Ajax pursue Dovbyk under Michel as wage and age concerns emerge

Roma have secured defender Oosterwolde from Fenerbahçe on a deal that will see him arrive in the capital between late evening on 24 August and during 25 August. The transfer is structured as a loan with a €1 million fee, plus a €15 million purchase option and €2 million in bonuses. The option will become an obligation if Oosterwolde makes at least 15 appearances of 45 minutes or more. The move has been agreed after discussions accelerated in recent hours, with Roma completing the final details with the Turkish club. Before departing for Amsterdam and then Rome, Oosterwolde told Turkish reporters: "I am sad to have left Fenerbahçe, unfortunately the decision was made that I should go. I love the Fenerbahçe fans very much, please continue to support the team."

Jayden Oosterwolde is set to become Roma's fifth summer signing, with the transfer from Fenerbahçe finalized. The Dutch defender will arrive on a loan deal worth €1 million, with a right of purchase valued at €15 million plus €2 million in bonuses. Crucially, the right transforms into an obligation to buy if Oosterwolde reaches 15 appearances of at least 45 minutes each during the season—a clause that ties the permanent transfer directly to his playing time. Oosterwolde is recovering from a muscle injury but has already resumed running and will soon link up with his new teammates under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The 25-year-old left-back joins a squad that has been actively strengthened this summer as Roma prepare for the 2026–27 season. In a farewell message to Fenerbahçe, Oosterwolde told A Spor: "I am sad to leave Fenerbahçe, unfortunately the decision has been made to send me away." He added: "I love the Fenerbahçe fans, please continue to support the team." Oosterwolde will travel first to the Netherlands before heading to Rome to begin his new adventure.

Jonathan Rowe is set to join Atalanta for more than €30 million after a strong season at Bologna last year. Before closing the deal for Santiago Castro, Bologna had proposed the English winger to Roma's sporting director D'Amico, according to Alfredo Pedullà. Roma appreciated Rowe's profile but chose to pursue other targets and secure the financial terms to bring in a backup to Malen instead. The Giallorossi remain in search of a right-footed winger after the operation to sign Jayden Oosterwolde, who will arrive in the capital in the coming hours for medical examinations and to sign his contract.

Roman radio stations analysed Gasperini's post-match demeanour and Roma's transfer window on 24 August, with the coach reportedly venting frustration after a pre-match press conference. David Rossi of Rete Sport said Gasperini "attempted to maintain composure during the conference, so much so that once it finished he let off steam—we have audio of what he said after the conference, but we won't play it because we're decent people—but hearing the post-conference outburst tells you he is not serene." Gasperini has been actively involved in the market alongside D'Amico, reiterating his desire for a left-footed winger and left-sided striker, though the station noted that if those signings do not arrive, it is not a failure to pursue them but a failure to secure them. The broader consensus across the stations was mixed. Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport identified Fofana as "the best option that remains," better than other targets, suggesting Lyon's potential Champions League qualification could enable a deal structured as a loan with a conditional obligation to buy. Daniele Lo Monaco of Radio Romanista offered strong backing of the existing squad, stating: "With him you would not win the Champions League, but you would not have won it either with Summerville; in fact, I think you have more chances with Mora than with the Dutchman. If you signed Gittens, you would have Gittens, Mora, Dybala, Soulé, Castro and Malen… Last year you had Venturino, Zaragoza, Baldanzi, Dovbyk, Ferguson… and we finished third. This is why I tell you we must be very satisfied with what is happening, very satisfied. And all of this without selling players. But guys, what more do we want? For me, if the market completes in this manner, it will be the best since the days of Batistuta." Analysts debated the likely formation and deployment of recent arrivals. Lorenzo Pes suggested Roma could play with a trequartista behind two strikers, noting uncertainty over whether Soulé or Rodrigo Mora would occupy that role. Mario Mattioli expressed scepticism about Mora's involvement, predicting he would not start and questioning whether he could break through substantially. Roberto Pruzzo backed Santiago Castro as a strong addition who would receive more minutes than expected, while Checco Oddo Casano voiced concern that Roma was not equipped to compete for the Champions League, predicting a third- to sixth-place finish in Serie A. Alessio Nardo highlighted Dybala's history of injury problems at Roma, noting that last season his meniscus injury was mismanaged; he added that should Dybala complete the season without significant injury, "it would be a sort of miracle of Gasperini and his staff." The match against Fiorentina was set for the evening of 24 August. Pes cautioned that Fiorentina would be difficult to assess as an opponent, having conducted an ambitious transfer window under new management. The window closes on 31 August, with Gasperini's requirements for additional signings still unmet.

