Roma Roundtable Season Review: Forwards
· Yahoo Sports
When Roma finally landed Gian Piero Gasperini last summer, it felt like the tables were about to shift. No more falling victim to the Luis Muriels, Duvan Zupatas and Josip Illicics of the world. No more embarrassing 3-1 defeats. No more standing around flat-footed while Atalanta tore us to shreds. No, now it was our turn. We had Gasperini and it was time for the rest of the league to suffer.
As it turned out, it took nearly five months for Gasperini’s new team to look like a Gasperini team. With only 22 goals scored in their first 18 matches, Roma’s attack was stuck in the mud, dwelling amongst the likes of Cagliari, Udinese, Fiorentina, and even Cremonese. Fortunately, thanks to their rigid defense, Roma finished the first half of the season in 5th place and in the thick of a heated race for Italy’s final Champions League places—a dash they eventually won thanks to a late-season surge that saw the capital club finish in 3rd place for the first time since the 2017-2018 season.
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Roma’s attack finally found their footing in 2026, thanks in large part to the arrival of Donyell Malen, who scored 14 goals in only 18 appearances. Read along as we recap Malen’s brilliance, Ferguson’s struggles, and more in our review of Roma’s forwards/wingers.
Roma’s attack often looked very different with Donyell Malen in the lineup, particularly in transition, during counterattacks, and in matches where space opened up behind opposing defenses. How did Malen influence Roma’s overall attacking approach in 2025–26, and how did his presence alter the effectiveness of Gasperini’s system?JonAS: Malen is much more mobile and hungrier than Dovbyk or Ferguson. He hustles, runs, and is smart, always on the lookout for a shot on goal. Although he’s not that tall, he can bully defenders as well. And his understanding with Dybala and the wingbacks is simply better. It’s a completely different dynamic when he’s on.
Due to injuries, Gasp once had to use Dybala as a false nine, but that didn’t work out. Dovbyk is too slow as the lone striker in Gasp’s system, and while Ferguson did show promise as a modern No. 9, his Irish body decided to blow up. Malen, on the other hand, is tailor-made for that role. Just like Wesley, he seems to never run out of gas and has more than decent technique.
Bren: His influence was undeniable, and talent aside, I think it’s all about his playing style. He’s just so much quicker than Dobyvk or Ferguson, better at beating defenders to open spaces, and has a quicker shot release. From the minute he suited up, it was like “Oh, okay. Now I get it!” The proverbial ah-ha moment that made you realize what the attack was missing.
His pace, finishing, and ability to exploit spaces are perfectly adapted to Gasperini’s system and I cannot wait to see what he can do over the course of a full season.
ssciavillo: In a down season for goalscoring overall for Serie A strikers, Malen’s 14 goals in just half of a season speak for themselves. That kind of production over a full season would’ve made Malen a run away capocannoniere. He’s just perfect for Gasperini football and kudos for Roma for springing on an opportunity of a player being unhappy with his role at a club. And his now permanent move at €25 million looks like it’ll be a bargain.
His pace, motor, and strength made him deadly in Gasperini’s football and we didn’t even get to see him getting service from Paulo Dybala for more than a handful of matches. If Roma keeps Dybala around and brings in the right type of player to play with Malen the attack should be deadly. Simply put. Without Malen, Roma wouldn’t have qualified for UCL and may not even have qualified for Europe at all. His fit and impact were that vital.
Jimmy Miotto: The guys have already by and large said it, but a projected 28 goals in a full season with Roma is a mouth-watering number, particularly given the context of the truly defense-first Serie A season. I have to imagine the odds will be quite good for him to be capocannoniere next season, and barring a complete tactical shift from Gasperini (which seems unlikely), I’d even call it a smart bet. There’s a reason why Serie A hasn’t seen a winter signing score as many goals as Malen did this season; players like him are truly unique. So Aston Villa, if you’ve got any other superstars-in-waiting on the bench, please send them our way.
Matías Soulé’s season featured moments of real creativity and technical brilliance, but also long stretches when he struggled to consistently influence matches. What specific improvements does he need to make to become a more complete and dependable attacking player at the highest level? And, more importantly, is he a Gasperini player?JonAS: There’s a Gasperini player in there somewhere. He already has four Serie A seasons under his belt, but we forget he just turned 23. That’s more than enough time to become a complete package. He has already played and scored more than he did last season. He has the talent to put up double digits in both goals and assists. Maybe he was rushed back to fitness after his injury and never reached 100%? With Malen, a rejuvenated Dybala, and hopefully a revitalized Dovbyk, there’s plenty of firepower next season to take the next step forward.
