Castro: I wanted Roma from the start, Gasperini impresses me

Roma's pursuit of Endrick has become significantly more difficult following Real Madrid's sale of Gonzalo Garcia to Fulham for a fee close to €40 million. The Spanish club's unexpected decision to move Garcia out has fundamentally altered the Brazilian forward's prospects at the Bernabéu. Garcia had been competing with Endrick for a starting position in Real Madrid's attack, with manager Mourinho planning to evaluate both players during pre-season before deciding their futures. With Garcia now sold to Fulham, Mourinho no longer faces that choice. Endrick can now be retained as an in-house attacking talent ready to develop under the Portuguese manager's guidance. The €40 million from Garcia's departure gives Real Madrid funds to reinvest elsewhere—reportedly on Rodri—but more importantly removes the pressure to offload Endrick. A loan move, previously considered possible, now appears less likely. Roma, under head coach Gasperini, will need to explore alternative targets. Only the arrival of another centre-forward at Real Madrid could reopen the possibility of Endrick departing, but the current outlook suggests the Brazilian will remain with the club. Roma's recruitment team will continue working behind the scenes on other profiles to strengthen the attack.

Bryan Zaragoza's spell at Roma has ended in disappointment, with Bayern Munich indicating the Spanish winger has no future at the Bundesliga club. After his loan at Roma concluded, Zaragoza returned to Bavaria only to be told to leave. Bayern sporting director Max Eberl made the club's position clear, stating: "Zaragoza, Palhinha and Boey don't have a future here. We are planning something else. If they want to stay, it will be difficult: they won't have a role." Roma had signed Zaragoza hoping to remedy the earlier disappointment of Bailey's tenure. However, the left-winger made little impact during his time at the Stadio Olimpico, scoring no goals and spending extended periods on the bench. His contribution to Roma's Champions League push proved negligible, and the club has already moved past him. The failed experiment joins Bailey as another unsuccessful wide recruitment for Roma—two losing bets that have left a gap the club must now fill urgently. Zaragoza must now find a new club as Bayern Munich have effectively shown him the door. The responsibility falls on Roma's technical director to identify the correct left-wing profile this time, as another mistake is not an option.

Roma have accelerated their transfer activity, officially confirming Castro and closing the Koulierakis deal while tabling a €25 million offer for Read. Head coach Gasperini will have at least two new faces available when Roma travel to Wales. The club continues to prioritize a left winger, but are also fielding offers for current squad members. Defender Daniele Ghilardi has emerged as a potential departure candidate following the arrival of the Greek defender, as he may see reduced playing time. Juventus have made an initial enquiry for the former Verona prospect, though Roma will not part with him easily. Gasperini is reluctant to lose Ghilardi, who remains young with significant room for development. To sweeten a potential deal, Juventus are considering offering defender Gatti as a technical counterpart. However, the proposal remains exploratory at this stage and may not progress further. Roma's transfer strategy continues on multiple fronts, with further activity expected both in incomings and departures in the coming days.