Gian Piero Gasperini, the coach of AS Roma, expressed his regret for the 2-2 draw against Napoli, asserting that his team would have collected additional points if Donyell Malen had joined earlier in the season, as part of the Italian league competition.

Roma took the lead twice in the match thanks to Malen's goals, raising his tally to five goals in his first four league matches, but Napoli came back in the score and the match ended in a draw.

Gasperini said: 'We often finish these matches with young players who need to develop and gain experience and character. These are crucial minutes where we need fresh legs, which young players have, but it also means a lack of experience.'

He added: 'I was always convinced that Malen has the ideal characteristics for my style of football. He is a complete striker, shoots quickly, is fast, and collaborates well with his teammates. This team needs a striker like him because he consistently scores due to being placed in situations that always make him dangerous.'

He continued: 'He has played only five matches with us, and we can improve further, especially if Paulo Dybala, Matias Soulé, or Stephan El Shaarawy regain their full readiness. Then we will be more competitive.'

He concluded his statements by saying: 'I am not afraid to say that if Malen had been with us in the first half of the season, we would have a few more points now. We came very close to winning against the big teams, and we drew with Milan and Napoli, leaving both matches with a sense of regret because we were very close to victory.'