There's a particular kind of satisfaction in being proved right within 48 hours. Gian Piero Gasperini pushed hard for Donyell Malen. The Roma hierarchy delivered. And on a cold January evening in Turin, the Dutchman delivered right back.
A debut goal. A 2-0 win. And suddenly, the narrative around Roma's season has shifted.
The Gasperini gamble pays off early
When Gasperini left Atalanta last summer after nine extraordinary years—including that unforgettable Europa League triumph in 2024—the question wasn't whether he could replicate success. It was whether Roma, after the Mourinho chaos, the De Rossi heartbreak, and the Juric interlude, were capable of giving him the tools.
Malen is the answer. Or at least, the beginning of one.
"A player like Malen raises the level of the squad," Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia after the match. His tone carried no surprise—only vindication. "He has the characteristics I was looking for: he can free himself both with diagonal runs and when attacking space. He has speed and power, which are fundamental for the way we want to play."
Fundamental, indeed. Roma have conceded just 12 goals in 21 Serie A games—the best defensive record in Italy. But goals? That's been the problem. Until Saturday, at least.
Dybala rediscovered
What made the Torino performance particularly encouraging wasn't just Malen's goal. It was the connection. Paulo Dybala, so often isolated this season, found a partner who speaks the same footballing language.
"The first goal was outstanding," Gasperini admitted. "Paulo produced a truly top-level performance. When everything clicks around him, Dybala's level rises as well."
That's been the issue all along. Dybala, at 31, remains one of Serie A's most gifted technicians. But he needs runners, players who drag defenders into uncomfortable positions. Artem Dovbyk, still finding his feet after injury, hasn't quite filled that role. Malen, fresh from an underwhelming year at Aston Villa where game time grew increasingly scarce, looked hungry.
And hunger, in Gasperini's system, is non-negotiable.
A calculated risk from Villa Park
Malen's move—a loan with an obligation to buy reportedly worth around £21.6 million if Roma secure European football—tells you everything about the business side of modern transfers. Villa needed to balance books. Roma needed firepower. The deal makes sense for everyone, assuming Malen performs.
Two days in, he's performing.
The 26-year-old's CV reads impressively: PSV, Dortmund, Villa. But his Premier League chapter never quite clicked under Unai Emery. Italy, with its emphasis on positioning and intelligence over raw physicality, might suit him better. Gasperini certainly thinks so.
"We want to build a team that can make the most of his qualities," the coach explained. "He needs to play close to the penalty area."
Robinio Vaz: the long-term bet
While Malen grabbed the headlines, another January signing watched from a less prominent position. Robinio Vaz, the 18-year-old sensation Roma prised from Marseille for €25 million, represents a different kind of investment—one for the future.
Gasperini was measured in his assessment. "He has good qualities, but he's very young—a 2007-born player. At his age, it's not easy to play in Serie A. We can work with him. In the long term, he's a very good signing."
Vaz scored four Ligue 1 goals in the first half of the season at OM before a contract standoff accelerated his departure. His pace and dribbling have drawn comparisons to younger versions of players Roma fans would rather not mention by name. Whether he adapts to Serie A's tactical demands remains to be seen.
For now, he's a project. Malen is the present.
What this means for the title race
Let's be clear: Roma aren't winning the Scudetto. Inter sit four points clear at the summit, and their depth remains formidable. But Champions League qualification—something Roma haven't achieved since 2018-19—looks increasingly realistic.
Gasperini's men sit fifth with 39 points, level with Napoli and Juventus, one behind Milan. More importantly, they hold an eight-point cushion over seventh-placed Atalanta—Gasperini's former club, now navigating life under Ivan Juric.
The January window isn't over. Roma have been linked with Giacomo Raspadori and Joshua Zirkzee, players who would add further dimension to an attack suddenly brimming with options. Whether either arrives remains unclear, but the ambition is evident.
The verdict
One match doesn't make a season. Malen will face sterner tests than a Torino side languishing in the bottom half. Dybala's fitness, never guaranteed, will be monitored obsessively. And Gasperini's high-press system, magnificent when it works, demands conditioning levels that can wane over a grueling campaign.
But something felt different on Saturday. Roma attacked with purpose. They defended with their customary solidity. And for the first time this season, the pieces seemed to fit.
Did Roma just find their missing piece? It's too early to say definitively. But Gasperini smiled when asked about Malen. That smile suggested he already knows the answer.
