Roma ease past Newport County with comfortable 4–1 friendly win

Roma recovered from their Cardiff defeat with a commanding 4–1 victory over Newport County in a pre-season friendly. Gian Piero Gasperini's side impressed throughout, with Mario Hermoso opening the scoring in the first half and new arrivals Santiago Castro and Koulierakis both netting their first goals in giallorosso colours. Matías Soulé added the fourth to complete the rout. CEO John Galantic and Ryan Friedkin attended the match at the stadium. Hermoso featured prominently, winning a penalty, scoring, and providing an assist. He praised the team's adaptation and mentality under Gasperini, emphasising the positive impact of the new signings and the squad's unity. On the transfer front, Roma's recruitment drive continues across multiple fronts. Salah‑Eddine rejected a move to Olympiacos despite an agreement between the clubs. The focus shifts to left-back targets, with ongoing dialogue with Torino over Alessio Cacciamani—Roma are considering raising their offer. A €17 million proposal has been submitted to Atlético Madrid for Nahuel Molina, with talks described as open but difficult. Separately, negotiations with Feyenoord over Read remain active; Roma have agreement with the player but not yet with the Dutch club, who await potential rival bids from Nottingham Forest.

Paulo Dybala sustained a knee injury during Roma's match against Newport after a challenge from Evans. The forward left the pitch requiring ice treatment on his knee. The incident occurred during what proved to be a dominant Roma performance. The match saw strong contributions from other squad members, with Hermoso delivering a notable display and Castro opening his account. Koulierakis marked his debut with a goal as Roma secured a commanding 4–1 victory. Dybala's injury adds to Roma's injury concerns as the squad prepares for the upcoming season. Hermoso outlined the team's readiness for the challenge ahead, stating: "I do what Gasp asks me to do. We are waiting for new reinforcements." Meanwhile, the transfer window remains active, with speculation surrounding potential additions to strengthen the squad.

Roma secured a 4–0 victory over Newport in a pre-season friendly, bouncing back after a previous defeat to Cardiff. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini used the match to experiment with new tactical setups, including deploying Mario Hermoso in midfield—a move that proved effective, with the Spanish defender scoring one goal and providing an assist. Paulo Dybala featured prominently during the club's pre-season preparations, though he was relatively quiet in this particular fixture until sustaining a painful challenge from an opponent. The incident sparked a brief altercation on the pitch. Dybala left the field at full-time with ice on his knee as a precautionary measure following the knock, with no immediate alarm raised about the injury. However, this marks a second match in succession in which Dybala has been targeted aggressively by the opposing defence—a concern given his history with injuries. Roma face Brighton on Saturday.

Roma recovered from their Cardiff defeat with a commanding 4–1 victory over Newport County in a pre-season friendly. Gian Piero Gasperini's side impressed throughout, with Mario Hermoso opening the scoring in the first half and new arrivals Santiago Castro and Koulierakis both netting their first goals in giallorosso colours. Matías Soulé added the fourth to complete the rout. CEO John Galantic and Ryan Friedkin attended the match at the stadium. Hermoso featured prominently, winning a penalty, scoring, and providing an assist. He praised the team's adaptation and mentality under Gasperini, emphasising the positive impact of the new signings and the squad's unity. On the transfer front, Roma's recruitment drive continues across multiple fronts. Salah‑Eddine rejected a move to Olympiacos despite an agreement between the clubs. The focus shifts to left-back targets, with ongoing dialogue with Torino over Alessio Cacciamani—Roma are considering raising their offer. A €17 million proposal has been submitted to Atlético Madrid for Nahuel Molina, with talks described as open but difficult. Separately, negotiations with Feyenoord over Read remain active; Roma have agreement with the player but not yet with the Dutch club, who await potential rival bids from Nottingham Forest.

Paulo Dybala sustained a knee injury during Roma's match against Newport after a challenge from Evans. The forward left the pitch requiring ice treatment on his knee. The incident occurred during what proved to be a dominant Roma performance. The match saw strong contributions from other squad members, with Hermoso delivering a notable display and Castro opening his account. Koulierakis marked his debut with a goal as Roma secured a commanding 4–1 victory. Dybala's injury adds to Roma's injury concerns as the squad prepares for the upcoming season. Hermoso outlined the team's readiness for the challenge ahead, stating: "I do what Gasp asks me to do. We are waiting for new reinforcements." Meanwhile, the transfer window remains active, with speculation surrounding potential additions to strengthen the squad.

Roma secured a 4–0 victory over Newport in a pre-season friendly, bouncing back after a previous defeat to Cardiff. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini used the match to experiment with new tactical setups, including deploying Mario Hermoso in midfield—a move that proved effective, with the Spanish defender scoring one goal and providing an assist. Paulo Dybala featured prominently during the club's pre-season preparations, though he was relatively quiet in this particular fixture until sustaining a painful challenge from an opponent. The incident sparked a brief altercation on the pitch. Dybala left the field at full-time with ice on his knee as a precautionary measure following the knock, with no immediate alarm raised about the injury. However, this marks a second match in succession in which Dybala has been targeted aggressively by the opposing defence—a concern given his history with injuries. Roma face Brighton on Saturday.

