Key players return for Gasperini as Roma prepare assault on Champions League places

Roma drew 3–3 with the Friedkin Group's Cannes side in a pre-season friendly in France on Monday. Paulo Dybala scored twice and Donyell Malen added a goal for the Giallorossi, though Wesley was sent off. The match followed the first phase of Roma's training camp at Trigoria, which featured tactical work and internal fixtures against the Primavera and Trastevere. Gian Piero Gasperini has scheduled two days off for the squad on Tuesday and Wednesday, allowing players to recover before resuming full training on Wednesday, 29 July. The head coach is still awaiting reinforcements from the transfer market as Roma prepare for the new season. The friendly represents Roma's latest step in their summer programme after relocating to France for this phase of pre-season.

Roma drew 3–3 with Cannes in a friendly, with Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen each scoring twice but falling short of victory. The result marked the Giallorossi's third pre-season match. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini responded by granting the squad two days off; players will not train on either Monday or Tuesday and will return to the pitch on Wednesday afternoon. The friendly fixture highlighted Roma's attacking intent during their pre-season schedule, though the failure to convert chances into a win reflects areas Gasperini will target as the new campaign approaches. The rest period provides recovery time for players ahead of continued preparation.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has given Roma's squad two days of rest following a friendly draw against Cannes. Training resumes on Wednesday, with the team then departing for Wales on Thursday to begin the second phase of their pre-season camp. Neil El Aynaoui will rejoin the group after completing extra rest days following World Cup commitments. Salah-Eddine will not travel, having been deemed outside the coach's technical plans and is currently seeking a new club. Gasperini is hopeful that Santiago Castro will be available for the move to the capital, with Thursday expected to be a decisive day in finalising the signing once remaining details are resolved.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has given Roma's squad two days of rest following a friendly draw against Cannes. Training resumes on Wednesday, with the team then departing for Wales on Thursday to begin the second phase of their pre-season camp. Neil El Aynaoui will rejoin the group after completing extra rest days following World Cup commitments. Salah-Eddine will not travel, having been deemed outside the coach's technical plans and is currently seeking a new club. Gasperini is hopeful that Santiago Castro will be available for the move to the capital, with Thursday expected to be a decisive day in finalising the signing once remaining details are resolved.

Neil El Aynaoui is taking a brief holiday in Cannes after his involvement in the World Cup with Morocco, with plans to rejoin Roma within days ahead of pre-season preparations. A photograph shared by a Roma supporter confirmed the midfielder's location in Cannes, where Roma are scheduled to play a friendly against the local side—also owned by the Friedkin Group—today. El Aynaoui will watch the fixture from the stands before returning to full training with his teammates in the coming days and joining them for their pre-season training camp in Wales. The midfielder's recovery period reflects Roma's management of players returning from international duty. Manu Koné is similarly expected to return to the squad soon, giving Gasperini a fuller midfield roster as the club prepares for the new campaign. Both players will complete their integration during the pre-season schedule that will culminate in the trip to Wales.

Roma departed for Nice shortly before 10:00 and will reach Cannes by coach for their third pre-season fixture at 17:30 (live on Dazn) against the club owned by the Friedkin Group. Head coach Gasperini will deploy a front three of Dybala, Soulé, and Malen, with midfield reinforcements required due to absences. Pisilli and Vaz are unavailable through injury, while Cherubini misses out with fever. Central midfield will pair the young Bah with Cristante, flanked by Wesley and Rensch, while Svilar starts in goal behind a defensive line of Mancini, N'Dicka, and Hermoso. Notably absent is Koné, though Neil El Aynaoui—currently on holiday in Cannes—will attend the match as a spectator before officially rejoining the squad on 30 July to depart for Wales, where the second phase of pre-season training will take place. A second-string lineup and Primavera players will feature in the second half. Roma will return to the capital after the match. Gasperini has granted the squad two days of rest, with no training scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

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.

Roma's squad reported to Trigoria by 12 noon on Monday to begin their first week of training under Gian Piero Gasperini, who enters his second season in charge following the club's return to the Champions League. The first session, preceded by routine medical checks, was scheduled for the afternoon after lunch. The squad welcomed back no new faces, with departures including El Shaarawy, Ferguson, Zaragoza and Tsimikas, and the club opted not to publish the squad list publicly. The decision to withhold squad details reflects uncertainty over Paulo Dybala's contract situation. Roma's hierarchy worked to complete all formalities of Dybala's contract renewal by Monday morning, with the financial terms already agreed for several days. Çelik will be the first player to return following his involvement in international competition, though his own renewal announcement has not yet been confirmed. The full or near-full squad is expected only when the team convenes for a training camp in Wales. Gasperini is awaiting reinforcements from the club's sporting director D'Amico, who has drawn up a target list prioritising Moreira, while Garnacho and Tresoldi remain under consideration for the attack and centre-back positions respectively.

Roma drew 3–3 with the Friedkin Group's Cannes side in a pre-season friendly in France on Monday. Paulo Dybala scored twice and Donyell Malen added a goal for the Giallorossi, though Wesley was sent off. The match followed the first phase of Roma's training camp at Trigoria, which featured tactical work and internal fixtures against the Primavera and Trastevere. Gian Piero Gasperini has scheduled two days off for the squad on Tuesday and Wednesday, allowing players to recover before resuming full training on Wednesday, 29 July. The head coach is still awaiting reinforcements from the transfer market as Roma prepare for the new season. The friendly represents Roma's latest step in their summer programme after relocating to France for this phase of pre-season.

Roma drew 3–3 with Cannes in a friendly, with Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen each scoring twice but falling short of victory. The result marked the Giallorossi's third pre-season match. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini responded by granting the squad two days off; players will not train on either Monday or Tuesday and will return to the pitch on Wednesday afternoon. The friendly fixture highlighted Roma's attacking intent during their pre-season schedule, though the failure to convert chances into a win reflects areas Gasperini will target as the new campaign approaches. The rest period provides recovery time for players ahead of continued preparation.

Roma surrendered a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 against Cannes, a third-tier French club owned by the Friedkin Group, in a pre-season friendly that exposed defensive fragility. Paulo Dybala opened the scoring with a moment of skill, then set up Donyell Malen for the second goal. Dybala added a third himself to complete a brace, but the match turned when Wesley was sent off late in the first half after receiving a second yellow card that drew question marks. Playing with a numerical advantage in the second half, Cannes staged a comeback through two goals by Lopez and a penalty converted by Oggad to secure the draw. The result marks Roma's final warm-up fixture before Gian Piero Gasperini's side departs for Wales on 30 July. Dybala's creative display (rated 7.5) underlined his importance to the team's attacking play, while Malen (6.5) scored despite a mixed outing. Wesley's performance (5) was hampered by his early dismissal, and Artem Dovbyk (5) made limited impact on the match despite operating throughout.