RomaPress
·22 September 2026
Could Roma Dip Into Free Agency During The International Break?

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Yahoo sportsRomaPress
·22 September 2026

All things considered, the domestic Italian Serie A campaign for AS Roma was a pretty decent one with the side securing a third place finish, but clearly manager Gian Piero Gasperini intended to go one further during the 2026/27 season.The board and recruitment staff were pretty busy during the summer transfer window and we saw a number of fresh incomings, and a fair few outgoings as well. But despite those changes, and maybe to the surprise of the top 10 betting sites in Italy, training has been good and the gaffer will be very pleased with how the year has been started.Five games into the league campaign, we continue to sit in top spot in the table having picked up four straight wins – and although it should have been all three points before our concentration slipped at the end of the game, we kept our unbeaten run going with a 2-2 all draw with rivals (and second placed) Inter Milan.Losing a first half 2-0 advantage was not how anyone would have hoped to go into the first international break of the year, but otherwise there can be very few complaints about how we have started this season and everyone will be hoping we pick back up with another run of wins when proper football returns in October.With a three odd week lull in the fixture calendar, fans will be accustomed to seeing a strong uptick in speculation rumour mill claims from the media, and although the timing of this particular link is highly predictable, there is a lot of sense to it when we look towards the second half of the season when injuries, suspensions and fatigue begin to take their toll.Should there be any truth to it, we also do not need to wait until the New Year, as Matteo Darmian is available right now as a free agent. With Anass Salah-Eddine heading out on loan to Greek side Panathinaikos with an option to buy, there is arguably a spot to fill and the 36 year old’s experience in the game could be a big bonus, particularly at the business end of the season. It is suggested that Roma have already made tentative contact over whether or not there is the possibility of getting a deal over the line, but we are not the only side to have expressed an interest in him.Given how we have started the season, if we do have an interest in him you would have to consider us strong favourites from his point of view. Having been without a club since leaving Inter at the end of the last campaign, we would allow him time to build his match fitness first and it would not involve moving abroad again, given the speculation about Saudi sides making offers, and we would likely be a far better fit than the likes of Parma or Torino.Experience and on pitch nous could be the greatest benefit of all should we actually decide to make a move for him this window – the likelihood is that someone will if we do not act.