Castro alone is not enough: Roma need a playmaker

Konstantinos Koulierakis has joined AS Roma and arrived in Wales on 2 August to link up with the squad after completing his move from Wolfsburg. The 22-year-old Greek defender made his first remarks as a Roma player in an interview with the club's YouTube channel, saying: "When my agent told me Roma was interested in me, I told him: 'Ok, let's go and do our best to become part of this great Club'." He added: "I was welcomed very well and I'm happy to be here. I had no doubt at all: my only thought was to come and sign." Koulierakis was warmly greeted by his new teammates and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The defender, born in 2003, acknowledged he has room for improvement but highlighted his strengths: "I'm young, I still need to improve in many aspects, but I will continue to do so. My strengths? My left foot, but also my mental strength: I never stop, I always give my best to try to win." He named Sergio Ramos as a childhood idol and drew comparisons with Aymeric Laporte, noting shared characteristics and their mutual left-footedness. Koulierakis revealed he had been in touch with Kostas Manolas during the summer, another Greek who played for Roma: "We spoke this summer and we also talked about Roma among other things. I had told him it would have been a great step for me to come here, but it was just a chat, now I've signed!" He expressed his excitement about the Olimpico atmosphere and Roma's supporters: "From what I've seen on TV, the atmosphere is incredible. I know how great Roma fans are, so I can't wait to play in front of them." Wolfsburg bade him farewell on social media with a message in Italian to Roma and the fans: "Treat him well. He will give you everything."

Santiago Castro is now officially a Roma player, and head coach Gasperini has acquired his new centre-forward option alongside Donyell Malen. The Argentine, nicknamed 'El Torito' for his resemblance to Lautaro Martínez and citing Batistuta, Tevez and Milito as idols, did not begin his career as a lead striker. At Vélez Sarsfield, Castro played right-back before Daniel Cielinski, a coach working with him at youth level, asked whether he would consider moving forward. Cielinski, now working between Atletio Perù's youth academy and Los Andes' women's team in Buenos Aires, recalled Castro in 2014 as a 10-year-old boy with exceptional energy and intensity. "When you ask a child 'where do you like to play?', most say 'striker', but Santiago gave a different answer: he simply wanted to play," Cielinski said. "He had the desire to start the action, to always be the one initiating play. That indicated he could become an attacker." Castro initially struggled in the role, failing to score in his first ten matches, but Cielinski persisted with the position. "After the tenth match I think he scored two goals. From there everything started: he stayed in that role and naturally loved it. He never stopped." Cielinski identified Castro's standout quality as power and bravery with both feet, noting he always sought the ball and moved continuously. "I see him in the penalty area, inside the box, in the space around the penalty arc," Cielinski said of his ideal position. He praised Castro's family, particularly his father's respectful non-interference in the coaching process throughout his son's development.

Roma have identified Givairo Read as their third summer signing to strengthen the flanks, with the Dutch winger from Volendam accepting a deal over alternative offers from Nottingham Forest. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini held direct talks with Read to outline his tactical plans following Roma's defeat to Cardiff, which prompted the coach to request an acceleration in the transfer market. Read has agreed to join, with Wesley set to move permanently to the left wing, a position where he has thrived after playing on the opposite flank during his time in Brazil. Roma must now secure Feyenoord's consent. Negotiations between the clubs are ongoing and intensive. Roma's initial proposal of €25 million total was deemed insufficient by Feyenoord, who specified a requirement of approximately €30 million. Sporting director D'Amico has returned with a revised offer of €28 million overall. The club is working to reach an agreement by structuring the deal through a fixed fee, bonuses, and a percentage of future resale proceeds.

Roma are tracking multiple attacking targets as they enter a critical week in the transfer window. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who has been seeking a left-sided forward for a year, told the club two days ago: "The squad will be competitive, we are dealing with players of value." Among the options under consideration is Jamie Leweling, 25, Stuttgart's winger and a Germany international who featured at the recent World Cup. Leweling's valuation stands at around €50 million. Roma are also monitoring Antonio Nusa this week in what Gasperini views as a decisive moment for that target. Kevin Schade of Brentford remains a secondary option, while Endrick from Real Madrid is being considered as a potential replacement for Matías Soulé should the Argentine depart. Gasperini's priority remains securing a major attacking addition, alongside renewing Lorenzo Pellegrini's contract and potentially finding a replacement for Soulé if he leaves. Roma have given themselves a few more hours to assess their realistic scope for manoeuvre on Nusa. On the defensive front, activity is also expected: Roma have prepared a bid of €28 million for Givairo Read of Feyenoord, with the Dutch player favouring a move to Roma over Nottingham Forest.

Radio commentators weighed in on Roma's transfer window and squad stability on 2 August. Rossomando stated that Lorenzo Pellegrini's desire to remain at the club is evident, arguing that if he wanted to leave, he would already have pursued other options with his agent. Rossomando attributed Roma's wider difficulties to ownership and management rather than individual player decisions, noting that other Italian clubs are also experiencing transfer delays. Conflitti offered a defence of the club's sporting directors, suggesting that this summer's events have clarified that transfer delays at Roma cannot be blamed solely on Ghisolfi, Massara, and D'Amico. He acknowledged that some errors may have occurred but argued the responsibility extends beyond the sporting department to the broader structure of the organisation. Both commentators spoke on Radio Manà Manà Sport as part of Romanews.eu's daily radio commentary column. Rossomando said: "The will of Pellegrini to stay at Roma is clear, otherwise he would have already found other solutions with his agent. As always the problems arise from whoever runs this company, namely the ownership. Many other clubs in Italy are also behind schedule." Conflitti added: "I would say that this summer has dispelled some doubts about what Roma's problems are regarding market delays. The blame clearly was not solely on the sporting directors, so we need to reconsider some of the thinking on Ghisolfi, Massara and also D'Amico, aside from some mistakes that may have been made."

Lorenzo Pellegrini is on the verge of signing a new contract with Roma after the club revised its initial offer. The Friedkin Group had proposed a one-year deal expiring in June 2027, but Pellegrini sought a three-year commitment. The two parties are now expected to agree on a two-year deal with an option worth €2.5 million per season. Pellegrini has accepted a significant pay cut and awaits final approval from ownership. The midfielder's commitment to Roma has never wavered despite the protracted negotiations, and he remains eager to continue under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Pellegrini did not travel to Cardiff with his squad and is currently training in Rome with a personal physiotherapist as he nears complete recovery from an injury sustained late in the previous season. The contract renewal is expected to be finalised pending the Friedkin Group's definitive sign-off. Once fit, Pellegrini will be available to resume full duties in the 2026–27 campaign.