Dybala's Return Lights Up Roma: Goals, Assists and Signs Pointing to Contract Renewal

Nahuel Molina is set to arrive in Rome on the afternoon of 10 August after Roma completed his transfer from Atlético Madrid for €13 million plus €4 million in add-ons. The Argentine full-back will undergo medical examinations and sign his contract upon arrival, before training under Gian Piero Gasperini for the first time on Tuesday. Molina's move concludes a deal negotiated over recent days. He becomes part of Roma's squad rebuild for the 2026–27 season under Gasperini, who took charge last year. The defender's arrival strengthens Roma's options at full-back as the club prepares for the campaign ahead. The transfer fee totals €17 million with incentives included. Molina will integrate into the squad after his first session with Gasperini on Tuesday.

Nahuel Molina is set to complete his move to Roma, with the Argentine defender due to arrive in the capital tomorrow evening. The deal with Atlético Madrid has been finalised, with Roma paying €17 million in total—€13 million upfront plus €4 million in add-ons. Molina will sign a four-year contract and become Roma's third summer signing. Documents were exchanged on Friday afternoon, concluding negotiations that had been ongoing for several days. The 26-year-old will immediately place himself at the disposal of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini as he prepares for the 2026–27 season. Molina's arrival strengthens Roma's defensive options ahead of the campaign, with the club having already completed two other signings during the transfer window.

Roma have returned home after concluding their British pre-season training camp and are pursuing two attacking targets: Rodrigo Mora from Porto and Endrick from Real Madrid. The club is attempting to secure a permanent transfer for the Portuguese forward born in 2007, while exploring the possibility of a loan deal for the Brazilian. Both signings represent potential reinforcements to Roma's forward line as the 2026–27 season approaches. Mora, a 2007 birth-year prospect from Porto, is being actively pursued on a permanent basis, while negotiations for Endrick centre on a temporary arrangement that would see the Real Madrid player join on loan. Francesco Petrachi has also been discussing Cacciamani, though specific details of those talks were not outlined in the latest update.

Roma's English pre-season tour ended in concern after a 3–0 defeat at Brighton laid bare significant defensive lapses and attacking impotence. The performance revealed delays both in physical conditioning and the absorption of tactical patterns, leaving Roma having conceded 11 goals across their last four friendly outings. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini expressed open frustration on the touchline, demanding greater midfield screening and emphasising the urgent need to activate the team's intensity. The match highlighted glaring defensive oversights and minimal cutting edge up front. Devyne Rensch came under constant pressure on the counter-attack from Yankuba Minteh, while Mario Hermoso had an off day in marking Georginio Rutter. Donyell Malen showed signs of being short of match fitness. The attacking partnership of Santiago Castro and Paulo Dybala made little impression on goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. With two weeks remaining before Roma's competitive league debut, Gasperini will have crucial time to accelerate both recruitment and work at Trigoria to correct these problems.

Roma are in the decisive phase of their summer transfer window hunt for a left-winger to strengthen their attack. With Lorenzo Pellegrini's contract renewal formalized and Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé securing the right flank, sporting director Tony D'Amico is looking to provide head coach Gian Piero Gasperini a player capable of delivering goals and depth. Gasperini's brief is clear: a young but already sufficiently prominent profile to match the club's ambitions. Malick Fofana of Olympique Lyonnais is the primary target, valued at approximately 40 million euros. The Belgian winger's pursuit faces significant obstacles, chiefly competition from RB Leipzig—fresh from selling Diomande to Real Madrid—who shares the same agency (Roc Nation) with Fofana. Roma are therefore exploring alternatives of high calibre. Jamie Gittens, available after Chelsea's acquisition of him a year ago from Borussia Dortmund for 60 million, features prominently among them. The club is also quietly exploring the possibility of a loan move for Endrick from Real Madrid.

Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged Roma's transfer shortfall after a poor showing in a friendly against Brighton, conceding that the club lacks adequate depth. The head coach said: "If we do the count, numerically there is still a need for something, but you know how it is. D'Amico is negotiating very young and very important players. That is the indication." Gasperini stressed that squad decisions rest with the club's chief executive, saying: "We have a chief executive, you will have to ask him these questions and he will say what Roma can and cannot do. On numbers and market possibilities the ball passes to him." Gasperini cited returnees from international duty—Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen—as still recovering their sharpness. He praised Paulo Dybala's fitness and noted that recent arrivals from the start of preseason had performed well. The manager confirmed that an injured player "will be out for at least a month," with discussion to resume from September onward. Gasperini also highlighted recent squad changes: "We replaced Çelik with Molina, whom we will see on Tuesday. We replaced Dovbyk with Castro, who I believe will give us great satisfaction. And then Koulierakis arrived, who seems interesting to complete the defence."

