club reportedly wanting to add a midfielder in January. Koné is currently out with an injury and is expected to return after the international break, but he remains closely watched by top clubs across Europe. Koné joined Roma from Borussia Mönchengladbach in August 2024 on a loan with an obligation to buy, a deal worth €18m. His continued appeal to Chelsea underlines the attention his performances have attracted from elite clubs. Chelsea's interest is not the only pressure on the club's midfield situation, as the London side are also linked with other targets. Chelsea's other reported midfield targets include Scott of Bournemouth and Camara of Monaco.

Manu Koné remains one of Roma's most sought-after players, with Premier League clubs monitoring the French midfielder. He is currently sidelined with a first-degree injury picked up in the Champions League clash with Real Madrid, but his strong start to the season has not gone unnoticed at Chelsea. According to Ben Jacobs of GiveMeSport and TalkSport, the Blues consider him one of their main targets to strengthen their squad. Koné is not the only name on Chelsea's list. Camara of Monaco is also included, and most notably Scott of Bournemouth, who is reportedly Xabi Alonso's preferred option but is valued at around €100 million. After Chelsea's pressure this summer, a fresh attempt in January is not ruled out. Roma, however, have no intention of letting Koné go midway through the season, particularly in a campaign full of ambition and prospects.

Roma sporting director D'Amico is already working ahead of the January transfer window, with David Moses of Slavia Prague emerging as a target, according to Africafoot and Ekrem Konur. The aim is to broaden the squad available to Gasperini, who continues to request reinforcements in several key roles. Midfield is a priority. Recent injuries to Manu Koné and Bryan Cristante have highlighted the need for more alternatives in the department. Moses, born in 2002, is one of the fixed starters at Slavia Prague, who are currently dominating the Czech league. Moses's contract runs until June 2029, and his valuation is reportedly around €10 million.

Cristante is in Roma's squad for the trip to Napoli, according to the squad list published by Il Messaggero. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini is short in the final third, with Pellegrini, Dybala, Svilar and Koné all sidelined. He has only Mora and Soulé behind Malen, and is considering playing Cristante further forward. The squad list names Balerdi, Ghilardi, Hermoso, Koulierakis, Lulli, Mancini, Molina, N'Dicka, Rensch and Wesley in defence; Cristante, De Roon, Mora and Pisilli in midfield; and Malen, Soulé and Castro in attack. Camara and Di Nunzio are also listed. The situation is serious enough that Roma are expected to act in the January transfer window. The club must spend to give Gasperini at least two reinforcements between attack and the flanks. Gittens and Leweling remain on the list, and the club has not ruled out the complicated pursuit of Endrick. A new left-back name has emerged: Alejandro Balde of Barcelona, who is finding few minutes under Flick and has been offered by Jorge Mendes. His name joins that of Oosterwolde. Sky Sport reports that Roma are close to the final details of a contract renewal for Lulli, which would run to 2031. The deal has not yet been officially announced, and the last points must be settled before it is formalised. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport at the Amsterdam stop of the EA7 World Legends Padel Tour, Stekelenburg was asked about Svilar. He said: "If I had to put him in the top five... no, not yet. After all, there are Courtois, Neuer and others. But he is a young lad and he is doing an excellent job. He just has to keep growing." Asked to choose between Højlund and Malen if he were a sporting director, Graziani said: "Malen without thinking twice. Hojlund I like a lot, and sometimes he looks to me like a 'little Lukaku' the way he leads the attack and the physical battles he takes on, and he has a great sense of goal; but Malen is my ideal striker, for the way he attacks space, for his dribbling, for the acceleration he has in the last twenty metres and because he can roam across the whole attacking front."

Roma are reportedly eyeing a left-sided option, and Giallorossi.net's transfer column "Consigli per gli acquisti" has picked Union Berlin left-back Tom Rothe as its latest profile. The column is looking for a left-footed, athletic, physically robust player who can operate across the full flank in Gian Piero Gasperini's system, and Rothe is presented as fitting that brief. Born on 29 October 2004, Rothe is 21 and a natural left-footer standing 1.93 metres and weighing 85 kilos, which is unusually big for a flank player. He came through at St. Pauli and Borussia Dortmund, making his Bundesliga debut for BVB at just 17 and scoring straight away. After a loan spell at Holstein Kiel, where he finished with 4 goals and won promotion to the Bundesliga, Union Berlin bought him in summer 2024 for around 5 million euros. His natural position is left-back, but he can play as a wing-back and could be developed as a left-sided centre-back in a three. The article describes Rothe as more of a physical presence than a typical winger. He is strong in the air, holds his ground in duels and has a long stride, though he is not a pure sprinter, with a top speed of around 31.5 km/h. His main asset is the ability to run the flank continually, carry the attack and offer a physical presence in both phases. The writer argues this mix suits Gasperini's emphasis on one-on-one duels, and that at 21 he has considerable room to grow, so Roma would be buying a player to develop into a starter in the coming years. Rothe is not yet a finished product. He needs to improve the quality of his final pass, the accuracy of his crosses and his attacking one-v-one play. He creates more through physicality, running and runs into the box than through dribbling. He also had a fairly long lay-off between December and March last season. The article finds no pattern that would make him a particularly fragile player, but it is still an aspect to monitor. Union Berlin paid around 5 million euros for him, and his market value is now put at around 10 million euros. Taking into account his age, first-team status and potential, the German club would presumably ask for more, but the deal would still sit within a plausible economic range for Roma. One detail needs checking: when Union signed Rothe, Borussia Dortmund kept a buy-back right. Before any negotiation, it would be necessary to establish whether that clause is still valid and on what terms. The writer concludes that Rothe is not yet ready for a major European club, which is precisely what makes him interesting now. He is 21, left-footed, 1.93 metres tall, a regular in the Bundesliga and part of the Germany Under-21 set-up. Compared with Oosterwolde, he is less explosive but taller and has greater room for growth. The column wants to highlight young, physical players who remain affordable before they become too expensive.

