Friedkin and Gasperini meet as Roma seek director of football; analysts debate ideal candidate

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's friendly against Cannes. The goalkeeper contingent includes De Marzi, Gollini and Svilar, whilst the defence features Rensch, Angeliño, Ndicka, Hermoso, Mancini, Ziolkowski, Wesley, Nardin, Lulli and Ghilardi. Midfield options are Cristante, Panico, Di Nunzio, Giammattei and Bah, with Dovbyk, Malen, Soulé, Dybala and Arena leading the attack. Roma have made an official bid to Club America for defender Israel Reyes, the Mexican defender born in 2000 and valued at approximately €8 million, according to journalist Gibran Araje. The contacts between the clubs are ongoing, and should the deal succeed, Reyes could become Roma's first summer signing. Simultaneously, Roma have been forced to abandon the pursuit of winger Said El Mala, the 2006-born talent who has rejected a move to the Giallorossi and prefers to continue his development in Germany, potentially waiting for a call from Borussia Dortmund or staying at Cologne. Manu Koné remains central to Gasperini's plans despite European interest following his World Cup success with France. Manchester United have cooled their approach to the midfielder, reportedly reflecting on a potential €60 million investment, though they have not entirely abandoned the pursuit.

Neil El Aynaoui was spotted by Roma fans enjoying a summer break in Cannes following his Morocco side's elimination from the World Cup. The midfielder is currently on holiday in France before returning to the Italian capital on 30 July. El Aynaoui's presence in Cannes comes at an interesting moment for Roma, who will face the local team in a pre-season friendly on Friday. Gian Piero Gasperini's side will travel to Stade Pierre de Coubertin for the 17:30 kickoff against Cannes as part of their summer preparation ahead of the new season.

Roma's first team, under Gasperini, will face Cannes in a friendly match tomorrow at 17:30 in France. The club used the day to work towards the fixture as part of their pre-season preparations. Meanwhile, Roma's Primavera side experienced disappointment at Cascia, where they were defeated by Benevento. The youth team's setback came as the senior squad gears up for their upcoming friendly engagement. Former Roma striker Borja Mayoral discussed the Giallorossi and their recent managerial history under Mourinho. Transfer speculation has also emerged from Turkey regarding Akturkoglu, though Roma's direct involvement remains unclear.

Lorenzo Pellegrini remains in limbo nearly a month after his contract expired on 30 June, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini keen to retain him but negotiations still unresolved ahead of the new season. Gasperini has sought Pellegrini's confirmation alongside Paulo Dybala and Zeki Çelik; Dybala has already signed new terms and Çelik has departed, but Pellegrini's future remains uncertain. The midfielder is currently recovering from a previous season injury and unavailable for training, which has extended talks. Gasperini said: "I hope for the renewal, but at this moment the player could not train. He must recover from injury, for this reason the timescales are a little longer. In the meantime I hope he can recover as soon as possible, then reach an agreement." A banner from the Roma supporters' group appeared at the training ground reading: "Making a mistake can happen... Repeating it means carelessness! Let's hold on to Lorenzo!" Bryan Cristante added his support after Roma's friendly with Trastevere at Trigoria, saying he had been in contact with Pellegrini and was waiting for him with open arms. The sticking point centres on contract duration: Pellegrini is requesting a three-year deal but would reportedly accept two years. The squad will soon relocate from Trigoria to Wales for their summer training camp.

Vice-president Ryan Friedkin arrived at Roma's Trigoria training ground on 14 July to inject momentum into the summer transfer window, having successfully brokered deals during his January visit — most notably the arrival of Donyell Malen, who played a central role in Roma's push to the Champions League. This summer's mission has proved less fruitful. Two primary targets, Greenwood and Summerville, have already fallen through, with the American ownership expressing doubts about spending €50 million on the latter. Roma have also suffered the blow of Çelik signing with Juventus despite an oral agreement being in place. Gasperini had been awaiting Friedkin's arrival on 13 July, the first day of pre-season. With the window stalling, Friedkin has already returned to the United States within the past 48 hours, and no return date has yet been set. He may attend Cannes–Roma, a pre-season friendly between the two Friedkin-owned clubs, on Sunday, though that remains uncertain. The new transfer target is now Nusa, and Ryan will monitor negotiations from afar.

