Bagnulo: Greenwood is a PSG-level player; Vaz price was a surprise

Lorenzo Pellegrini has signed a new contract with Roma, turning down offers from Juventus and Besiktas to remain with the club. The midfielder, born in 1996 and formally out of contract from 1 July, will be welcomed back by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini on his return from Roma's pre-season training camp in Wales and England, where a friendly against Brighton is scheduled for 8 August. Pellegrini has used recent weeks to recover from injury, a period that Sky Sport reports helped all parties involved reach the best decision. The club is expected to announce the renewal on 7 August. The deal is structured as a one-year agreement. The midfielder's decision to commit to Roma underlines his importance to Gasperini's plans for the 2026-27 season. Pellegrini, who wears the number 7, was free to negotiate with any club after his previous terms expired but chose to stay at the Giallorossi rather than pursue moves elsewhere.

Roma radio commentators debated the club's transfer strategy and squad ambitions in the current window. Roberto Pruzzo told Radio Radio Mattino that in the summer friendlies, Roma have resembled last season's side, and stressed: "In these summer friendlies, we saw the same squad as last year. If a genuinely elite player doesn't arrive—one capable of shifting the balance and adding quality—then Roma remain a repetitive team. The club has several certainties, but creativity is what it is. To try and raise the level of the attacking department, we need a player of that calibre who reshuffles the cards." Elsewhere, commentators weighed the merits of potential signings and departures. Alessandro Vocalelli noted that while Neil El Aynaoui is useful and two-footed, "there is a full category of difference" between him and Manu Koné, describing Koné as possibly Roma's most irreplaceable player—more so even than goalkeeper Mile Svilar. Ugo Trani argued that Romain Fofana's ankle injury has improved and he is much better, though Roma remain cautious and will assess him in person. On other targets, Trani said Nusa would not be uncomfortable joining Roma and Lipsia are willing to sell at their asking price; he also noted that Gian Piero Gasperini had made a personal commitment to appear on a radio show rather than a contractual obligation with Sky, meaning an interview could happen in the coming days. Nando Orsi backed the potential signing of Molina at right-back, calling him a capable player with experience who fits Gasperini's long-held idea of a right-side five, though Orsi acknowledged he may not fundamentally alter the team's balance.

Gian Piero Gasperini cancelled a scheduled Sky Sport interview on the evening of 6 August, the third occasion on which he has declined to speak to media during his time at Roma. The cancellation came after a market meeting at the club's training base at Hensol extended beyond the planned timeframe. CEO Galantic remained at the resort; Ryan Friedkin had left that morning but joined the call remotely alongside director of sport D'Amico, who has been travelling between Milan and Rome to oversee ongoing negotiations. Gasperini is growing impatient over the club's failure to secure a left-sided attacking player, a position the head coach views as critical before the season opens in 17 days. Roma continue to pursue Nusa from RB Leipzig, but the German club's asking price remains around €60 million and they show no willingness to negotiate. The club has also explored Fofana, though his fitness raises concerns. Attempts to discuss Martinelli and Leão have stalled: Martinelli's wage demand of €7 million in sterling is considered prohibitive, and Leão's situation is similarly complicated. The ownership has reaffirmed that its strict salary cap policy will not change. Molina is expected to arrive within days and will join Castro and Koulierakis on the list of new arrivals, but without the left winger the squad remains short of Gasperini's requirements. The meeting left Gasperini unsettled, and he chose silence rather than face media questions. He is unlikely to expect significant late signings and may address the press after Roma's friendly against Brighton, their final pre-season match in England before returning to the capital.

AS Roma unveiled its new away kit for the 2026–27 season on 6 August, two weeks after the launch of the home jersey. The away shirt returns to white—a cream tone—after last season's orange, featuring a horizontal giallorossi band across the chest with the ASR crest at its centre. The design echoes the third kit worn in the previous season. The club shared images of squad members modelling the new strip on social media. Defenders Mancini and N'Dicka, midfielders Cristante and Wesley, forwards Dybala and Malen, and goalkeeper Vaz all featured in the photoshoot. The unveiling comes as Gasperini's Roma continues its preparation for the campaign ahead, having already debuted the home kit in competitive fixtures.

Roma's transfer activity continues to take shape as negotiations over a move for Molina from Atlético Madrid advance, with agreement between the clubs already in place and details being finalised with the player, according to commentary on Roman radio. The move represents an upgrade on Zeki Çelik at left-back, following the collapse of earlier attempts to sign Read from Feyenoord. Felici questioned the market's inflation, citing the €25 million paid for Robinio Vaz as excessive, whilst observing that established players like Molina command more realistic valuations than emerging talent. Carina argued that Roma remain behind schedule in constructing their squad for the coming season. Gasperini is awaiting the arrival of at least four wide players to implement his preferred system, and with the pre-season phase underway to test the squad, the club still has structural gaps to address. Carina stated: "If the summer is being used to trial the squad ahead of the season then Roma is in arrears. In prospect of the league it still looks a bit short, because this is when you should be working with the squad that will define the season. There are still some holes." Pruzzo offered a critical assessment of defender Koulierakis following a friendly on 4 August, saying: "Koulierakis yesterday did not make a great impression on me. He seemed a bit approximate and made many sloppy passes. I didn't understand whether he is a defender who wants to hold his position or go to meet the attacker. I hope I'm wrong and that he is a player with the strength to play as a defensive utility man." Ryan Friedkin made a surprise appearance at the friendly.

Roma's attacking department has been decimated ahead of the 2026–27 season, with coach Gian Piero Gasperini now overseeing just five senior forwards for the role — down from ten options at the end of January. The remaining quartet consists of Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, and Robinio Vaz, with young prospect Arena also available. The collapse mirrors Gasperini's repeated public calls for investment in attack. Speaking exactly a year ago on 4 August 2025 at the English national team's St. George Park facility in Burton Upon Trent, Gasperini outlined his philosophy: "It concerns all clubs that spend large sums on attackers. The offensive department is the most sought after and most expensive. Teams with strong attacking players are more competitive." That same summer, Roma pursued Fabio Silva and Jadon Sancho without success, settling on a loan move for Romain Bailey as a last-minute solution. By the end of 2025, Roma had assembled eight attacking options — Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson, Bailey, Soulé, Baldanzi, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Lorenzo Pellegrini — to fill three positions in Gasperini's preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. The winter transfer window swelled that number to ten through the departures of Bailey and Baldanzi and the arrivals of Malen, Vaz, Bryan Zaragoza, and Lorenzo Venturino. However, only Malen performed consistently. With just twenty days until the league campaign begins, Roma faces a critical shortage. The club is reportedly making another approach for Nusa and preparing a move for Fofana to bolster the depleted ranks.