Dybala Dismisses Boca Return, Poised to Renew Roma Contract Ahead of Preseason

Roma's squad will return to the Fulvio Bernardini training centre tomorrow morning to begin pre-season preparations. The session marks the official start of the club's new campaign, with all players converging on Trigoria to commence work under the coaching staff. Defender Kumbulla has offered his thoughts on what lies ahead for him at the club. Meanwhile, Federico Guidi has stepped down as head coach of Roma's Primavera side following a consensual termination of his contract. The departure signals a change in the youth setup as the club reshapes its academy structure ahead of the new season.

AS Roma will officially begin their 2026–27 season preparation tomorrow with the opening of their summer training camp at Trigoria. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will welcome the squad for the first day of work, with the official squad list to be announced in the morning ahead of the players' arrival at the Fulvio Bernardini centre at lunchtime. The convocation will mark the start of Roma's summer preparations ahead of their Serie A campaign and their return to the Champions League. The timing of tomorrow's gathering sets the stage for the intensive work required before the new season gets underway.

Roma's pre-season gathering at Trigoria begins tomorrow, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini arriving in the morning to oversee operations. Players who featured in the World Cup—Çelik, Malen, Salah-Eddine, El Aynaoui, and N'Dicka—will receive extended leave, while Paulo Dybala is expected to be present. The official squad list will be announced tomorrow morning rather than in advance, delayed until Dybala's contract renewal is formally confirmed. All players are scheduled to report before midday for medical examinations, followed by a training session in the afternoon as the new season officially gets under way. Ryan Friedkin is anticipated to arrive in Rome in the coming days. D'Amico will be present for the start of pre-season, but Lorenzo Pellegrini remains absent after failing to reach an agreement on a contract extension.

Roma's pre-season gathering at Trigoria begins tomorrow, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini arriving in the morning to oversee operations. Players who featured in the World Cup—Çelik, Malen, Salah-Eddine, El Aynaoui, and N'Dicka—will receive extended leave, while Paulo Dybala is expected to be present. The official squad list will be announced tomorrow morning rather than in advance, delayed until Dybala's contract renewal is formally confirmed. All players are scheduled to report before midday for medical examinations, followed by a training session in the afternoon as the new season officially gets under way. Ryan Friedkin is anticipated to arrive in Rome in the coming days. D'Amico will be present for the start of pre-season, but Lorenzo Pellegrini remains absent after failing to reach an agreement on a contract extension.

Paulo Dybala has recommitted to AS Roma following his automatic contract renewal, capping a resurgence that helped secure the club's return to the Champions League for the first time in seven years. The Argentine playmaker delivered decisively in the final stretch of the 2025–26 season, recording assists for Malen and El Shaarawy in matches against Verona—the goals that sealed Europa League qualification and promotion to the group stage. Over 27 appearances in that run, Dybala posted 3 goals and 8 assists. Since joining Roma in 2022, Dybala has compiled 140 matches, 45 goals and 30 assists across all positions—attacker, second striker, attacking midfielder and creative fulcrum. His debut campaign (2022–23) proved prolific with 18 goals and 8 assists before injury despite a standout display against Inter and a vital Europa League goal against Feyenoord. The following year brought 16 goals in 39 matches with 10 assists. A proposed summer transfer to Al-Qadsiah fell through when Dybala chose to remain in the Eternal City, but form and fitness suffered under successive managers, leaving him sidelined until early 2026. After knee surgery in March forced another layoff, his timely return proved crucial. The lingering scar from the 31 May 2023 final—a missed opportunity to change Roma's history—remains, but the coming seasons offer fresh chances to heal that wound.

Radio commentators have offered contrasting views on Lorenzo Pellegrini's absence from Roma's training camp. Aspri stated the midfielder's non-appearance is purely physical rather than a sign of trouble, saying: "The absence of Lorenzo at the gathering I don't see as an alarm; they're telling us the absence is mainly for the physical aspect, he's not yet well and this would not have allowed him to be there even with a contract." Aspri expressed certainty over contract renewals for Dybala, Çelik, and Pellegrini, claiming they require only "special adjustments" and that the project could become fundamental for the 30-year-old captain. Pruzzo offered a starkly different perspective, suggesting Roma would not be troubled if Pellegrini moved elsewhere. "If Roma found itself in another situation with Pellegrini they wouldn't tear their hair out," Pruzzo said. "If he were to change air, Roma wouldn't mind too much—that's my impression. I don't believe the new Roma should be rebuilt around Pellegrini." Bernabai raised concerns about contract delay timelines, noting that as of mid-July neither Çelik nor Dybala had signed, and questioned whether Dybala would be available the following day. Gasperini's focus remains on securing three attacking signings and addressing unresolved contract matters before the competitive season begins.