Roma's transfer window has been solid on paper, but a sense of incompleteness lingers as the 2026–27 season approaches. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini harboured genuine title ambitions and believed the club could break free from the trophy drought that has gripped Roma since 2001 with a pair of elite signings. Names such as Greenwood, Summerville, Nusa and Fofana circulated—not transcendental acquisitions, but players who could have offered greater guarantees to a squad that has failed to close the gap with Inter and Napoli. Instead, Roma finds itself lumped among Como, Milan, Juventus and Atalanta in what the article describes as "the usual free-for-all". While the squad is objectively stronger than it was a year ago—with changes such as Castro for Dovbyk, Molina for Çelik, and Mora for Bailey—no blockbuster arrival materialised. Gasperini has acknowledged both D'Amico's serious work and the communication difficulties with the Friedkin Group ownership. Roma avoided selling major players, a point in its favour, yet failed to offload the figures whose departures might have unlocked genuine transformation. The question of whether that constitutes merit or fault remains open. Even the most optimistic voices cannot claim Roma is positioned as Inter's antidote this season, nor can anyone expect the kind of transfer signing that would have forced police deployment at Rome's airports. Gasperini is acutely aware the squad does not possess title credentials—arguably not even Champions League credentials, despite finishing third last season on a photo-finish. The breakthrough he sought was meant to unlock funds throttled by UEFA agreement complications that have clouded recent years. Instead, "the reckoning" will arrive in the coming months, after which title dreams may finally take root. Much will depend on Paulo Dybala's form, the promises of Mora and the consistency of Donyell Malen. Ten days remain before the season begins, and that nagging sense of "I would but I cannot" has not yet lifted.

Gian Piero Gasperini defended Roma's transfer approach at his pre-match press conference on 22 August, two days before the Serie A opener against Fiorentina at the Olimpico. The coach confirmed that UEFA financial regulations have forced a strategic shift in the market, compounding constraints that stem from years of previous spending. "The profile is only that of UEFA; there are no other possibilities," Gasperini said. "There are situations that UEFA imposes and from which our ownership, even wanting to, cannot escape. I thought that after six months or with arrival in the Champions League the situation would be resolved, but it is not so." Gasperini emphasised that Roma remain the only Italian club currently under UEFA supervision. "Roma has already had two deferrals and probably cannot have any more," he noted. "Now the reckoning has arrived, but we will do well anyway." Despite those constraints, he expressed satisfaction with arrivals in the window. Álex Molina replaced Zeki Çelik after winning the World Cup two months earlier; Christos Koulierakis joined as a defensive profile the squad lacked; and Rodrigo Mora arrived as a young long-term investment. Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson departed, replaced by Mateo Castro. El Shaarawy, Bryan Zaragoza, Angeliño and Kostas Tsimikas also left. Gasperini stated: "All the players who arrived have strongly wanted to come to Roma. They have also reduced their salaries—and under this aspect I believe very positive work has been done. There are still ten days of the market left and we hope to complete everything." On the left wing position that Roma had pursued, Gasperini offered flexibility: "Only if he can be added value, otherwise I am not going to load myself with players just for the sake of it." Numerically, two squad slots remain available from a full complement of 23. He praised Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante for accepting significant wage cuts. On Dybala's fitness prospects, Gasperini said: "I am certain, because I see him not only determined as he was last year but also particularly strong. He completed a pre-season perhaps for the first time without injuries." Dybala suffered two serious injuries last season—one requiring meniscus surgery that sidelined him for three and a half months. Gasperini stated that further squad exits may follow only if they represent tactical switches rather than pure departures. "If there are other exits it is only for changes, to switch," he said. "In this moment there is nothing certain." The window closes in ten days. Roma finished last season on 73 points and third place in Serie A, but Gasperini stressed the slate resets: "Every year you start from zero. What was done was very positive and satisfactory for all, but when the season starts everyone begins at 0 points and the 73 points from last year must be played again."

Roma and Fiorentina meet in what promises to be the most compelling fixture of Serie A's opening day on 24 August 2026. The pair arrive on vastly different trajectories: Roma built momentum through the closing stages of last season under Gasperini, while Fiorentina struggled with inconsistency. Both clubs strengthened in the summer transfer window with genuine ambitions of growth. Gasperini requested reinforcements and secured several additions, while Fiorentina's manager Grosso has a squad of considerable quality following an excellent market. The teams are ready to deliver an entertaining spectacle, underpinned by established stars—Malen and Kean chief among them—alongside fresh faces making their debuts.

Roma face Fiorentina in one of the standout fixtures of the opening day of the 2026–27 Serie A season. The two clubs come into the match having experienced contrasting campaigns, with Roma protagonists thanks to a strong finish while Fiorentina struggled for consistency. Both sides enter with ambitions fuelled by their summer transfer activity. Gasperini requested reinforcements ahead of the campaign and has secured several, while Fiorentina have assembled a high-level squad following what has been described as a fantastic transfer window. The sides will look to provide an entertaining contest built on established talent and new arrivals. Malen and Kean are among the established stars expected to feature, with both camps eager to make their mark on opening day.

Jonathan Rowe is set to join Atalanta for more than €30 million after a strong season at Bologna last year. Before closing the deal for Santiago Castro, Bologna had proposed the English winger to Roma's sporting director D'Amico, according to Alfredo Pedullà. Roma appreciated Rowe's profile but chose to pursue other targets and secure the financial terms to bring in a backup to Malen instead. The Giallorossi remain in search of a right-footed winger after the operation to sign Jayden Oosterwolde, who will arrive in the capital in the coming hours for medical examinations and to sign his contract.