Bren: I mean, he’s still only 22-years-old and just capped off his third Serie A season, where he now has 23 goals and 13 assists in about 7,500 league minutes. The talent is undeniable and he was Malen before Malen, spending the first few months of the season as Roma’s best and only attacking option. He’s crafty, has a beautiful shot and does the dirty work of tracking back and can fill a Josip Illicic-like role for Gasp.
The only thing that concerns me is the transfer rumors we’re seeing now, which, if they hold any water, may suggest a lack of faith from Gasp, not in the sense that Soulé is lacking anything, but perhaps they just want a larger physical presence in that role or more flat-out speed.
ssciavillo: That injury definitely took away from his overall play this season. Who knows how long he was playing through it before he finally had to take a step back and recover. And by the time he came back, there wasn’t much time to get back into a rhythm. I’d be hesitant to give up on him at such a young age when we know the talent level he has and the production he’s already able to show at the Serie A level. However, if he ends up being the sacrificial lamb rather than Koné or Nidicka, and Roma is able to go out and find a player that Gasperini sees as a better fit, then I’d probably be okay with it.
Jimmy: I understand that injuries plagued the second half of his season, and I know that Malen is the shiny new toy, but I’m still all in on the Matías Soulé experience. Say it quietly, but I think that assuming Paulo Dybala plays a smaller role next season (perhaps in the SES role of this season), that’s going to open up a lot of runway for a new Argentine star to explode onto the scene in Italy. I hope the transfer rumors aren’t true; he’s at best my third ranked preferred FFP transfer out this summer, and I really think that his 23-year-old season might be the one he is able to get everything in gear. He’s already a Gasperini player in my book; he just needs to be given the keys to the car alongside Malen.
Even as injuries and age-related concerns continue to grow, Paulo Dybala was still indispensable for Roma. Talk to us about his influence on Roma’s approach and how the club should approach his future, given both his brilliance and his durability concerns.JonAS: He’s Roma’s only real superstar right now. Paulo deserves another shot at those magical Champions League nights. A new contract with a ‘pay-for-play’ rule should be the best option for both parties. Roma can’t afford to pay €12m for a broken Dybala, while Paulo isn’t ready to retire in Argentina or Saudi Arabia. In the last couple of games, I actually saw a ‘new look’ Dybala. Fitter and hungrier, it seems.
After all those years in professional football, I think money isn’t a problem for Dybala, so if he really loves Rome and this club, he’ll gladly accept a pay cut. Then we’ll see how things work out, and by May 2027 it’s time for another evaluation.
Bren: Well, the signs are pointing towards a renewal at a discounted rate, which speaks to the mutual admiration between the two sides. But just like Malen, Dybala’s influence is undeniable; look no further than the final handful of matches when he was the club’s only creative outlet. He still glides around the pitch (in a good way), finding opportunities and angles to exploit; he can still dribble around nearly any defender on the planet and, of course, he still has that wicked left foot.
I think as long as we can accept the fact that he’s going to miss swaths of the season with hamstring, quad, and calf issues, the 1,500 minutes he does give you will be top-notch. I think a one-year deal with an option for a second is the perfect way to structure the end of his European career.
ssciavillo: If Dybala truly wants to stick around, as the reports indicate, then I think a renewal at a more club-friendly rate is a no-brainer for Roma. If Roma can reinforce depth heading into the season and allow GPG to be more selective about when Dybala is counted on, he can still be the trump card in big matches in both Serie A and the Champions League. Unless Roma suddenly has the budget of Real Madrid or Man City, it won’t be able to buy a player with Dybala’s abilities this summer. So bringing him back is the right move.
Jimmy: In terms of name-brand superstars, I agree with JonAS: Dybala is Roma’s one true blue superstar. But I’d say that if Mile Svilar or Donyell Malen were playing in the Champions League last season, they’d be seen as well on their way to being true blue superstars too; with that in mind, I’m less worried by the prospect of Dybala playing a smaller role moving forward. It sure seems like that deal is en route, and if he can play in the Champions League every week for the Giallorossi, I’m sure that the rest of Roma’s squad can hold down the fort in the domestic competitions. That’s what he can provide at this point, I think; the good news is that he hopefully gets yet another crack at the Champions League next season for the first time in a long time.