Roma's vice-president Ryan Friedkin attended the club's match at Newport County on 4 August, as the club's delegation travelled to Wales for the pre-season fixture. Alongside Friedkin, Roma's hierarchy including Gandler and Galantic were present for the encounter. El Aynaoui returned to the squad for the Newport match after a recent absence. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's attacking options remained depleted, with five forwards unavailable. The club continued to pursue transfer targets, with Castro among those in contention for selection. Roma's recruitment efforts also focused on alternative options as the club worked on reinforcements for the season ahead. The visit underlined the Friedkin Group's continued involvement in the club's operations and pre-season preparations ahead of the 2026–27 campaign.

Neil El Aynaoui is pushing hard to establish himself as a key figure in Gasperini's Roma midfield. After a mixed previous season that saw him instrumental in the club's late Champions League push, the midfielder returned from Morocco's World Cup campaign with a minor left knee problem but has integrated fully into group training. To accelerate his fitness, he completes additional solo running sessions around the club's training base, working under close supervision from Gasperini's staff. In a behind-closed-doors match two days ago, El Aynaoui scored twice—once with a header from a Cherubini cross and once from distance—as he competes for regular minutes. El Aynaoui arrived from Lens with a goalscoring reputation, having netted 8 goals in 24 matches. Since joining Roma he has managed only two goals—one in Serie A and one in the Europa League—a return that falls short of expectation. Aston Villa has enquired about him, but his future remains with the Giallorossi. Gasperini faces midfield injury problems: Bah has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, Pisilli is still unavailable, and Koné is expected back only on 10 August. Manchester United continue to pursue Koné without having made a concrete move, but El Aynaoui is determined to climb the hierarchy and carve out a leading role in Roma's midfield.

Mohamed Bah suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Roma's friendly against Cardiff on 3 August and will undergo surgery with Dr Georg Ahlbaumer, with a recovery period estimated at approximately nine months. The 19-year-old Gambian midfielder's season is over before it has begun. Bah was struck by the same injury two years ago during the summer 2024 pre-season retreat under Daniele De Rossi, when he tore the ACL in his left knee at Saint Moritz and missed eleven months of action. Roma's pre-season training at Vale Resort in Hensol continues under Gian Piero Gasperini, who has maintained high-intensity work as the squad prepares for their second warm-up fixture. Wesley is unavailable for tonight's friendly at Rodney Parade in Newport, having sustained a minor ankle sprain in Saturday's match against Cardiff City, which Roma lost 4–1. The club is taking precautionary rest with the winger. Neil El Aynaoui is gradually returning to full training. Tonight's Newport County match kicks off at 19:00 local time (20:00 Italian time). Kostas Koulierakis, the latest arrival, trained with the squad for the first time on Sunday after joining the Welsh retreat on Saturday afternoon and will feature as Roma look to improve on Saturday's defensive display, when clear lapses in concentration contributed to a heavy defeat.

Mario Hermoso put Roma ahead in the 38th minute during their second pre-season friendly in Wales against Newport County at Rodney Parade. Bryan Cristante recovered possession to launch the move, then found Hermoso with the help of a deflection off Castro, with the Spanish defender finishing from close range to settle the opening period at 1–0. Gasperini's side began slowly but grew into the match. Mile Svilar made a vital save in the 14th minute to deny Doidge after the Newport forward was left unmarked, while Paulo Dybala and Castro posed occasional threats in attack. Newport threatened early through Biggins, whose long-range effort struck the crossbar in the 4th minute, but Roma's defence gradually tightened. The friendly served as a fitness-building exercise during the Wales training camp. Donyell Malen was absent through fever. Gasperini made a tactical adjustment in the 36th minute, switching Wesley to the right flank and Devyne Rensch to the left. Jenkins received a booking for Newport in the 40th minute. The match was officiated by Martin, with Tweson-Morris and Hooper as assistants.

Donyell Malen will miss Roma's friendly against Newport this evening (kickoff 19:00) due to fever, though the Dutch winger is expected to return within days and will be available for Saturday's fixture against Brighton at 15:00. Castro takes his place in attack alongside Paulo Dybala, a pairing that worked in a previous friendly at Cardiff. Wesley has recovered from a right ankle problem and was included in the squad. Koulierakis, another recent addition, starts from the first minute. Vice-president Ryan Friedkin joined the squad at Vale Resort ahead of the match. Malen's absence is not deemed serious and he is expected to be fully fit for the Brighton game on Saturday.

Roma are pushing hard to sign Alessio Cacciamani, the Torino left-back, as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini seeks to strengthen the left flank. A meeting between the two clubs is scheduled to discuss the player's availability. Torino president Urbano Cairo is handling the negotiations personally, signalling how highly the club values the young defender as an asset. Roma identified the left-wing position as a priority after the departure of Angeliño and the expected exit of Salah Eddine. Cacciamani is viewed as the ideal profile to develop alongside Wesley at left-back. The Giallorossi had budgeted 27 million euros for the right flank, and could redirect those funds to increase their offer for Cacciamani in an attempt to break Torino's resistance. However, the negotiations show no sign of being straightforward. Torino's initial valuation of Cacciamani is high, and the club is demanding a significant fee. Roma's opening bid of approximately 7 million euros was rejected on 2 August; Torino are seeking at least 15 million euros for the Under-21 international. The gap between the two positions remains substantial, and the upcoming meeting will test whether there is room to bridge the divide and move the deal forward.