Roma limping towards January, but could help be on the way?

Roma saw themselves saved by the abdomen of Federico Fazio this past weekend as they were able to claw out a victory in the dying minutes of their clash against Cagliari in Rome. The victory saw Roma remain in fourth place in the Serie A table, two points behind third placed Inter, however, the Giallorossi do have a match in hand against Sampdoria.

While the points for Roma were vitally important, the abhorrent performance, especially in the attacking phase, should not be overlooked or go unnoticed.

Roma have scored only 28 goals this season in 16 matches, the worst scoring record of the top six clubs in Serie A. The Giallorossi, though, have been able to negate their lack of attacking production with an absolutely supreme defence, as they have conceded only 10 goals and have won 5 matches by a margin of 1-0 in the league.

After their victory against Cagliari, Roma host Torino in the Coppa Italia then have their showdown with Juve in the league before the winter break. Given where the Giallorossi currently sit in both the league and Champions League, it’s safe to say they’ve far exceeded expectations, however, they certainly are limping to the halfway point of their campaign, though, help could be on the way. The January transfer window will officially open in two weeks and Roma would be wise to exploit this opportunity to bring in much-needed reinforcements.

But who? Let’s take a look at a few names that could give Eusebio Di Francesco and his team a much needed boost:

Nicolò Barella

The 20 year old regista’s ability was on full display this weekend against Roma. Barella’s vision and ability to pull the strings through the middle are two qualities Eusebio Di Francesco lacks in the center of his midfield. Yes, Daniele De Rossi and Maxime Gonalons are at the Italian manager’s disposal, however, both have been incredibly underwhelming this season and haven’t provided much in terms of creative ability. Barella, who can play all the roles in the midfield three, although he is a regista by trade, has been one of the few bright spots for Cagliari this season and appears ready to make the jump to a bigger club.

Barella is still extremely young and wouldn’t cost an exorbitant amount, which makes a potential deal for him extremely attractive.

Riyad Mahrez 

The old flame of Monchi’s eye. Yes, Monchi and Roma made it no secret that the Leicester wide-man was the one who caught their eye this past summer. After the departure of Mohamed Salah, who has been in sensational form for Liverpool, Mahrez seemed like a logical replacement. However, after a negotiation that dragged on for multiple months, Roma finally conceded and gave up in their chase. But could the chase be back on?

Leicester currently sit 8th in the Premier League table and the prospect of relegation no longer seems to be a threat. After Roma’s progression to the knockout stages in the Champions League coupled with Napoli’s elimination, Roma will now split Napoli’s share of the market pool with Juve, which is estimated to be an extra €20-€25 million for the Giallorossi. Add that to the money Roma are sitting on from the summer, and Monchi should be able to have make a stronger offer than the reported €37 million one from the summer.

Roma are in desperate need of a left-footed right winger who is able to create. Mahrez certainly fits the bill and still should should be a top target for the Giallorossi, though, a deal does seem like a long shot.

Simone Verdi 

A much more feasible and attainable name than Mahrez is Simone Verdi. The 25 year old attacker is left footed, can play as a right winger or a striker, and is very technically gifted. Verdi doesn’t have blistering pace but what he does have is sensational vision and the ability to create scoring opportunities from seemingly nothing.

The ex-Milan man, who joined Bologna permanently last season, has 11 goals and 9 assists to his name in 47 appearances for the Rossoblu. While Verdi doesn’t have the flash that Mahrez possesses, he wouldn’t cost nearly as much as the Leicester City man and would also be a more affordable acquisition than Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi, who has also been linked to Roma.