Dovbyk agrees Bologna move as Roma sign Castro

Kostas Tsimikas has been named Liverpool captain for the first time, a striking turnaround after his disappointing spell at AS Roma. The left-back arrived in Rome last summer to bring experience from his years at Liverpool, but failed to establish himself on the flank despite Angeliño's absence. His time at the Stadio Olimpico was marked by poor performances, including a memorable poor free-kick attempt against Como and being substituted for Bryan Zaragoza. Roma supporters view the development with bitter irony—what promised to be a valuable acquisition under Gasperini became a complete failure. Tsimikas has now returned to Liverpool, where he has been warmly received by the club's supporters. Manager Arne Slot, who took over from predecessor Jurgen Slot, has confirmed the Greek defender in the squad for next season and appears committed to building around him. The contrast between Tsimikas's struggles in Serie A and his embrace at Anfield illustrates how drastically circumstances can differ for the same player at different clubs. His captaincy represents a significant show of faith from Liverpool's new management.

Anass Salah-Eddine's future at AS Roma appears increasingly distant following the end of his loan spell at PSV Eindhoven. The left-back has returned to the capital but does not feature in Gian Piero Gasperini's plans; he was excluded from summer pre-season training, and the club is actively working to offload him. Salah-Eddine has reportedly approved a move back to the Dutch Eredivisie, a league he knows well and where he believes he can establish regular first-team football. While no formal offers have yet reached Roma's desk, several Dutch clubs have expressed interest and talks are progressing positively. Real Betis has also emerged as a suitor, conducting an initial enquiry on the 2002-born defender in recent days, though the Spanish side has not yet submitted a concrete proposal. Roma remain ready to listen to offers for a player who falls outside Gasperini's vision. A resolution is expected within the coming weeks as the Giallorossi weigh their options between interested parties in both the Netherlands and Spain.

Roma's transfer window is in full swing following Santiago Castro's arrival. The club has identified Antonio Nusa, the Norwegian winger, as its primary attacking target. The move could accelerate in the coming days after Nusa has reportedly signalled his willingness to join Roma. However, an agreement with Leipzig remains the stumbling block. The German club values Nusa's transfer at over €55 million and has little incentive to sell, particularly after receiving a fee slightly above €100 million from Real Madrid for Diomandé. Heads of recruitment D'Amico and coach Gasperini consider Nusa the ideal profile for Roma's project, given his age and technical qualities. The club had previously pursued Mason Greenwood and Dan Summerville before those avenues closed. Several alternatives are under consideration—including Adingra, Leao, Alajbegovic, and Martinelli—though Luiz Henrique of Zenit and Oscar Bobb of Fulham do not feature in D'Amico's plans.

Roma are on the brink of securing Santiago Castro from Bologna as Gian Piero Gasperini's first attacking reinforcement. The deal is structured at approximately 30 million euros plus 5 million in bonuses, totalling 35 million euros. The Argentine striker has agreed to join on a contract worth 2 million euros per season plus bonuses, with Tony D'Amico finalising payment terms and resale percentages. Parallel negotiations with Bologna extend to Artem Dovbyk's future. The Ukrainian forward has opened to a move to the Emilia-Romagna club after speaking directly with Bologna manager Domenico Tedesco. Roma and Bologna are currently working to finalise the loan formula, with Roma pushing for an obligation to buy and Bologna preferring a right to buy. Both clubs aim to complete the arrangement before the squad departs for pre-season training in Wales.

Paulo Dybala illuminated Roma's pre-season friendly against Cannes in France, but the 3–3 draw starkly exposed the club's dependency on the Argentine midfielder. Dybala opened the scoring with a masterful free-kick and produced a string of high-class moments before leaving the pitch; Roma then collapsed completely, conceding three unanswered goals to the newly promoted third-tier hosts and surrendering a late equaliser from a penalty carelessly conceded by Artem Dovbyk in stoppage time. With the transfer window still sluggish, the medical room full, contract renewals stalled, and painful departures including Zeki Çelik's move to Juventus, Dybala has become Roma's essential lifeline—both on the field and as a symbolic figure for the club. His significance was underscored during Roma's centenary celebrations on the night of 21–22 July, when he embraced ten thousand supporters gathered at via degli Uffici del Vicario. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini prioritised keeping Dybala, a decision that protects the club from both technical and emotional impoverishment and confirms the star as the anchor holding the entire project together.

Roma are on the verge of completing the signing of Santiago Castro from Bologna for €35 million in total—comprising a fixed fee and performance bonuses—with the Argentine forward expected to arrive in the capital imminently. The deal has been unlocked by a market arrangement that sees Artem Dovbyk move to Bologna on loan, with Roma contributing to his wages. The transfer was accelerated following a face-to-face meeting in France between Tony D'Amico and Ryan Friedkin, who approved the additional budget required to close the move. The club overcame Dovbyk's initial resistance to the loan switch, despite interest from Genoa, to provide an immediate boost to the squad after recent setbacks in the transfer window, including rejections from Mason Greenwood and Armando Summerville and Zeki Çelik's move to Juventus. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini still requires further reinforcements to complete the roster for the new season, particularly an attacking winger. Nusa remains Roma's primary target in that position, alongside alternative options including Marcus Rashford, El Mala, Schjelderup and Akterkoglu, as well as a full-back to provide depth and defensive solidity across all competitions.