Castro and Koulierakis impress Gasperini in first Roma outings

Roma resumed training at the Vale Resort in Wales on 6 August, the day after a friendly victory over Newport County, with vice-president Ryan Friedkin and new CEO Jon Galantic observing the session from the sideline. The pair watched as Gasperini's squad worked through a carefully structured training programme in windy conditions at Hensol. Players who featured against Newport County completed a recovery session in the gym, while the remainder undertook intense field work including a rondo, small-sided matches, and targeted strength and sprint drills focused on acceleration and explosive power. The session's most encouraging development concerned Donyell Malen. The Dutch attacker, who missed the Newport fixture with a fever, returned to group training for the first time. He participated in the opening rondo alongside his teammates before breaking away for individualised work with a member of Gasperini's coaching staff. His return marks an important step in his recovery as Roma continue their pre-season preparations ahead of the 2026–27 campaign.

Roma have completed the signing of Nahuel Molina from Atlético Madrid for €13 million plus €4 million in bonuses, the club's third summer acquisition. The Argentine right-back has signed a contract until 2030 on wages of €2.7 million per season. The move follows the collapse of efforts to recruit Read from Feyenoord and delivers Gasperini his preferred option on the right flank. The club continues to pursue reinforcements across multiple fronts. On the left wing, Roma are maintaining contact with Torino over defender Cacciamani, a 2007-born prospect valued between €15 and €20 million who is willing to join. The primary offensive target remains Antonio Nusa of Leipzig, though his €55 million asking price and competition from Tottenham have slowed talks. Lyon's Malick Fofana is also being monitored. Internally, Lorenzo Pellegrini's contract renewal is in progress. Outbound moves are also underway: Kumbulla will join Rayo Vallecano on loan, while Angeliño returns to Spain with Deportivo La Coruña on a loan deal including a €2.5 million obligation to buy. Matías Soulé, valued at €35 million, is exploring options in Spain following cooled interest from AC Milan.

Roma's transfer activity continues after the Molina deal, with sporting director D'Amico targeting an attacking winger for Gasperini. Nusa of RB Leipzig tops the shortlist, with Lyon's Fofana as the alternative; Leipzig are asking €55–60 million for Nusa, while Lyon value Fofana at €45 million. Meanwhile, AC Milan have enquired about Matías Soulé, requesting him on loan with a right to purchase. Roma want at least €30 million for the winger, a valuation that does not appeal to Milan under their proposed terms. Soulé's agent has reportedly travelled to Wales and Spain in recent days. Separately, Roma have increased their offer for Cacciamani to €12–13 million, awaiting a reduction in Torino's demands for the academy product. The Molina transfer is complete at €13 million plus €4 million in bonuses—two difficult (Scudetto and Champions League semi-final) and two straightforward (Champions League qualification and appearances). Roma will wait for Molina to gain EU citizenship to preserve their two non-EU slots.

The Friedkin Group completed their acquisition of AS Roma on 6 August 2020 for 591 million euros, with the deal formally closed on 17 August that year. On the same evening, Paulo Fonseca's side lost 2–0 to Sevilla in a Europa League last-16 tie in Duisburg. Six years on, ownership of the Giallorossi has proved a mixed proposition: the appointment of José Mourinho—announced by tweet on 4 May 2021—proved inspired, delivering the club's first European title in 61 years when Roma won the Conference League in Tirana against Feyenoord on 25 May 2022. The same Sevilla side inflicted Roma's most painful defeat of the Friedkin era on 31 May 2023. More recently, Gian Piero Gasperini's arrival a year ago has restored Champions League football to Roma for the first time under the current ownership, secured by a third-place finish. Yet frequent upheaval in management and executive ranks has tested supporters' patience. Mourinho's sacking on 16 January 2024 was followed by Daniele De Rossi's appointment and subsequent dismissal eight months later—a reversal that triggered fan protests and the resignation of CEO Lina Souloukou. The subsequent appointment of Ivan Jurić drew widespread criticism, while Claudio Ranieri's brief spell as interim manager ended after a public clash with Gasperini. The club has also made high-profile signings in Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku, and approved a return to the classic AS Roma crest for the 2026–27 season. Recent restructuring saw staff from media, marketing, ticketing, and administrative departments reassigned to Roma Store roles.

