Juventus beat Chelsea 1–0 in pre-season; Çelik impresses in defensive display

Santiago Castro is settling into life at Roma following his arrival this summer at Gasperini's request. The Argentine striker is being coached to mirror the positioning and movement of Donyell Malen, Roma's starting centre-forward. In recent days, Gasperini has worked closely with Castro during pre-season fixtures, including a match against Newport on 4 August in which the coach provided tactical instruction during a cooling break. Gasperini wants Castro to receive the ball at a diagonal angle to goal rather than with his back fully to the frame, enabling him to release the ball quickly and attack in depth—a technique Malen executes expertly. Castro showed improvement in the second half against Newport and earned the manager's approval, scoring in the process. While Malen remains the designated starter, Gasperini indicated the pair are unlikely to start together regularly, though he left open the possibility during the fixture-heavy 2026–27 season. Castro's physical condition is improving as pre-season progresses. On 5 August, Roma trained at Hensol under the observation of Ryan Friedkin, with an afternoon session for players who did not feature from the start against Newport. Meanwhile, Roma are working on several transfer targets. Negotiations are advancing for Molina, with Atlético Madrid to receive €13 million plus €4 million in bonuses, while the player is offered a four-year contract at €2.5 million annually. Roma continue to pursue a left-back in Cacciamani and are weighing options in attack between Nusa and Fofana.

Roma delivered a commanding performance in their second British tour friendly on 4 August, dismantling Newport County 4–1 at Rodney Parade. Castro and Koulierakis both started and scored, with Castro netting the second goal and Koulierakis the third. Mario Hermoso opened the scoring in an unusual midfield deployment, before Matías Soulé added a fourth late on. Newport County pulled one back through Cameron, but it proved irrelevant to the result. The victory came as part of Roma's pre-season preparation under Gian Piero Gasperini and offered promising early signs from the squad. The goals for Castro and Koulierakis marked encouraging contributions from two players in their opening appearances during the tour.

Roma concluded their second pre-season fixture on British soil with a commanding 4–1 victory over Newport County. Mario Hermoso opened the scoring after a cutback from the number 9, before new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis also found the net under Gasperini's watch. Santiago's penalty and a header from Koulierakis extended Roma's lead in the second half, with Matías Soulé sealing the win before Cameron pulled one back for the hosts. The emphatic performance underlined Roma's attacking threat ahead of the 2026–27 season. Gasperini's team displayed clinical finishing across the two halves, with both established squad members and recent additions making an impact. The warm-up matches in England have provided valuable game time as preparations continue towards the competitive campaign.

Roma's transfer activity continues to take shape as negotiations over a move for Molina from Atlético Madrid advance, with agreement between the clubs already in place and details being finalised with the player, according to commentary on Roman radio. The move represents an upgrade on Zeki Çelik at left-back, following the collapse of earlier attempts to sign Read from Feyenoord. Felici questioned the market's inflation, citing the €25 million paid for Robinio Vaz as excessive, whilst observing that established players like Molina command more realistic valuations than emerging talent. Carina argued that Roma remain behind schedule in constructing their squad for the coming season. Gasperini is awaiting the arrival of at least four wide players to implement his preferred system, and with the pre-season phase underway to test the squad, the club still has structural gaps to address. Carina stated: "If the summer is being used to trial the squad ahead of the season then Roma is in arrears. In prospect of the league it still looks a bit short, because this is when you should be working with the squad that will define the season. There are still some holes." Pruzzo offered a critical assessment of defender Koulierakis following a friendly on 4 August, saying: "Koulierakis yesterday did not make a great impression on me. He seemed a bit approximate and made many sloppy passes. I didn't understand whether he is a defender who wants to hold his position or go to meet the attacker. I hope I'm wrong and that he is a player with the strength to play as a defensive utility man." Ryan Friedkin made a surprise appearance at the friendly.

Roma have accelerated their search for a new right-winger after Zeki Çelik's unexpected departure, but face a sticking point in the transfer market. Givairo Read of Feyenoord remains the preference, yet the Dutch club has stiffened its demands to more than €30 million in recent days, prompting Roma to pivot towards Atlético Madrid's Nahuel Molina. The Argentine World Cup winner, formerly of Udinese, is being targeted with an offer of approximately €17 million including bonuses—a significant saving on Read's inflated price. Molina currently earns €2.8 million annually in Spain, and Roma await his approval of the deal. Ryan Friedkin attended Roma's 4–1 friendly victory over Newport County and continues to oversee transfer strategy. The shift towards Molina is partly a signal to Feyenoord that Roma will not be moved by sudden price hikes. Other targets including Savona and Fresneda remain on the list; any money saved from a cheaper Molina deal could be reinvested in an additional winger. Roma have narrowed the gap with Torino over Cacciamani, with a decisive meeting with the Turin club's board taking place today. In attack, a final push for Nusa is imminent, with an offer to Lyon for Fofana standing ready if that bid fails.

Roma are finalizing the signing of Givairo Read, a right-back born in 2006 from Feyenoord, after the Dutch club accepted their offer on 3 August. The deal is worth €25 million plus approximately €2.5 million in bonuses, and Read has been pushing for the move following talks with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and the prospect of playing Champions League football. The transfer is expected to be completed imminently, with bonuses to be finalized. Read is set to join Roma in Wales, where the club play their second friendly against Newport on 4 August at 20:00 (live on DAZN). Read's arrival will fill the right-back slot left by Zeki Çelik's departure. Gasperini is still hunting three more signings, with a left winger his priority. RB Leipzig's asking price for Nusa remains €60 million, prompting Roma to explore alternatives including Stuttgart's Leweling and Lyon's Fofana, though there are fitness concerns over the latter. A potential return move for Tel has also emerged as a possibility, contingent on Tottenham's pursuit of Manchester City's Savinho; if that deal goes through, Frankfurt's interest in Tel could create an opening for Roma to revive their interest in the French winger.