Castro arrives at Roma in number 9 shirt; Gasperini sees Malen, Muriel blueprint

Angeliño is close to departing AS Roma on loan to Deportivo la Coruña, with the Spanish club near to securing the deal on a loan basis with a right of redemption. Minor details remain to be finalised before the left-back can complete his exit from the Giallorossi. The 27-year-old failed to convince head coach Gian Piero Gasperini during the recent pre-season period and departs following a season marked by inconsistency. His departure leaves Roma seeking a new backup left-back to partner Wesley in that role. The club has identified Alessio Cacciamani of Torino as a target. The 2007-born defender is valued at over €5 million by Torino, having spent the previous campaign on loan at Juve Stabia. Angieliño's exit follows a similar move in the transfer window, with fellow Roma player Salah-Eddine also approaching an agreement to leave the club.

Roma have intensified their search for attacking reinforcements and a wing-back following Zeki Çelik's departure, with Ivan Fresneda of Sporting CP and Real Betis forward Abde Ezzalzouli emerging as primary targets. The club has held three recent talks with Fresneda and his representatives; the Portuguese defender is valued at around €17–18 million plus substantial bonuses. Fresneda joined Sporting from Real Valladolid for €9 million in 2023 and has made 81 appearances, scoring 4 goals and providing 3 assists. Ezzalzouli carries a similarly high price tag. The Real Betis attacker has scored 29 goals and laid on 18 assists in 128 games, while earning 37 caps for Morocco. Roma have also explored options lower down the valuation chain. They tabled a €2.5 million bid for Club America's Israel Reyes on the wing, but the Mexican side demanded €7 million—Reyes has featured 146 times for his current club over five seasons. The Giallorossi remain in complex negotiations over Antonio Nusa but have not abandoned the pursuit. While Santiago Castro's arrival has bolstered the attacking department, Roma's need for multiple wing-backs after Çelik's exit may limit their ability to invest heavily in a second premium signing, though Wesley and Devyne Rensch offer tactical flexibility.

Fabian Berlanga, president of Velez, praised Santi Castro following the player's transfer to Roma for 35 million euros in January 2024. Berlanga told Tuttomercatoweb that Castro is "a fantastic boy" who deserves the opportunities he is now enjoying. The Velez chief expressed confidence in Castro's international prospects, saying: "Personally I am certain that Santi in the near future will have opportunities to play for the Selección. He has all the credentials to earn consideration from the senior national team." Castro joined Roma from Velez, where he had represented the Argentine club until early 2024. Berlanga reflected on the sale to Bologna (before Castro's subsequent move to Roma), noting that the club was always confident in the player's trajectory. "When we sold Castro to Bologna, we knew well that he would have a great career," Berlanga said. "And now we are happy to see what kind of path he is taking, because he really deserves it. We are talking about a great person and an excellent player." The comments underline the high regard in which Castro is held by his former club, with Berlanga suggesting the 21-year-old has the potential to establish himself at senior international level with Argentina.

Santiago Castro has completed his medical assessment at Campus Biomedico and arrived at Trigoria to begin life as AS Roma's new number 9. The Argentine forward, signed from Vélez, embodies the profile favoured by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini—combining the dynamism that reminds the manager of Donyell Malen or Luis Muriel from his time at Atalanta. Castro will undergo his official presentation, take his first training session under Gasperini, and link up with Roma's Argentine contingent of Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala before joining the squad for their pre-season training camp in Wales. Gasperini views Castro's arrival as a significant boost to Roma's attacking options. The 21-year-old can operate as a pure centre-forward, a mobile second striker, or a left-sided attacker, giving the Italian tactician flexibility across multiple competitions and knockout fixtures. With Paulo Dybala positioned as a playmaker, the pairing promises to unlock different offensive configurations. Castro's versatility allows Roma to tailor their formation and approach based on the opposition, strengthening the squad depth and providing certainty during the demanding season ahead.

Santiago Castro has completed his move to Roma on a five-year contract worth €1.5 million plus bonuses per season, with the signing formally concluded today. The deal forms part of a package involving Artem Dovbyk's departure to Bologna. Castro was greeted by crowds at Termini railway station despite the weekday timing, and will now begin training under Gian Piero Gasperini alongside his new teammates. The Argentine will wear the number 9 shirt—the traditional pure strikers' number. Castro, 20, impressed Gasperini during Atalanta's Coppa Italia quarter-final win over Roma in February 2025, a match the Argentine won with a goal that sent Atalanta to the final. Roma face that same Atalanta side again when they begin preparations in Wales this Friday, with friendlies against Cardiff, Newport, and Brighton scheduled before an Ferragosto test against Borussia Dortmund. His competitive debut comes on 24 August. In attack, Castro will initially operate alongside fellow Argentines Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé, who are currently Roma's only playmakers. Soulé and Castro are linked by a strong friendship and spent part of their holidays training together at Comunicaciones, the club owned by Soulé's father. Donyell Malen will also feature, with Castro serving as his primary alternative, though Gasperini may deploy the pair's combined pace and dynamism simultaneously.