Roma have agreed terms with Atlético Madrid defender Nehuen Molina after two days of negotiation. The Argentine will arrive for €18 million including bonuses on a four-year contract worth just over €2.5 million per year. Molina will operate on the right flank alongside Wesley on the left, completing Roma's full-back options at senior level. He becomes the fourth Argentine in the squad alongside Matías Soulé, Paulo Dybala, and Santiago Castro. During an intense summer training session, Roma's technical staff oversaw strength and sprint drills with additional load work to sharpen acceleration. The club's board attended in full, notably including vice-president Ryan Friedkin, whose presence underlined the ownership's commitment to backing the head coach's work as the new season approaches. Roma continue to pursue young midfielder Cacciamani from Torino, with president Cairo evaluating the prospect—who spent last season on loan at Juve Stabia—at a valuation of at least €15 million. Gasperini has identified the 2007-born player as ideal cover for Wesley. Analysis on local radio has been mixed. Roberto Pruzzo expressed reservations about recent defensive signing Koulierakis: "He did not make a great impression yesterday. He seemed a bit imprecise and made many passing errors. I didn't understand if he's a defender who wants to hold his position or step forward to the attacker." Antonio Felici praised the club's work on fullbacks: "When you go for players like Molina, who maybe don't have all this interest, finished articles where you know what they can give you, you perhaps get more realistic valuations."

Roma's squad engaged in a teqball competition during a pre-season training camp, with Paulo Dybala and Mario Hermoso defeating Wesley and Castro 7–3. The match took on a South American and Latin flavour, pitting the experience of Dybala and Hermoso against the younger pairing. After the victory, Dybala offered commentary on the result and the age gap between the teams. He stated: "Experience always pays off", and later added: "Much to learn for the young lads", directing the remark at the Argentina–Brazil duo. Dybala and Hermoso combined for 45 years between them, while Castro and Wesley brought nearly 64 years of experience. The teqball contest formed part of Roma's pre-season schedule, with the club using downtime activities to strengthen squad cohesion and competitive spirit among players during the summer training period.

Roma's squad engaged in a teqball competition during a pre-season training camp, with Paulo Dybala and Mario Hermoso defeating Wesley and Castro 7–3. The match took on a South American and Latin flavour, pitting the experience of Dybala and Hermoso against the younger pairing. After the victory, Dybala offered commentary on the result and the age gap between the teams. He stated: "Experience always pays off", and later added: "Much to learn for the young lads", directing the remark at the Argentina–Brazil duo. Dybala and Hermoso combined for 45 years between them, while Castro and Wesley brought nearly 64 years of experience. The teqball contest formed part of Roma's pre-season schedule, with the club using downtime activities to strengthen squad cohesion and competitive spirit among players during the summer training period.

Roma delivered a commanding performance in their second British tour friendly on 4 August, dismantling Newport County 4–1 at Rodney Parade. Castro and Koulierakis both started and scored, with Castro netting the second goal and Koulierakis the third. Mario Hermoso opened the scoring in an unusual midfield deployment, before Matías Soulé added a fourth late on. Newport County pulled one back through Cameron, but it proved irrelevant to the result. The victory came as part of Roma's pre-season preparation under Gian Piero Gasperini and offered promising early signs from the squad. The goals for Castro and Koulierakis marked encouraging contributions from two players in their opening appearances during the tour.

Roma concluded their second pre-season fixture on British soil with a commanding 4–1 victory over Newport County. Mario Hermoso opened the scoring after a cutback from the number 9, before new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis also found the net under Gasperini's watch. Santiago's penalty and a header from Koulierakis extended Roma's lead in the second half, with Matías Soulé sealing the win before Cameron pulled one back for the hosts. The emphatic performance underlined Roma's attacking threat ahead of the 2026–27 season. Gasperini's team displayed clinical finishing across the two halves, with both established squad members and recent additions making an impact. The warm-up matches in England have provided valuable game time as preparations continue towards the competitive campaign.