Gasperini's left-wing shortlist: Summerville, Paixão and Tzolis under consideration; Alejbegovic ruled out

Roma continue negotiations with RB Leipzig and the representatives of Nusa as Gian Piero Gasperini pushes the club to strengthen the attacking wing position. According to transfer expert Alfredo Pedullà, the Giallorossi have maintained contact with both the Norwegian winger's agents and the Bundesliga club, though no agreement has yet been reached. The pursuit of Nusa comes as Roma look to bolster the offensive department following the arrival of Castro and with defender Koulierakis close to completion. Gasperini has made an additional attacking midfielder his priority requirement for sporting director D'Amico. Nusa has been on Roma's radar for several days, though the club may have initially used interest in the player as cover for work on alternative targets. Pedullà stressed that while dialogue continues between Roma, the player's agents, and Leipzig, no deal is currently in place. Ezzalzouli remains another option being considered, but that avenue is presently proving difficult to pursue.

Roma are maintaining their interest in Endrick, the 2006-born striker currently owned by Real Madrid, as they look to add further reinforcements to their attacking department this summer. The move would follow Roma's acquisition of Santiago Castro, with Endrick identified as one of several targets on the club's shortlist. Endrick recently featured for Brazil at the World Cup and spent the previous season on loan at Lyon. Real Madrid are open to allowing the forward to leave on loan again to secure more regular playing time. Roma's interest forms part of a broader summer recruitment plan as the club seeks to strengthen its offensive options under the direction of recruitment staff.

Roma remain interested in signing Real Madrid forward Endrick as they continue to strengthen their attacking options. The Brazilian, born 2006, is not expected to feature regularly at the Bernabéu in the coming season, and Real Madrid are exploring a loan move to develop the player. Roma have already moved to secure midfielder Castro, with an official announcement expected soon, and are close to agreeing a deal for defender Koulierakis, but priority remains upgrading the forward line. Endrick comes fresh from a positive spell at Lyon and now appears on Roma's radar alongside other targets identified in recent weeks. The proposed structure would see the Brazilian join on loan with an option to buy valued at approximately 45 million euros, plus a counter-option reserved for Real Madrid to reclaim the player. The loan-with-obligation framework reflects both clubs' flexibility in the current transfer window.

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.

Roma find themselves in unexpected stasis on the transfer market one month before their Serie A opener against Fiorentina, hampered by slow planning, a complex summer constrained by Settlement Agreement rules, and difficulty delivering the reinforcements Gian Piero Gasperini has requested. As of late July, Roma had completed zero signings and just one minor departure, leaving six players from last season's squad still to be replaced: El Shaarawy, Ferguson, Tsimikas, Celik, Venturino, and Zaragoza. The club also has several players ready to depart—Salah-Eddine, Kumbulla, and Dovbyk among them—while others including Soulé and Koné remain uncertain. Contract complications surround Dybala, and Pellegrini's position requires clarification. Delays stem from structural issues worsened by Tony D'Amico's late arrival as sporting director, who became operational only in the final ten days of June following a dispute with Atalanta, compounded by World Cup scheduling and Settlement Agreement restrictions. Gasperini intends to compete at the highest level while preserving the squad's core and adding only a few elite signings. Roma pursued Mason Greenwood and Luis Summerville at length, becoming committed to the Dutch player beyond their budgeted limits before the deal collapsed entirely.

Roma are pursuing Summerville to fill the most glaring weakness in Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical system. The club has identified a right-footed attacking winger—capable of playing as a trequartista or winger on the left—as the top priority for the new season, with sporting director D'Amico now working alongside Gasperini to address the gap. The void has persisted for seasons. Throughout August, the club sought a loan deal for a right-footed attacking option without success, pursuing targets including Fabio Silva (who remained at his club with one year remaining on his contract) and Jadon Sancho via videoconference. January brought only unsuccessful temporary deals for Bryan Zaragoza and Lorenzo Venturino, alongside the unproven centre-forward gamble of Robinio Vaz, signed for €25 million. Summerville's arrival would finally remedy what has been an obvious deficiency in Roma's attacking setup under Gasperini.

Santiago Castro has arrived at Roma as the summer's first signing, with the class of 2004 striker set to partner or rotate with Donyell Malen as Gasperini builds attacking depth for a season that includes Champions League football. Castro was welcomed by supporters at Termini Station two days before his official presentation; his role will not be secondary, as the dual-striker system has been a recurring theme throughout Gasperini's tenure at Atalanta. Gasperini's track record shows a consistent preference for rotating or pairing two attacking players. At Atalanta, he deployed Petagna and Cornelius (2017–18, 6 goals each) before signing Duvan Zapata from Sampdoria for 26 million euros total and adopting a 3-4-1-2 formation with two strikers. Zapata and Alfredo Morelos combined for 38 goals in 2019–20 (19 each), while Zapata and Alejandro Muriel posted 19 and 26 goals respectively in 2020–21. Later signings included Matteo Scamacca, who scored 19 times in 2023–24, and eventually Mateo Retegui, who managed 28 goals last season while playing as sole striker or in partnership—the lone exception to Gasperini's two-striker preference that still delivered Champions League qualification. At Roma, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson have been ruled out through injury and poor form; Malen's 15 goals secured European football. Castro joins a squad that also includes Robinio Vaz and reportedly others, offering Gasperini the flexibility to deploy two forward options when needed.

Santiago Castro will meet Gian Piero Gasperini for the first time today and is immediately available for the resumption of training. The Argentine forward arrived in Rome yesterday with his wife Agustina Gonzalez, completed medical examinations, and signed a contract until 2031. Castro joins as deputy to Donyell Malen but is expected to play a much broader role in Roma's attack. Roma's offensive output struggled last season before Malen's arrival stabilised the side. Since joining, Malen has been ever-present in the league, scoring 14 goals in 18 starts and never missing a match. Castro's addition means Malen is no longer isolated, a significant boost for Gasperini's system. The coach prefers a 3-4-2-1 formation but has also deployed 3-4-1-2 during his career; Castro can operate as a second striker and may be paired with Malen as early as Saturday's fixture against Cardiff. The Argentine can also play across the attacking line, offering tactical flexibility. Matías Soulé remains on Roma's transfer list and has been offered to AC Milan in recent days; Sunderland is also monitoring the midfielder. Gasperini will have both options available from the weekend onwards as Roma strengthen their attacking depth.

Santiago Castro has completed his medical assessment at Campus Biomedico and arrived at Trigoria to begin life as AS Roma's new number 9. The Argentine forward, signed from Vélez, embodies the profile favoured by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini—combining the dynamism that reminds the manager of Donyell Malen or Luis Muriel from his time at Atalanta. Castro will undergo his official presentation, take his first training session under Gasperini, and link up with Roma's Argentine contingent of Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala before joining the squad for their pre-season training camp in Wales. Gasperini views Castro's arrival as a significant boost to Roma's attacking options. The 21-year-old can operate as a pure centre-forward, a mobile second striker, or a left-sided attacker, giving the Italian tactician flexibility across multiple competitions and knockout fixtures. With Paulo Dybala positioned as a playmaker, the pairing promises to unlock different offensive configurations. Castro's versatility allows Roma to tailor their formation and approach based on the opposition, strengthening the squad depth and providing certainty during the demanding season ahead.