Gian Piero Gasperini has a wish list for the Roma attack and it’s in a clear order, with Joshua Zirkzee first, Yuri Alberto second, and Giacomo Raspadori only third.

The Giallorossi know they need to secure some reinforcements over the January transfer window and their recent results show the need for a reliable centre-forward, even if it is an atypical one.

Gasperini will be heavily involved in the selection process and Zirkzee is at the top of his list.

The Manchester United outcast is considered to be a centre-forward, with Raspadori as a support striker who can also play in a wider role.

Why Zirkzee is the hot favourite for Roma

The former Napoli player had been appreciated by Gasperini when still in charge of Atalanta, although that was to play off centre.

So the coach would gladly bring both in, but if that is not possible, then his pick would be Zirkzee.

Now it is up to director Frederic Massara to push Manchester United into getting a deal done quickly, not waiting until mid or late January.

It is also true that Gasperini would like Yuri Alberto, but he is seen as an alternative to Zirkzee, while Beto is mentioned largely because both Everton and Roma have the same owners.

This isn’t a priority, and would only be pursued if Artem Dovbyk were to move on.

It is confirmed that Gasp also likes Giovane of Hellas Verona, who is on the wish list of Inter and Napoli already.

Raspadori is seeking a new club, seeing as he never got much playing time with Atletico Madrid, so it’d be ideal for Roma if Tommaso Baldanzi (liked by Verona) or Stephan El Shaarawy were to make way.

Jack knows that Maurizio Sarri is an admirer and would gladly take him to Lazio as a centre-forward, but a lot depends on Taty Castellanos.

We talked about Rafik Belghali a couple of weeks ago and can now confirm top Italian clubs set their sights on the Verona right-back, including Juventus, Inter and Roma.

The Algerian with a Belgian passport has been a major protagonist with Verona so far this season and is helping their climb up the table with back-to-back wins.

This operation cost €1.5m plus bonuses at the time from Mechelen, and now his value on the transfer market has increased by at least a factor of 10.

If we were to suggest around €15m for his price-tag, we wouldn’t be far off the reality of the situation.

Belghali wanted by Inter, Juventus and Roma

Now we can confirm that all the big Italian clubs appreciate Belghali and are keeping a close eye on his progress.

Juve really like him, Inter had asked for information even before the Denzel Dumfries injury and consequent surgery.

Roma appreciate the player too, despite already having Wesley on that flank, and have spoken to Verona about both Giovane and Tommaso Baldanzi.

Hellas hope to keep Belghali to the end of the season, seeing as they need all the help they can get to avoid relegation, but that depends on what offers come in.

AC Milan need a striker straight away, regardless of Santiago Gimenez’s potential surgery, and Niclas Fullkrug can fill the gap while they wait for real target Dusan Vlahovic in July.

On Saturday, we had confirmed that Fullkrug was proposed to the Rossoneri, as he was pushing to leave West Ham United, and we noted the pros and cons of this operation.

The cons were that his recent performances have been below par, the pros that it’s a cheap loan deal because the striker who proved himself in the Bundesliga is eager to show what he can do.

AC Milan need a striker now and in future

The situation could evolve, because this way Milan could postpone their search for the real new centre-forward until the summer.

Vlahovic is currently out injured, but as the rumours from Spain confirm, their interest in him never really died out.

We had already said in September that Milan would continue to keep a close eye on his situation at Juventus, although any suggestion of a January swoop has to be postponed, seeing as he will be out injured until at least March.

That doesn’t mean they’re not still working on it, hoping the great rapport between Max Allegri and Vlahovic can swing his decision, as they battle to beat the competition to this free agent.

Fiorentina have not yet made any decisions regarding the future of head coach Paolo Vanoli despite the various different rumours that have been circulating following Sunday’s 2-1 loss against Hellas Verona. 

Fiorentina have not made final Vanoli or Giuntoli decisions

It is only natural that after such a poor start and under increasing pressure that changes around the club might be made. The situation is one that could still develop, but as things stand, no major changes are expected before Thursday’s Conference League match against Lausanne. 

There have been rumours on Monday that former Napoli and Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli could be poised to come in and help Fiorentina. 

However, despite some reports hinting that a deal for Giuntoli could be close, Football Italia can confirm that there have been no direct contacts with the former Bianconeri director as yet. 

In terms of  anew sporting director, we are still some way away from there being any sort of breakthrough.

Khephren Thuram is the present and future of Juventus, and has recently received the backing of Giorgio Chiellini, so here is the reasoning behind the recent rumours involving the Frenchman and a possible Bianconeri move for Inter’s Davide Frattesi. 

Where Juventus stand with Thuram and Frattesi

In recent weeks, there had been far-fetched suggestions that Juventus were considering the possibility of a swap deal with Inter that would see Thuram and Frattesi move in opposite directions. Similarly, Milan and Napoli have also been linked with deals involving Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lorenzo Lucca swapping sides. Both rumours are baseless. 

Focussing on Juventus specifically, Chiellini has recently stressed Thuram’s importance to Luciano Spalletti: “I won’t talk about Frattesi, as that’s a lack of respect towards Inter. What I can say without doubt is that Thuram will remain a Juventus player. He has done really well in the year and a half he’s been with us and we have no intention of letting him go,” he said before kick-off against Bologna on Sunday. 

Thuram has shown that he is capable of being a Juventus player and that he still has plenty of potential to fulfill. He hasn’t had the most impressive of performances in recent weeks, but there’s no doubt that Juventus intend to stick with him for the time being. 

As for Frattesi, Juventus’s interest is a separate matter. Inter are adamant that they will not let the Italy international leave for anything less than €35m, which is less than the fee that had been cited to interested clubs over the summer. 

If Frattesi wants to leave Inter, it is down to his agent to find him the move, which he has failed to do for the last three transfer windows now.

Davide Possanzini is walking on thin ice at Mantova, and Francesco Modesto has emerged as a possible replacement.

Possanzini is once again on the brink at Mantova as the Serie B side’s management is making serious assessments that can lead to the coach’s dismissal.

Surely, the latest defeat against Cesena was not digested as the team had taken a two-goal lead, but then suffered a comeback, eventually losing 3-2.

Mantova directors want to have a proper think on whether to go forward with the current coach, who had already been on the brink a few weeks ago, but then managed to keep his spot.

Now the situation is tricky once again, and there are already some possible candidates to replace Possanzini.

Sources with direct knowledge of the matter exclusively tell me that Francesco Modesto is the leading candidate for the job, but the list also includes Maran and Pagliuca, who are slightly below Modesto.

In the meantime, Possanzini’s future at Mantova is once again uncertain.

Tijjan Noslin’s winning goal for Lazio against Parma could change the striker’s future at the Stadio Olimpico.

Noslin scored a vital goal for Lazio against Parma, allowing the Biancocelesti to secure three points at the Tardini despite being reduced to nine men.

It was the second goal of the season for the Dutchman, but this was truly a massive one because it kept Lazio fairly close to a European spot.

To some extent, what happened was a miracle when thinking about what has happened since last summer, when Noslin had long been considered a potential asset in the transfer market.

However, Lazio then decided to stick with him also because they had been imposed a transfer embargo.

Until a few weeks ago, Noslin’s future at Lazio might have seemed uncertain, with the possibility of a swap deal or a permanent transfer. However, after his goal at Parma and Maurizio Sarri’s post-match words, the scenario could change.