Gasperini's orange thread: how Dutch football shaped Roma's tactical vision

AC Milan are considering moves for Matías Soulé and Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri as they search for a left-footed attacker, but their recruitment efforts are being stalled by Rafael Leão's refusal to commit to a departure. The Portuguese winger has shelved interest from Turkish clubs Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray despite being offered substantial wages, preferring to wait for more appealing options. Neither Turkish side has met Milan's €50–60 million valuation for Leão, and the club is beginning to accept he may remain. Roma are seeking €35–40 million for Soulé, a figure Milan consider prohibitively high. Fellow targets Konstantinos Karetsas and Kerim Alajbegovic have already switched clubs for comparable fees, while Franco Mastantuono is significantly closer to joining Fiorentina. Nwaneri arrives from a six-month loan at Olympique Marseille, where he made nine appearances, scoring once and providing two assists. The 21-year-old has recorded 51 outings for Arsenal in recent seasons, netting 10 goals. Milan's reluctance to accelerate their pursuit while Leão's situation remains unresolved is costing them opportunities. The club appears prepared to invest in the right prospect but shows greater preference for developing young talent under Rúben Amorim's system than securing an immediate first-team contributor. A resolution on Leão's future may come later in the summer, though any solution could prove underwhelming for the Rossoneri's ambitions.

Roma and Feyenoord remain locked in negotiations over the transfer of defender Givairo Read. Sporting director Tony D'Amico has raised Roma's bid to €25 million in fixed fees plus €3 million in bonuses, alongside a 10 per cent sell-on clause for future resales of the right-back. The Dutch club has rejected the proposal, leaving talks at an apparent standstill, though new contacts are expected in the coming days in a bid to reach a final agreement. Read himself has already signalled his intention to join Roma and has agreed a five-year contract worth €2.5 million per season. The signing would give coach Gian Piero Gasperini a fullback profile comparable to Wesley to complete Roma's flanks. Alternative targets, including Fresneda, remain secondary, while interest from Nottingham Forest is viewed as less of a threat, with the English club unlikely to drive up the price. Roma has indicated it will not increase its offer further at present, though the expectation is that a resolution could be reached within the coming days as both clubs seek to close the gap between their valuations.

Roma have increased their offer for Read to €25 million plus €3 million in bonuses and 10% of any future resale fee, but Feyenoord have rejected the proposal. The Dutch club's expectations remain unmet, and negotiations are currently at an impasse with Roma's sporting director unwilling to go further. However, further contact between the parties is expected in the coming days as both sides work towards an agreement. Read himself has made his position clear, accepting a move to Roma on a five-year contract worth €2.5 million per season. Roma are targeting a swift conclusion within the coming 48 hours. The club had also considered Fresneda as an alternative, but prefer a profile similar to Wesley to strengthen the flanks. Nottingham Forest remain in the background as a secondary option, though they appear reluctant to engage in an auction for the player.

Devyne Rensch has spoken of his emotional arrival at Roma, telling Romanews.eu from the club's Cardiff training camp: "It is a feeling difficult to explain. These are sensations you don't experience often but only in very special moments. When I signed for Roma it was a special moment for me and so the emotions came out. My mother was crying too and that is one of the reasons why that moment was so special." Midfielder Muhammed Bah suffered a serious setback during the same training spell, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee after 26 minutes of the friendly against Cardiff City. The 2007-born player will undergo surgery in Switzerland with Dr Georg Ahlbäumer, with recovery estimated at approximately nine months. Bah had suffered the same injury once before in 2024. Elsewhere, Roma are accelerating their pursuit of right-back Givairo Read from Feyenoord as their primary target for the flank. The club has tabled an offer of €25 million and an agreement in principle has been reached with the player; further contact with Feyenoord is expected in the coming days to advance the deal. Winger Wesley withdrew from training after just ten minutes but Roma's medical staff reported no serious alarm, describing it as a minor issue to manage in the coming days. His early exit had been pre-arranged with the coaching team. Paulo Dybala was singled out as one of the few Roma players performing well in the Cardiff friendly loss.

Roma face Newport County in their second pre-season friendly in Wales on 4 August at 20:00 at the Rodney Parade. The match follows an earlier fixture against Cardiff City during the summer preparation period under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Gasperini is expected to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mile Svilar in goal; Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Koulierakis across the back; Devyne Rensch and Wesley as wing-backs; Neil El Aynaoui and Bryan Cristante in midfield; Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in the attacking midfield line; and Donyell Malen leading the attack. Tickets are available through Newport County's official website. The friendly will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text coverage available on ilromanista.eu.