Paolo Marcacci's weekly ratings roundup highlights Paulo Dybala's perfectly struck free-kick against Cannes in a friendly, earning top marks for technical excellence regardless of the opposition's standard. Donyell Malen has returned from his recent World Cup commitments with renewed hunger for goals and prominence in Roma's attacking play, while Devyne Rensch is already showing signs of sharpness and remains underrated heading into official fixtures. Pierluigi Gollini's position as second-choice keeper warrants reflection from the club. Matías Soulé's fitness condition drew specific mention from Gasperini in a recent press conference, with Soulé appearing among those most behind pace during the Cannes match—though this observation carries no bearing on ongoing transfer considerations. Angeliño's search for match sharpness requires respectful patience rather than unsolicited commentary. The wider ratings reflect concerns about Italy's national team setup under new management, with political interference in sporting matters undermining both the sport itself and public confidence.

Santiago Castro has arrived at Roma as the summer's first signing, with the class of 2004 striker set to partner or rotate with Donyell Malen as Gasperini builds attacking depth for a season that includes Champions League football. Castro was welcomed by supporters at Termini Station two days before his official presentation; his role will not be secondary, as the dual-striker system has been a recurring theme throughout Gasperini's tenure at Atalanta. Gasperini's track record shows a consistent preference for rotating or pairing two attacking players. At Atalanta, he deployed Petagna and Cornelius (2017–18, 6 goals each) before signing Duvan Zapata from Sampdoria for 26 million euros total and adopting a 3-4-1-2 formation with two strikers. Zapata and Alfredo Morelos combined for 38 goals in 2019–20 (19 each), while Zapata and Alejandro Muriel posted 19 and 26 goals respectively in 2020–21. Later signings included Matteo Scamacca, who scored 19 times in 2023–24, and eventually Mateo Retegui, who managed 28 goals last season while playing as sole striker or in partnership—the lone exception to Gasperini's two-striker preference that still delivered Champions League qualification. At Roma, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson have been ruled out through injury and poor form; Malen's 15 goals secured European football. Castro joins a squad that also includes Robinio Vaz and reportedly others, offering Gasperini the flexibility to deploy two forward options when needed.

Santiago Castro will meet Gian Piero Gasperini for the first time today and is immediately available for the resumption of training. The Argentine forward arrived in Rome yesterday with his wife Agustina Gonzalez, completed medical examinations, and signed a contract until 2031. Castro joins as deputy to Donyell Malen but is expected to play a much broader role in Roma's attack. Roma's offensive output struggled last season before Malen's arrival stabilised the side. Since joining, Malen has been ever-present in the league, scoring 14 goals in 18 starts and never missing a match. Castro's addition means Malen is no longer isolated, a significant boost for Gasperini's system. The coach prefers a 3-4-2-1 formation but has also deployed 3-4-1-2 during his career; Castro can operate as a second striker and may be paired with Malen as early as Saturday's fixture against Cardiff. The Argentine can also play across the attacking line, offering tactical flexibility. Matías Soulé remains on Roma's transfer list and has been offered to AC Milan in recent days; Sunderland is also monitoring the midfielder. Gasperini will have both options available from the weekend onwards as Roma strengthen their attacking depth.

Santiago Castro has completed his medical assessment at Campus Biomedico and arrived at Trigoria to begin life as AS Roma's new number 9. The Argentine forward, signed from Vélez, embodies the profile favoured by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini—combining the dynamism that reminds the manager of Donyell Malen or Luis Muriel from his time at Atalanta. Castro will undergo his official presentation, take his first training session under Gasperini, and link up with Roma's Argentine contingent of Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala before joining the squad for their pre-season training camp in Wales. Gasperini views Castro's arrival as a significant boost to Roma's attacking options. The 21-year-old can operate as a pure centre-forward, a mobile second striker, or a left-sided attacker, giving the Italian tactician flexibility across multiple competitions and knockout fixtures. With Paulo Dybala positioned as a playmaker, the pairing promises to unlock different offensive configurations. Castro's versatility allows Roma to tailor their formation and approach based on the opposition, strengthening the squad depth and providing certainty during the demanding season ahead.