Gasperini pushes Roma for urgent attacking reinforcements as injuries and departures leave flanks exposed

Koulierakis has begun his Roma career at the club's training camp in Wales, completing his first sessions in giallorosso colours. The Greek defender expressed his excitement about playing at the Olimpico, saying: "I cannot wait to play at the Olimpico, the atmosphere is extraordinary." He has been conducting early training work with the squad and made time to interact with supporters at the resort after a session, signing autographs and exchanging smiles with those present. Koulierakis, who spoke with both Manolas and Tsimikas before joining Roma, regards head coach Gian Piero Gasperini as one of the finest in the game. The transfer marks the addition of a fresh defensive option to Roma's squad for the 2026-27 season.

Angeliño is departing AS Roma after two and a half years. The Spanish left-back will undergo a medical with Deportivo La Coruña on 4 August, initially scheduled in La Coruña but now to take place in Florence where Roma are playing a friendly against Fiorentina. Angeliño will join the newly promoted Liga side this evening ahead of the Florence fixture. The transfer is structured as a loan with an obligation to buy set at €2.5 million. Gasperini has opted to move Angeliño on after the player failed to impress during the early stages of pre-season. Last season was hampered by injuries for the 1997-born defender, who began his professional career at Deportivo and will now return to the club where he first made his mark in the game. The operation concludes Roma's pursuit of alternatives in the left-back area as Gasperini shapes his squad for the 2026–27 campaign. Angeliño, who joined Roma in May 2024, departs as the club's number 3.

Roma are targeting Real Madrid pair Endrick and Franco Mastantuono to strengthen their attacking line, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini explicitly requesting two additional forwards despite the recent arrival of Santiago Castro. According to Alfredo Pedullà, the Giallorossi have been monitoring the Brazilian Endrick for a month but are unlikely to move quickly on either target. Roma plan to address the left wing first with signings such as Antonio Nusa, with the ongoing uncertainty around Matías Soulé—who has been available for transfer throughout the summer but remains at the club—also affecting the timing of any striker acquisition. Roma are competing with Fiorentina for Mastantuono, while Endrick has interest from clubs abroad. Both players could arrive on loan or via a formula similar to Nico Paz's arrangement. Endrick carries a €45–50 million price tag. Roma harbour tactical concerns about the 20-year-old; he is neither a pure winger nor a number 10 and performs best as a false-nine, sharing characteristics with Donyell Malen and Castro, though he could be developed into a different role. He recorded 8 goals and 8 assists in 21 fixtures for Olympique Lyonnais last season. The club has noted that a loan deal carries inherent risks, as such arrangements typically benefit only second-tier clubs by developing players who may not return.

Roma trained twice in Cardiff on 3 August under Gasperini's direction following a friendly defeat to the hosts two days earlier. A morning session took place at 10:30 local time, with a second training session scheduled for 16:00. Wesley was absent from the morning workout after suffering a right ankle sprain in Saturday's friendly and is expected to miss the second session as well. Pisilli, included in the pre-season camp but not yet recovered, remains sidelined. The midfielder is undergoing treatment and improving, but must undergo another MRI scan before a return to partial group training later in the week can be confirmed. Bah was also awaiting results from an MRI on his right knee following a severe sprain sustained against Cardiff on Saturday, with results expected in the afternoon. Roma's schedule continued with lunch at 13:45 Italian time, followed by the second training session at 16:00. The squad will face Newport County in a second friendly on 4 August at 20:00 Italian time.

Roma returned to training in Wales following a defeat to Cardiff, with Wesley forced off the pitch after just ten minutes. The Brazilian left-back's early departure was pre-arranged with the medical staff and caused no particular alarm; he is carrying only a minor issue to manage in the coming days, not a serious injury. Wesley has endured a difficult injury history over the past year. In March 2026 he suffered a serious muscle injury—a right biceps femoris lesion sustained with Brazil—which sidelined him for four weeks. He had previously stopped training in September 2025 with left knee inflammation that ruled him out of a Bolivia fixture. In June 2026, a left adductor injury sustained in a friendly against Egypt forced him to miss the World Cup. The laterals' fitness remains central to Roma's pre-season preparations as the squad continues its training camp in Wales.

Roma resumed training in their Welsh retreat following a 4–1 friendly defeat to Cardiff, with head coach Gasperini overseeing double sessions as the squad prepares for the start of the season. Defender Wesley suffered a minor right ankle discomfort during the afternoon session and stopped after around ten minutes, though the medical staff expressed no serious concern. The squad also managed absences—Bah was unavailable—while Niccolò Pisilli continued separate recovery work from a calf injury. Central defender Koulierakis, freshly signed from Wolfsburg, lifted spirits by training with his new teammates immediately upon arrival. The new recruit displayed considerable enthusiasm for joining Roma, describing his move as immediate and showing genuine emotion about the prospect of working under Gasperini and experiencing the atmosphere and warmth of the Roma fans.

