Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini has outlined a plan to strengthen the squad ahead of next season, focusing on players with profiles similar to Denzel Malen and Wesley, according to reports in Italy. The initiative requires approval from owner Dan Friedkin and will be a key task for the club’s incoming sporting director.
Gasperini initially alluded to the need for such profiles during a recent press conference, a statement that reportedly contributed to a breakdown in his relationship with senior advisor Pierluigi Collina, who has since left his role. The Roma coach believes adding players of this calibre will provide crucial depth and prevent the performance dips experienced when key players are unavailable.
The club is actively searching for a new sporting director following the departure of Massara, and Gasperini is pushing for a collaborative structure akin to a traditional English-style manager-director partnership. However, the arrangement would see Gasperini working alongside, rather than fully assuming the duties of, the new sporting director.
Initial internal assessments at Trigoria considered candidates such as Ausilio, Paratici, and Giuntoli, but the focus has now shifted towards Giovanni Manna of Napoli and Antonio D’Amico of Atalanta. Securing either Manna or D’Amico will require negotiations with their current clubs, as both are currently under contract.
Gasperini reportedly has a preference for D’Amico, with whom he enjoyed a successful partnership at Atalanta, culminating in their Europa League victory. The pair previously collaborated to build a competitive squad in Bergamo, and Gasperini believes D’Amico’s expertise would be invaluable in shaping the Roma roster. The club anticipates further developments in the coming weeks as they progress in their search for a new sporting director and begin to implement Gasperini’s transfer strategy. This restructuring aims to create a more robust and competitive squad capable of consistently challenging for European qualification.
