Three training sessions were enough for Endrick to make an impression on José Mourinho. Against Fiorentina, the Brazilian controlled inside the area and drove a low finish across goal in Real Madrid’s opening public friendly of pre-season.
Roma have not dropped their interest, although the timing of that goal was inconvenient. Madrid now have another reason to keep assessing him, while the Giallorossi are prepared to wait until the second half of August for a clearer answer.
Endrick remains the first choice for the next attacking addition. Franco Mastantuono has also been proposed, Matías Soulé’s future could affect the money available and the search for a left winger is moving in parallel. Each route would leave Gian Piero Gasperini with a different attack.
Mastantuono would bring another creator
Mastantuono is the clearest alternative named in the latest reporting, though Fiorentina are pushing harder for the Argentine and Roma still see Endrick as the closer fit.
Both players are left-footed and comfortable beginning from the right. Their instincts are different. Endrick looks for the run beyond the defence and carries the ball towards goal. Mastantuono prefers to receive between the lines, draw an opponent towards him and find the next pass.
That creates an obvious question inside Roma’s squad. Paulo Dybala and Soulé already enjoy working in the same inside-right areas. Mastantuono could give Gasperini another player capable of controlling possession there, but he would not solve the lack of movement ahead of the ball.
Against a low block, Mastantuono’s close control could help Roma sustain attacks around the area. The trade-off appears when play opens up, because Malen and the wing-backs would carry more responsibility for running beyond him. A loan would also come with patience attached. Roma would be developing another Real Madrid prospect while trying to compete near the top of Serie A.
Soulé sits on both sides of the argument
Keeping Soulé would make another right-sided signing less urgent. He knows Gasperini’s work, can begin wide and has enough familiarity with Dybala and Donyell Malen to switch positions during a match without forcing a change of shape.
The complication is financial. Roma could consider a serious offer for Soulé, and his departure might help finance Endrick or allow the club to spend more heavily on the opposite flank. No concrete bid has arrived, so the directors cannot plan around a sale that may never happen.
A stay would push the next decision elsewhere. Roma already have several attackers who drift inside, but fewer natural options on the left. Soulé remaining at Trigoria would make the case for a specialist winger much stronger. There is value in continuity too. Soulé has already adapted to Roma and Serie A, while a newcomer would need time to learn Gasperini’s pressing triggers and the movements around Dybala during the opening weeks.
It also explains why his name cannot be treated as a simple alternative to Endrick. Soulé is part of the current plan, a possible source of funds and the player whose future may decide whether Roma need another right-sided forward at all.
Why Roma are prepared to wait
Endrick’s loan at Lyon explains the patience. He finished the spell with eight goals and eight assists in 21 appearances, showing far more variety than he had during limited minutes in Madrid. Lyon did not use him only as a fixed striker. He started moves from the right, drove inside and created chances for teammates. At Roma, he could play alongside Malen, replace him centrally or move outside when a match needs another route into the area.
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Ontario’s regulated market recorded C$11.4 billion in betting wagers during 2024–25, a 17% annual increase. Covers publishes sports information, odds and operator comparisons. Its Canadian page is relevant for checking where Serie A markets are available, rather than judging whether Roma’s discussions with Madrid are progressing.
Those discussions remain the decisive point. Madrid can wait, Roma still need clarity on Soulé and Leipzig have not made the Nusa talks easy. Until one of those pieces moves, Endrick remains the first choice and every alternative asks Gasperini to give up something different.
The left-wing search changes the calculation
Antonio Nusa remains the main target for the left, while Malick Fofana is among the alternatives being considered. Neither player would be asked to reproduce Endrick’s role.
Nusa or Fofana would give Roma a natural outlet on the flank. Malen and Santiago Castro could divide the central minutes, while Dybala and Soulé rotate through the right and inside channels. The front line would be easier to define, but Gasperini would lose some freedom to move one forward across several positions.
A genuine winger would change the spacing. By holding the touchline, he could pull the opposing full-back away from the centre and create more room for Dybala or Soulé inside, where Roma can become crowded.
A permanent winger would require a greater immediate commitment than the temporary Endrick deal Roma hope to explore. It would also place more creative responsibility on Dybala and Soulé between the lines. Bringing in the Brazilian on loan could leave enough room to strengthen the left as well.