Gian Piero Gasperini will hold a crucial transfer meeting with Roma sporting director D'Amico and owner Ryan Friedkin today before the team's departure for Wales. The summit will focus on finalising the club's market strategy for the remainder of the season as Gasperini, the club's new head coach, continues to push for reinforcements to mount a Champions League challenge. Left-wing remains Roma's priority, with RB Leipzig's Nusa staying at the top of the target list. Gasperini will have the opportunity to reiterate this directly to the board. The departures of Angeliño and Çelik have left gaps in the full-back department that require urgent attention. Read is being considered as a hot prospect to address those needs, with Roma having already tabled an offer to Feyenoord. The Dutch club's approval is now required for any deal to progress. Gasperini has already secured initial signings including Castro and Koulierakis, but the technical staff believes further investment is essential for a competitive campaign. All parties are emphasising the need to row in the same direction as Roma builds its new project under the new coaching regime.

Roma have tabled a €25 million bid to Feyenoord for right-back Givairo Read, hoping to conclude negotiations in the coming days. The offer represents a significant step up from Zeki Çelik's position at the club. Feyenoord remain reluctant to sell, preferring to keep the 20-year-old for another season before potentially commanding a higher fee. Nottingham Forest have also entered the race, offering €19 million plus €2 million in bonuses, a move Roma were aware of before raising their bid. Read has already agreed personal terms with Forest on a five-year contract worth €20 million plus bonuses, which prompted him to push for a departure from the Eredivisie club. Should Roma succeed in persuading Feyenoord to sell, they will need to offer Read a substantial salary of approximately €4 million per year to compete with the English offer. Feyenoord manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is attempting to convince the player to stay, and is considering offering him the captain's armband despite his youth. Read arrived at Feyenoord on a free transfer from Volendam in 2023. Roma's pursuit underscores their determination to strengthen the right-back position, with the club prepared to commit significant resources both in transfer fee and wages to secure the Netherlands-based prospect.

Roma confirmed the arrival of Greek defender Koulierakis from Wolfsburg for €15 million, with medical tests scheduled today. The transfer marks the second major signing following the announcement of Argentine forward Castro, who gave his first interview to the club. Castro said: "I couldn't wait to be here, Gasp is ideal for me. I'm a player who needs to improve everything, I need to score more goals even though the team comes first for me." He also warned Lazio: "I've already scored two goals against them, and I want to keep doing that." Director D'Amico is already focused on further reinforcements. Roma have submitted a €25 million offer to Feyenoord for right-back Givairo Read, identified as the primary target to replace Çelik on the right flank. The 2006-born fullback has agreed personal terms, but the Dutch club must still be persuaded. Sporting Lisbona's Fresneda stands as an alternative. On the left wing, Nusa from Leipzig has re-entered Roma's thinking after interest in Ezzalzouli cooled. The club has renewed contact with Leipzig and is prepared to increase their offer, though not to the €60 million the German side demands. Eintracht Frankfurt's Bahoya and an unnamed target also remain under consideration.

Roma players Mile Svilar, Gianluca Mancini, Devyne Rensch and new signing Koulierakis spent time with supporters in Wales following the squad's first training session of the day on 3 August. The interaction with fans came during Roma's pre-season preparations, with the group engaging in the customary meet-and-greet activities that characterise the build-up to a new campaign. The presence of Koulierakis, who joined as a new acquisition ahead of the 2026–27 season, marked another step in Roma's summer transfer activity as the squad continues its conditioning work away from the Stadio Olimpico.

Roma suffered a heavy defeat to Cardiff City in their opening pre-season fixture, losing 4–1 at the Welsh Championship club on 2 August. The Giallorossi conceded three goals in the opening half-hour and went in at 0–3 at the break, with errors from established players including Svilar, N'Dicka, Hermoso, Wesley, Cristante and Dybala contributing to a chaotic first period. Paulo Dybala missed a penalty in spectacular fashion before atoning in the second half with a goal created by Matías Soulé, though Cardiff added a fourth after an apparent foul on debutant Castro went unpunished. The match served as the competitive debut for Castro, who operated as the striker in an all-Argentine attacking triad alongside Dybala and Soulé under coach Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical system. Roma fielded a reduced squad following two weeks of pre-season work, while Cardiff were significantly further along in their preparation ahead of their League Cup campaign starting within days. Officiating decisions favoured the hosts, with romanisti receiving a series of yellow cards distributed seemingly arbitrarily. Wesley and Rensch appeared vulnerable on the flanks, while the centre-backs and midfield operated out of sync. A notable injury concern emerged when Bah suffered a right knee distortion and had to be stretchered off. The second half saw gradual improvements, though Cardiff's quality ensured few clear chances materialised for the visitors. Young midfielder Lulli (born 2007) impressed in a brief appearance.

Roma collapsed in their first friendly match in Wales, losing 4–1 to Cardiff. Ashford scored twice for the hosts, with goals also coming from Salech and Tanner. Paulo Dybala was Roma's sole bright spot, missing a penalty but pulling one back to make it 3–1, though the goal proved only a consolation. The defence struggled throughout, with Gianluca Mancini, Wesley and Devyne Rensch among the poorest performers, while debutant Castro misfired in attack. The squad trained this morning and appeared fatigued, carrying heavy workloads on their legs—a normal state at this stage of pre-season preparation. Young player Bah suffered a knee injury during the match, sustaining a right knee distortion; instrumental examinations will determine the full extent of the problem. Roma's next friendly comes on Tuesday against Newport at 19:00 local time (20:00 Italian time). The squad will train in the afternoon on Tuesday, with gym work scheduled for the morning.