Gian Piero Gasperini makes clear that Paulo Dybala remains the first choice in Roma’s attack ahead of Evan Ferguson, even after a 2-1 Serie A defeat against Juventus that again highlighted the team’s struggle for goals despite sitting fourth in the table.
Roma started Dybala against Juventus, with Ferguson coming on in the 56th minute, yet Gasperini still preferred the Argentinian’s overall contribution and insisted that attacking reinforcements, whether from within the squad or the market, are being considered as the season moves into a key phase.
Gasperini underlined that the choice between Roma forwards is already settled in his mind, reinforcing trust in Dybala over Ferguson regardless of current numbers or outside pressure. Gasperini stated:
"If I have to choose between Dybala and Ferguson, I'd choose Dybala every time, he said.It's not about Ferguson; it's a choice I've made before, and if that's the choice, I choose Dybala. I don't know if it [reinforcements] will come from the transfer market, but surely, it's an opportunity. "
The Juventus match again exposed Roma’s blunt edge in front of goal. Roma have scored only 17 times from 212 efforts in Serie A this season, fewer than every other club in the top 10, which places extra weight on how Dybala, Ferguson and the rest of the attacking unit perform.
Dybala offered more presence in dangerous areas against Juventus, registering three shots worth 0.3 expected goals and recording a team-high six touches inside the Juventus penalty area. Ferguson, introduced after the break, managed two efforts on target with a combined expected goals value of only 0.08.
Across the league campaign, Matias Soule leads Roma’s scoring chart for 2025-26 with four goals, while both Dybala and Ferguson have found the net just once each, placing further scrutiny on how Gasperini balances experience, movement and finishing when selecting Roma’s attacking structure.
Roma, Dybala and Ferguson: wider squad depth and January window
Tommaso Baldanzi came off the bench to score Roma’s goal in Turin, offering a reminder of the depth available behind Dybala and Ferguson, and Gasperini hopes that the January transfer window will add extra options to strengthen competition across the forward positions.
Gasperini stressed that Roma’s overall performance level pleased the staff, while also pointing to repeated defeats against the league’s leading sides as evidence that an extra step is still missing. Gasperini said: "I'm very satisfied with the performance, the spirit was commendable, he added. But we've lost to Inter, Milan, Juventus and Napoli, and it's no coincidence. It means we are missing a step. We're close in certain situations, but we have an important fanbase and an important club behind us. We must aim to improve, and I hope the January transfer window can help us do that. It's not easy, but we have to believe. "
Roma therefore continue to rely on Dybala as the primary reference in attack, with Ferguson and emerging players like Soule and Baldanzi supporting, while Gasperini looks to January for possible additions that could help close the gap to Inter, Milan, Juventus and Napoli in the Serie A title race.
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