CECCHETTI: “Per me Castro non viene a fare il vice-Malen”

AS Roma's new stadium project at Pietralata is progressing through its administrative approval process. The Servizi decisoria conference will be concluded by mid-September, with construction set to begin in spring 2027. The club expects to play at the new ground from the 2030–31 season onwards. The Friedkin Group will invest €1.3 billion in the development, securing rights to the stadium for 90 years. The facility will include a 23,000-capacity stand and accommodate more than 60,000 spectators in total, giving Roma its first purpose-built home since moving to the Stadio Olimpico in 1953.

AS Roma has suspended season ticket sales after fans purchased 40,000 subscriptions in just 20 days, exhausting all standard seating in phase two. The club sold over 37,000 renewals before opening sales to supporters on the waiting list, who snapped up the remaining standard tickets. Only hospitality area seats now remain available. The halt ensures other supporters can purchase match tickets throughout the season without exclusion. Roma has announced an August launch for cup competition subscriptions, which will cover the first four matches of the Champions League league phase and the Coppa Italia round of 16. Supporters who bought season tickets for Serie A will have first refusal on the cup packages. The rapid depletion of tickets underscores strong demand from the Roma fanbase ahead of the new campaign.

Santiago Castro received a rousing welcome to Rome late on Wednesday evening as more than 200 Roma supporters gathered to greet him outside Termini station, complete with scarves and chants. The Argentine striker, Roma's first summer signing, arrived from Bologna to scenes of genuine passion from the Giallorossi faithful on a warm end-of-July evening. Castro's arrival marks the beginning of Roma's summer recruitment drive under the Friedkin Group's ownership. The warmth of the reception at one of Rome's main transport hubs underscored the club's supporters' enthusiasm for the incoming talent and their eagerness to embrace new players joining the squad.

Roma have completed the Santiago Castro signing for €35M including add-ons and will resume their search for a fast attacker, but Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford remain unrealistic targets. Both players earn around €11M gross annually, significantly more than Roma's top earners—a wage gap that also prevented Mason Greenwood from moving to the Italian capital. Artem Dovbyk is departing on loan to Bologna with a €17M option to buy, where he will work with coach Giovanni Tedesco to revive his career. Antonio Nusa currently leads Roma's shortlist as an alternative, though RB Leipzig are in advanced talks to sell Yan Diomande to Real Madrid, which could complicate the pursuit. Rashford's name emerged during discussions with Manchester United over Manu Koné, but the club have not aggressively pursued the Frenchman despite his impressive Barcelona loan spell—14 goals and 14 assists in 49 appearances. Roma's investment in a centre-forward after a summer spent hunting for a winger appears strategic; Castro and Donyell Malen can both operate as mobile forwards. Matías Soulé remains at the club, and Roma may yet explore another attacking addition depending on tactical requirements.

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.

Radio Roma commentators have weighed in on the club's transfer strategy following its opening move, with widespread consensus that an attacking winger remains the urgent priority before the squad departs for Wales. Lorenzo Pes said: "The first market move is a bit late; now D'Amico's mission is to sign the winger before the trip to Wales. Beyond Nusa there are other profiles we don't know about; after Summerville, Roma is working behind the scenes, and they're trying to close a deal before Friday." Simone Valdarchi added that an attacking winger "will be a fundamental piece the club wants to cover," while Piero Torri expects both a full-back and an attacking winger to arrive within two weeks. Roberto Pruzzo praised Castro as "an excellent level player" but stressed that Roma must still complete its attacking setup. He noted: "Now you have Dybala, you have Soulé, you have Castro, you have Malen…you don't have physicality, but you have players who are at a very high level." Valdarchi also suggested that a departure may follow, naming Koné as a potential sale, and noted that Salah-Eddine is set to leave in the coming days. The consensus reflects a broader view that while Roma's squad possesses technical quality, the club must act swiftly to address gaps before competitive action begins.