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Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini has declared he would not be surprised if Donyell Malen mounts a serious challenge to Gonzalo Higuain\u2019s 36-goal Serie A record, while dismissing any suggestion that Paulo Dybala needs careful management this season.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Roma coach made both points in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, published on September 4, 2026, with Malen having already scored five goals in Roma\u2019s opening two league fixtures of the campaign.<\/p>\n Roma\u2019s move for Malen last January arrived as a loan with an option to buy from Aston Villa, and the Dutchman repaid that faith instantly, striking 14 times in Serie A across the second half of 2025-26.<\/p>\n The club made the deal permanent for \u20ac25m at the end of last season, and under Gasperini\u2019s system, Malen has settled into a centre-forward role that has clearly unlocked something extra in his game.<\/p>\n Gasperini explained exactly what won him over.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first touch, with which he creates space,\u201d he said. \u201cWith the second he prepares, with the third he fires. I said to myself: if I move those three touches closer to the goal, he becomes lethal. Indeed\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t entirely without criticism, though, pointing to a moment against Lecce where he felt Malen had been careless in front of goal.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can make mistakes, but there\u2019s a right way and a wrong way,\u201d Gasperini said. \u201cAgainst Lecce, he did it too carelessly.\u201d<\/p>\n Higuain\u2019s benchmark of 36 goals in a single Serie A season, set in 2015-16 and later matched by Ciro Immobile in 2019-20, has stood as the league\u2019s gold standard for nearly a decade.<\/p>\n Asked directly what he expects from the 27-year-old this season, Gasperini didn\u2019t hold back: \u201cIf he threatens Higuain\u2019s record of 36, I\u2019m not surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n Dybala, meanwhile, opened the season with three assists against Fiorentina and signed a one-year contract extension back in July.<\/p>\n Gasperini praised the Argentine\u2019s condition directly: \u201cHe\u2019s done his best in preparation, he\u2019s strong, he\u2019s doing well.\u201d<\/p>\n The coach explained he has little patience for the language of preservation.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are words I hate: preserve, save, rest,\u201d he said. \u201cI ask Paulo: \u2018Do you want to play again?\u2019 If he says yes, I\u2019ll keep him in even when we\u2019re 4-0 up. Never stop a guy who\u2019s having fun.\u201d<\/p>\n His reasoning drew on the example of Lionel Messi\u2019s own remarkable durability at the top level.<\/p>\n The interview also touched on Roma\u2019s summer transfer business, including the reported Chelsea interest in Manu Kon\u00e9 that dominated deadline day.<\/p>\n Gasperini said he hadn\u2019t blocked a potential move for the midfielder, explaining that Chelsea had never actually sent Roma a formal, official offer for the player.<\/p>\n He also admitted that financial restrictions had prevented Roma from pursuing some of their bigger targets over the summer, naming Mason Greenwood and Crysencio Summerville as players the club couldn\u2019t ultimately afford to sign.<\/p>\n Roma were set to host Gasperini\u2019s former club Atalanta at the Olimpico the following day, a fixture the coach described in vivid terms.<\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow will be like a lover reuniting with his ex,\u201d he said, \u201cbut Roma has given me new goals. I\u2019m happy here.\u201d<\/p>\n He called Atalanta a genuine benchmark with the financial muscle of a major club, noting that Roma had finished behind them for eight consecutive years before his arrival gave him fresh ambitions elsewhere.<\/p>\n Roma\u2019s fast start has already got senior players talking. Cristante and Pellegrini have spoken openly about the Scudetto and the Circus Maximus, and rather than dampening that enthusiasm, Gasperini embraced it.<\/p>\n \u201cDreams are never suffocated,\u201d he said. \u201cThe important thing is knowing that when the alarm rings, reality is different. Then, if you live reality the right way, you can also make it match your dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking at the wider Scudetto picture, Gasperini pointed to Milan\u2019s strong transfer window, Juventus benefiting from Luciano Spalletti\u2019s long-term work, and Napoli\u2019s squad depth as the chief threats, while also flagging Atalanta and Como\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n He tipped Udinese as Serie A\u2019s potential surprise package this season, and with Roma back in the Champions League, he said the competition will finally reveal whether his side can match their domestic form on the European stage.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nA Record Chase That Already Has Momentum<\/h2>\n
No Concerns Over Dybala\u2019s Fitness<\/h2>\n
Gasperini Addresses The Manu Kon\u00e9 Transfer Saga<\/h2>\n
The Atalanta Reunion And The Wider Title Race<\/h2>\n