Roma are reportedly considering Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde as a January target to strengthen the flank, according to Il Messaggero. The club's January priorities are an attacking winger, with the club also looking at a wide midfielder or wing-back role. The interest in Balde comes alongside the possible arrival of Oosterwolde, who Roma agreed terms with before the deal fell through after he suffered a serious muscle injury. Balde is considered a perfect fit for the profile Gian Piero Gasperini wants in that position. He is not part of Hansi Flick's plans at Barcelona and has barely played for several months. Jorge Mendes, Balde's agent, could be an important ally in the negotiations. Mendes pushed last summer to bring Mora to Roma, and the super agent could therefore help facilitate this deal too.

Rodrigo Mora scored in Roma's 4-2 win over Cagliari and spoke to DAZN afterwards, saying that after a 4-2 result there was no reason to feel bad. The forward said he dreams of being a decisive player and helping the team when it needs him. "Today a goal was needed and I was ready for it," he said. "I think I played other very good matches too. Sometimes you don't score, you don't make assists, and it becomes difficult, but today I scored and helped the team. That is the most important thing." Mora said he has been playing in a different position, having swapped roles with Matías Soulé, and that his performance improved noticeably. Asked about the switch, he said playing on the left suits him better. "Playing on the left is better for me, because I can come inside. I am used to that position, and I think Mati prefers playing on the other side. But we have to be ready to play on both flanks. The most important thing is helping the team to win." On his goal, Mora said he does not score many headers, but that opponents sometimes forget the lower one. "I did not score many headers, but sometimes opponents forget the lower one. So I was there, and I was happy to score such an important goal." Asked about playing under Gian Piero Gasperini with an attacking mindset that pushes forward even when protecting a lead, Mora said the coach always wants the team to play forwards. "Sometimes it is difficult, and I am trying to adapt to this way of playing. But it is nice, because we always think about going forward and scoring more goals. I think it is important for winning matches and, of course, for attacking players like us it is nice to always attack, try to score and take the lead."

Roma came from behind to beat Cagliari on a midweek night at the Stadio Olimpico, with two youth-team products, Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli, at the centre of the win. Cagliari took the lead in the 7th minute after Pisilli won a penalty, a handball that went to VAR before referee Feliciani pointed to the spot. Nzola sent the kick past Gollini to make it 0-1. Lulli then equalised, and Pisilli turned from culprit to decisive figure within 11 minutes. Their energy and willingness to take responsibility, from shots to runs to final passes, broke down a stubborn Cagliari side and reignited the crowd during a difficult spell. The match was not a polished performance, and the article describes this Roma side as young in its flaws. Just as it seemed the game was won, Maldini slipped past Mancini and beat Gollini, silencing the Olimpico. Gasperini was seen gesturing from the touchline as the tempo dropped and Mancini struggled. Mora and Malen, both thrown on to add freshness and weight to the final attack, changed the momentum and the scoreboard. Roma won, though more narrowly than expected. The article contrasts this response with the previous match against Real Madrid, where the pride to hit back was missing. Lulli, who recently signed a contract extension until 2031, opened Roma's scoring and was described as having been protected to avoid repeating past mistakes. Pisilli and Lulli together brought a contagious energy to the pitch, with their surges and hunger for loose balls breaking Cagliari's resistance. Their approach to the match, following a difficult game against Napoli, was seen as a sign of personality. The article also notes that the win recalled the phrase 'La Roma di Pisulli', a nod to the two young players who had dreamed of wearing the shirt from the stands or from Trigoria. The article leaves no further fixtures or decisions to report at this stage.

Roma came back to winning ways in Serie A with a 4-2 victory over Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico, a match full of drama that was opened by a penalty from Nzola and decided by a late one-two from Mora and Malen. The win moves Gasperini's side to within four points of league leaders Lazio. The Giallorossi were made to work for the points after Cagliari's early spot-kick. Mora and Malen then combined in the closing stages to restore the three points and keep Roma in touch with the top of the table. The other two goals for Roma were scored by the young Lulli and Pisilli, meaning the squad's younger players also found the net in a result that lifted the mood in the capital. In the player ratings, Soulé was given a 7 for his bright performance, Ghilardi earned a 7 for a decisive assist, Malen a 6.5 and Mora a 7.5 for the goals that sealed victory. Mora and Malen, the two scorers who settled the contest, were the difference between the sides at the end of a match that swung several times.