Summerville has completed his move from West Ham to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal on a four-year deal worth 15 million euros per season, leaving Roma to pursue alternative targets. The signing marks the third major disappointment for the Giallorossi in the transfer window after setbacks involving Greenwood and Çelik, and arrives with Roma's recruitment board yet to make a single purchase as of 23 July—described as a negative record for the club. Director D'Amico is now pursuing Norwegian international Nusa from Leipzig, who is valued at 60 million euros. Roma faces competition from Premier League clubs, notably Newcastle, but hopes to leverage player interest to negotiate with the German side. The club has a budget of 50 million euros earmarked for the position. Meanwhile, Garnacho is close to joining Aston Villa, who have secured an obligation to buy from Chelsea for 42 million euros after a loan year—a move that further removes him from Roma's grasp. El Mala and Uzun remain on D'Amico's shortlist as the window progresses.

Roma travel to Stade Pierre de Coubertin tomorrow to face Cannes in a friendly match. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for the contest, with injuries ruling out Pisilli and Vaz, while Cherubini is unavailable due to fever. The group reflects a mix of first-team regulars and academy prospects. In defence, Gasperini has called up Rensch, Angelino, N'Dicka, Hermoso, Mancini, Ziolkowski, Wesley, Nardin, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfield contingent comprises Cristante, Panico, Di Nunzio, Giammattei and Bah, while the attacking options are Dovbyk, Malen, Soulé, Dybala and Arena. The friendly provides an opportunity for Gasperini's side to build match sharpness and continue preparations for the season ahead. The absence of Pisilli and Vaz through injury underlines the need for squad rotation, though both players will be assessed ahead of upcoming competitive fixtures.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's friendly against Cannes. The goalkeeper contingent includes De Marzi, Gollini and Svilar, whilst the defence features Rensch, Angeliño, Ndicka, Hermoso, Mancini, Ziolkowski, Wesley, Nardin, Lulli and Ghilardi. Midfield options are Cristante, Panico, Di Nunzio, Giammattei and Bah, with Dovbyk, Malen, Soulé, Dybala and Arena leading the attack. Roma have made an official bid to Club America for defender Israel Reyes, the Mexican defender born in 2000 and valued at approximately €8 million, according to journalist Gibran Araje. The contacts between the clubs are ongoing, and should the deal succeed, Reyes could become Roma's first summer signing. Simultaneously, Roma have been forced to abandon the pursuit of winger Said El Mala, the 2006-born talent who has rejected a move to the Giallorossi and prefers to continue his development in Germany, potentially waiting for a call from Borussia Dortmund or staying at Cologne. Manu Koné remains central to Gasperini's plans despite European interest following his World Cup success with France. Manchester United have cooled their approach to the midfielder, reportedly reflecting on a potential €60 million investment, though they have not entirely abandoned the pursuit.

Roma travel to France on Friday for their third pre-season friendly against Cannes, the club owned by the Friedkin Group. Gasperini has ruled out Pisilli and Robinio Vaz from the fixture, while Cherubini is also sidelined with fever. Soulé returns to the squad after missing the previous match for workload management and will feature in attack alongside Dybala and Malen. Roma have won their opening two warm-up games decisively, recording 6–0 victories over both the Primavera and Trastevere. The Cannes match represents a more competitive test before the Serie A campaign begins. The squad will return to Rome immediately after the fixture, following which Gasperini will grant the players two days of rest. Gasperini's matchday squad includes goalkeepers De Marzi, Gollini and Svilar; defenders Rensch, Angelino, Ndicka, Hermoso, Mancini, Ziolkowski, Wesley, Nardin, Lulli and Ghilardi; midfielders Cristante, Panico, Di Nunzio, Giammattei and Bah; and forwards Dovbyk, Malen, Soulé, Dybala and Arena.