Roma suffered a second defeat in three pre-season outings, losing 3–0 to Brighton in what Gasperini described as a concerning display two weeks before the season begins. Wesley emerged as the standout performer, while Neil El Aynaoui stepped back from his midweek form, and the defence was repeatedly breached. Gianluca Mancini (5) lost his man on Brighton's third goal and appeared less commanding than usual, while Mario Hermoso (5) was partly culpable for the opening goal and departed with a foot problem. Evan N'Dicka (5.5) offered insufficient security at the back, and Devyne Rensch (4.5) endured a forgettable afternoon at right-back following several indecisions; Koulierakis (6) and Daniele Ghilardi (6) came on at half-time and improved the display, though the match was already decided. Wesley (6) impressed with his physicality and athleticism, particularly a close effort at the 28-minute mark, while Paulo Dybala (5.5) created Roma's most dangerous opportunity despite a subdued showing. Neil El Aynaoui (4.5) was erratic in midfield, losing the ball in an exchange with Rensch that led to Brighton's second goal. Bryan Cristante (5.5), the captain, struggled to control the midfield as his experience might demand. Matías Soulé (5.5) lacked incisiveness despite constant movement. Donyell Malen (5) remained short of match fitness and rarely troubled the goalkeeper. Gasperini rated the performance 5, noting that Roma has conceded eleven goals across the last 360 minutes of pre-season play. Though he acknowledged no points are at stake in August, he expressed disappointment for the 750 Roma supporters in attendance. The transfer market remains underdeveloped, he added, but the squad must perform better ahead of competitive fixtures.

Roma faced Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the final warm-up match of their British tour. Gasperini named Donyell Malen in the starting eleven, while leaving new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis on the bench to manage their workload ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. The Roma boss fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, and a four-strong midfield of Devyne Rensch, Bryan Cristante, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley. Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala occupied the advanced midfield roles, with Malen leading the attack. The fixture served as a final examination of the squad's preparation during the pre-season tour, with Gasperini using the match to assess combinations and match sharpness before competitive action resumes.

Roma concluded their British pre-season schedule with a 3-0 defeat at Brighton's American Express Stadium. Goals from Rutter in the 29th minute and a brace from Ayari in the 40th and 49th minutes sealed the result. Roma trailed at half-time after Rutter and Ayari's strikes, and Ayari's second goal early in the second half effectively decided the contest. The defeat followed Roma's earlier loss to Cardiff and victory over Newport County in the warm-up campaign. Head coach Gasperini fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Dybala and Soulé deployed behind striker Malen. The lineup included Svilar in goal, a back three of Mancini, N'Dicka, and Hermoso, with Rensch and Wesley as wing-backs, El Aynaoui and Cristante in midfield. In a tactical experiment late in the match, Gasperini replaced Dybala with Castro in the 66th minute, allowing the Argentine and Dutch winger Malen to share almost twenty minutes together, though they created little of note. Roma made multiple substitutions throughout the fixture, with changes across defence, midfield, and attack at intervals. Brighton fielded a 4-3-3, with manager Hurzeler making significant alterations at the hour mark, bringing on Osman, Kostoulas, and Yohanna. The match was refereed by Bobby Madley.

Roma are reportedly preparing a €40 million bid for Lyon forward Malick Fofana as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini looks to strengthen his attacking options following the club's return to the Champions League for the first time since 2018. The 21-year-old Belgian has emerged as a top target after deals for other widening options stalled, with Roma priced out of a move for RB Leipzig's Antonio Nusa and their pursuit of Strasbourg's Diego Moreira having collapsed. Fofana impressed during the 2024–25 season but suffered a severe ankle injury that sidelined him for almost the entire 2025–26 campaign, raising fitness concerns that could complicate negotiations over Lyon's asking price. However, his pace, direct running and ability to play across both flanks appeal to Gasperini. Roma have already bolstered their attack this summer, signing Donyell Malen on a permanent deal and securing Santiago Castro from Bologna for a reported €35 million. The club are also exploring a move for Bologna's Jonathan Rowe. Fofana is a realistic candidate to replace Yan Diomande at Leipzig, who joined Real Madrid in a record-breaking transfer, meaning Roma may face competition for his signature.

Roma's English pre-season tour ended in concern after a 3–0 defeat at Brighton laid bare significant defensive lapses and attacking impotence. The performance revealed delays both in physical conditioning and the absorption of tactical patterns, leaving Roma having conceded 11 goals across their last four friendly outings. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini expressed open frustration on the touchline, demanding greater midfield screening and emphasising the urgent need to activate the team's intensity. The match highlighted glaring defensive oversights and minimal cutting edge up front. Devyne Rensch came under constant pressure on the counter-attack from Yankuba Minteh, while Mario Hermoso had an off day in marking Georginio Rutter. Donyell Malen showed signs of being short of match fitness. The attacking partnership of Santiago Castro and Paulo Dybala made little impression on goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. With two weeks remaining before Roma's competitive league debut, Gasperini will have crucial time to accelerate both recruitment and work at Trigoria to correct these problems.

Roma's pre-season tour of England ended in a heavy 3–0 defeat to Brighton. Goals from Georginio and a double from Ayari condemned the Giallorossi to a sluggish, listless performance that prompted immediate concern from head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. "Terrible: a poor performance, lacking the right concentration. We're struggling to switch on, but we think we can fix it soon," Gasperini said after the match. The squad returns to Trigoria on Tuesday for group training, which will mark Nahuel Molina's first session with the team. Lorenzo Pellegrini's injury layoff extends beyond initial expectations, with Gasperini warning recovery will take at least a month and the matter will be reassessed in September. The coach also urged patience for players returning from international duty—Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen among them—as Roma prepare for Serie A's start in a fortnight. On the transfer front, Gasperini confirmed changes to the squad. "We replaced Çelik with Molina and Dovbyk with Castro, then Koulierakis arrived. But numerically we still need something. D'Amico is negotiating very young but important players," he said, referencing director Tony D'Amico's ongoing dealings in the market.