After a supreme summer window, resurgent Roma set their sights higher

Atalanta were the big winners on transfer deadline day in Italy. Not for any last-minute wheeling and dealing but because, well, they won. They had hoped to balance the books by offloading Jérémie Boga to Leicester and Hans Hateboer to Villarreal but, after both deals collapsed, they had to settle for thumping Torino 3-1 and going joint-top of Serie A.

It is the team alongside them in first, however, who might have enjoyed the best summer window overall. Roma landed Paulo Dybala, Andrea Belotti, Georginio Wijnaldum, Zeki Celik, Nemanja Matic and Mady Camara, while spending less than €10m on transfer fees. They offset those arrivals by shedding some costly contracts, as players such as Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Carles Pérez and Jordan Veretout headed for pastures new.

Whisper it quietly, but some people believe Roma have made themselves into title contenders. Or scream it from the stands of the Stadio Olimpico if you prefer. A chorus of “Vinceremo il tricolor” – “We’re gonna win the league” – rang out on Tuesday night as the Giallorossi thrashed Monza 3-0.

How many truly believed it? Those words form part of a longer chant that has been sung on the Curva Sud in less auspicious moments than this. Yet a measure of conviction might be observed in the number of people present to sing them. This was Roma’s ninth consecutive sold-out game at the Olimpico, including a pre-season friendly against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Comparing attendances from recent seasons is complicated by the various Covid closures and capacity restrictions. In the last full pre-pandemic season – 2018-19 – Roma averaged fewer than 39,000 fans per game. The idea that more than 60,000 could turn out even for unglamorous games against Monza or Cremonese would have