Did Evan Ferguson fail Roma, or did Roma fail Evan Ferguson?JonAS: You know, it’s like my relationship status with Margot Robbie. It’s just not meant to be, no matter how hard you try. In football, sometimes you win (Malen), sometimes you lose (Ferguson). I always find it strange to see players from the UK at Roma, like Ashley Cole, Smalling, Abraham, Maitland-Niles, or Ferguson. An entirely different culture, language, climate, etc.
Anyway, Evan’s not even 22 yet, his career is far from over and Brighton remains an ideal club for a player like him.
Bren: It all fell apart so quickly; it’s difficult to say. After showing flashes in the pre-season, I remember people being quite excited about him, myself included. He was big, he could move, and was coming off a relatively productive season with Brighton and seemed primed to flourish under Gasp, so it was a worthwhile gamble.
But once the season started, we had to dig deep to find positives. He was moving well and vibing with the team and the tactics, but he wasn’t scoring… which is a problem. You can praise all the unsung things he did, but the production simply wasn’t there.
ssciavillo: I was excited when Roma swooped in for Ferguson in the preseason and even said he was a dark horse capo candidate. But in the end between injuries and the fit (or lack thereof) in Gasperini’s system it just wasn’t the right fit. I think a move back to the EPL is right for him and he’s still got plenty of time to revive a once promising career.
Jimmy: Yeah, I was very high on the Ferguson loan when it happened, and clearly it didn’t pan out. Injuries and tactics made this one not work, but I won’t fault anyone associated with Roma for bringing him in; he is the exact kind of profile Roma brings in and who might just blow up. Malen might not have the injury history of Ferguson, but it was a similar “buy low” transfer, that one just managed to be very successful. I agree with Steve, he should move back to the Prem and he’ll probably end up being Patrik Schick for Roma fans—I see him wearing a Manchester United kit in the future, tearing up defenses that don’t play quite as hard as the Italian ones.
If Donyell Malen is the clear reference point in Roma’s attack, are the current supporting pieces—particularly Soulé and Dybala—complementary long-term fits, or does the squad still lack the right profile to fully unlock his strengths?JonAS: As I mentioned in one of my earlier answers, we still need one ‘Malenesque’ acquisition up front for the LAM/LW role. Someone more dynamic than Pellegrini. Nico Paz was the dream, but he’s already worth €80-100 million. Maybe someone like Brahim Diaz or one of Gasperini’s former kids, De Ketelaere? Saibari from PSV is also an interesting profile. Or, you know, just pry Yildiz away from Juve.
Bren: From the minute Gasperini signed with Roma last summer, I was hoping De Ketelaere would follow him here, so you’re definitely speaking my language, Jonas! I know I wrote this question, but now that I think about it more, I think the real question rests in the midfield. Can they be quicker in transitions and get the ball to Malen even quicker next season?
That’s not to discount the importance of wing play, but if we think about it, the entire attack is a living organism. Put better players around Malen, and the entire product will improve. But to the point of the question, Soulé and Dybala can co-exist with Malen. What they may lack in explosivity, they make up for with creativity, timing, and touch.
ssciavillo: I think Dybala and Soulé can both co-exist with Malen, especially because what Dybala lacks in pace and explosiveness he makes up for with technical ability and vision. If they’re able to throw in another explosive player in the mix with Malen then I think Roma becomes deadly when springing counterattacks off of Gasperini’s high press. This is going to be a priority this summer–we’re already seeing the Greenwood and Summerville rumors. So, expect plenty of names to be linked and ultimately a new attacker to be brought in.
Jimmy: I agree both Soulé and Dybala can co-exist with Malen; I’d say that it will help a lot that we’re more likely to see Malen paired with one of them instead of both of them at any given moment. I think one more winger signing this summer will hopefully balance things out up front; that move is needed anyway given El Shaarawy’s departure, so if they can invest in anyone not named Mason Greenwood (please, GPG, I cannot support him), I will be happy and think the attack is in good shape. For what it’s worth, I also think Robinio Vaz could work with Malen, if GPG gives him a serious chance and doesn’t send him to a small Serie A side. The talent is there, like Soulé; he just needs the runway.
Alright, we’re turning it over to you now: Can you even quantify how important Malen was this season? What does the future hold for Dybala and Soulé? Why did Ferguson fail to make a mark with Roma?
Be sure to stick with us next week as we ask what this season’s success means for the Gasperini revolution and how the club will approach the transfer market this summer.