Football friendly match AS Roma - Neom SC
Football friendly match AS Roma - Neom SC
While the first match of Roma’s new era went off without a hitch, the rumor mill keeps on churning until the end of this month. Even though the Jadon Sancho rumors seem to have been permanently put to bed, today’s edition of Miotto’s Musings digs into three rumors: one entrance, one exit, and one renewal.
Will Roma’s Midfield Reinforcement Be From Manchester or Portugal?
Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo during the Carabao Cup second round match at Hill Blundell Park, Grimsby. Picture date: Wednesday August 27, 2025. (Photo by Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images)
Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo during the Carabao Cup second round match at Hill Blundell Park, Grimsby. Picture date: Wednesday August 27, 2025. (Photo by Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images)
Roma’s shortlist for the midfield appears to be down to two very different profiles: Kobbie Mainoo and Florentino Luís. Mainoo is an English international who has broken through for Manchester United over the last two seasons, racking up 69 appearances and seven goals. There’s fresh smoke that he could consider an exit after starting this season on the periphery and having a falling out with Ruben Amorim, and now Roma and Napoli are both reportedly circling.
The Roma’s other option in the midfield is reportedly Florentino Luís, an intriguing Plan B for different reasons. He’s a true destroyer—Benfica’s metronome and screen—who typically lives around the high-80s in pass completion (86–90% range depending on competition) and profiles as a volume defender who wins territory by reading play early. Multiple reports in Italy keep linking him to Roma, with the important caveat that a move only happens if there’s a midfield exit first (more on that later).
***Miotto’s Musing:***If you’re asking me, Mainoo is a significant swing the Giallorossi should feel comfortable making. Roma need a midfielder who can break lines with his feet as much as his passing; Mainoo’s stats back up the eye test, even in a Manchester United side that has not impressed; add in the age/ceiling calculus and the transfer seems nearly irresistible. Even acknowledging the competition (and the Champions League carrot Napoli can dangle), I’d push hard here—the upside to Gasperini’s pressing-and-transition scheme is obvious if you add a carrier who can also keep the ball tidy in tight spaces. If Frederic Massara can’t land Mainoo, however, Florentino Luis would at least give Gasperini the ball-winner he’s been missing outside of the oft-maligned Bryan Cristante.
Is a Dybala Renewal in the Offing?
ROME, ITALY - AUGUST 23: Paulo Dybala of AS Roma during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Bologna FC 1909 at Stadio Olimpico on August 23, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Ivan Romano/Getty Images)
Paulo Dybala’s time in Rome has alternated between pure magic and disappointment due to his injuries and fitness issues. Yet as we creep toward the fall, it seems as if La Joya and the Giallorossi would both like to keep the Argentine legend at the club for a while longer, fitness issues notwithstanding. As of now, there’s been no formal contact between the club and his agent, but unlike Lorenzo Pellegrini’s messy standoff that has gone fully public, the vibe between Roma and Dybala is much calmer for the simple reason that both sides genuinely want to stay together.
The sticking point, of course, is the money. Dybala’s current €8 million salary is hefty by most clubs’ standards, and given Dybala’s advancing age and injury issues, it’s honestly closer to downright unsustainable. Still, it’s also not the hill anyone seems willing to die on. Reports suggest Paulo is open to brining his salary back down to earth slightly, and that could be huge. Massara is expected to pick this conversation up in September or October, with the first sit-down between Roma and Dybala’s camp scheduled for the fall. That’s when the real chess game will begin.
Miotto’s Musing: In my humble opinion, Roma would be crazy to let Dybala walk. Sure, the injury situation is what it is, but when he’s on the pitch, he changes games. He’s the most magical player Roma has had since Francesco Totti, and he gets butts in seats. Especially at a reduced wage, this is a true no-brainer. Stars like him don’t come around often, and certainly not ones who already have the Olimpico crowd eating out of their hand. If Paulo is willing to meet the club halfway and bring his salary in line with the other key players in Rome, this could be one of the smartest “signings” Roma makes all year.
Will Baldanzi Depart Roma Before September?
ROME, ITALY - AUGUST 19: AS Roma players Tommaso Baldanzi and Niccolò Pisilli during training session at Centro Sportivo Fulvio Bernardini on August 19, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Luciano Rossi/AS Roma via Getty Images)
It feels surreal to even type this, but Tommaso Baldanzi’s Roman adventure might already be running on borrowed time. The 22-year-old from Tuscany was supposed to be the crown jewel of Roma’s current youth movement, and his signing in January 2024 promised that in the long term, he would be a new creative spark who could glide between the lines and become a true blue star for club and country. Now, though, Gian Piero Gasperini doesn’t look convinced, and Baldanzi’s name is being tossed around as a potential exit as the transfer window draws to a close.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Hellas Verona has emerged as a concrete option as Baldanzi’s next location, with club representatives already meeting Baldanzi’s agent to gauge whether a deal is feasible. Verona would likely give him something Baldanzi desperately needs right now—minutes. Under Gasperini, that opportunity hasn’t materialized yet, and Roma suddenly looks open to the idea of letting him move on.
***Miotto’s Musing:***This move is a disappointing one to me, but it may not be totally disastrous, even if you want the Giallorossi to keep Baldanzi around. Baldanzi clearly has talent, but his skill set overlaps awkwardly with others in the squad. Matías Soulé’s arrival in particular may have eaten into some of the minutes Baldanzi would have otherwise claimed over the 2024/2025 season, and Serie A managers don’t hand out minutes lightly to youngsters. Their play on and off the pitch has to demand it, a standard few players can meet.
If a loan move to Verona means consistent Serie A football and a chance to prove himself again against real competition, that could be the best thing for his development. My only plea? Don’t sell Baldanzi outright. Roma can’t afford to throw away a profile like Baldanzi’s just because the timing isn’t right just yet. Who knows? With time, additional seasoning, and the right opportunities, Baldanzi still has a chance to make his Roman chapter a success.
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