Devyne Rensch has backed Gasperini to be a major asset for Roma, speaking from the club's pre-season training camp in Wales. The left-back said: "Yes, certainly he is a coach who brings a lot of energy, mentality, tactical work for everyone and also for me. He is a coach who is helping me become a better footballer but also a better person. He motivates you, he always pushes you to exceed your limits and consequently to beat the opponent. It is clear that he is a very demanding coach who makes you work hard, but he is very good both on and off the pitch in looking after all aspects of the footballer and the person." Rensch has not yet met Dutch compatriot Givairo Read but believes his arrival would strengthen the squad. When asked about a potential move for Read, Rensch said: "No, I have only seen him play. He would be the third Dutch footballer in the squad besides me and Malen, so it would be nice if his arrival came through and we could also help him to settle in and integrate as well as possible and quickly." Rensch also reflected on Roma's Champions League campaign, saying that while scoring against Parma was important, the focus now must be forward: "It was very nice to score such an important goal for the team. But in the end this is the past, now we must move forward and concentrate on what lies ahead of us, because now we must work even harder to be competitive in the league, Coppa Italia and Champions League. We must look ahead."

Donyell Malen has expressed his commitment to Roma and his ambition to win Serie A with the club, comparing it to their 2001 scudetto celebrations at Rome's Circo Massimo. Speaking to Il Messaggero during Roma's preseason training camp in Wales, the forward said: "With my family we're doing well, I'm scoring, my relationship with the squad is excellent, the fans are splendid. Right now there would be no reason to think about changing air. A few weeks ago I was watching footage of the 2001 title celebrations at Circo Massimo. Repeating an experience like that would be wonderful, a dream." Malen praised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's clarity and tactical direction, noting his ability to put players in position to finish. He expressed openness to whatever partnership Gasperini decides, whether alongside Paulo Dybala or any other forward. "Dybala? A magician," he said of his teammate. On the reported departure of Cristante, Malen declined to elaborate: "I had spoken with Crys too. Unfortunately it went badly but I don't want to comment on my friend's choices. I only wish him the best." Malen also commented on potential squad additions, highlighting young Feyenoord talent as a player who "could be useful to us" and reiterating that Roma need quality forwards to compete at the highest level.

Donyell Malen has expressed his ambition to win the Serie A scoring title in an exclusive interview, declaring his satisfaction at Roma and ruling out any thoughts of leaving the club. The Dutch forward reflected on the 2001 Scudetto celebrations at Circo Massimo and said repeating that experience would be "a wonderful dream". He backed the potential arrival of fellow countryman Givairo Read to strengthen the squad, describing the proposed move enthusiastically. On tactics, Malen acknowledged that coach Gasperini prefers not to deploy him and Santiago Castro together from the start, but stressed he is comfortable with multiple strike partners. "The important thing is that if you want to compete at the highest level you need strong players, and Santiago is one," he said, adding that Paulo Dybala is "a magician". Regarding the unsuccessful pursuit of Summerville, Malen revealed he had spoken to the player directly. "Yes, I had contacted Crys. Unfortunately it went badly but I don't want to comment on a friend's choices. I only wish him the best," he said. Malen expressed hope of matching Edin Dzeko's achievement from 10 years ago as Roma's last top scorer with 29 goals, though he emphasised taking things week by week. He highlighted that last season's primary success was securing Champions League qualification after seven years, rather than personal goal tallies, and expressed a desire to repeat that achievement.

Donyell Malen has settled quickly at Roma and dreams of celebrating a Serie A title at the Circo Massimo, recalling footage of the club's 2001 Scudetto celebrations there. The Dutch forward credits head coach Gasperini with giving him clear direction and confidence. "The trust he has placed in me, the clarity with which he expresses himself," Malen said. "It's hard not to understand what he asks. He knows my qualities and puts me in the best conditions to finish the team's work." Malen reflected on his journey through the Netherlands, Germany, England, and now Italy, noting that Roma's path to Champions League qualification after seven years was more significant than individual goal tallies. He acknowledged Gasperini's recent suggestion that he and Santiago Castro may rarely start together, accepting the coach's tactical decisions. On Paulo Dybala, he said simply: "A magician." Malen spoke warmly of his wife Delisha, whom he has known since adolescence, and their recent addition—daughter Shiloh, now six months old, joining three older sons. His mother, who worked night shifts as a taxi driver to support the family during the day, earned particular gratitude. Growing up in a rural area with farms and animals, Malen earned the childhood nickname "the farmer with clogs" after copying his grandfather's footwear.