Koulierakis and Mancini set to dominate set pieces as Roma bolster heading prowess

Roma's pursuit of Endrick has become significantly more difficult following Real Madrid's sale of Gonzalo Garcia to Fulham for a fee close to €40 million. The Spanish club's unexpected decision to move Garcia out has fundamentally altered the Brazilian forward's prospects at the Bernabéu. Garcia had been competing with Endrick for a starting position in Real Madrid's attack, with manager Mourinho planning to evaluate both players during pre-season before deciding their futures. With Garcia now sold to Fulham, Mourinho no longer faces that choice. Endrick can now be retained as an in-house attacking talent ready to develop under the Portuguese manager's guidance. The €40 million from Garcia's departure gives Real Madrid funds to reinvest elsewhere—reportedly on Rodri—but more importantly removes the pressure to offload Endrick. A loan move, previously considered possible, now appears less likely. Roma, under head coach Gasperini, will need to explore alternative targets. Only the arrival of another centre-forward at Real Madrid could reopen the possibility of Endrick departing, but the current outlook suggests the Brazilian will remain with the club. Roma's recruitment team will continue working behind the scenes on other profiles to strengthen the attack.

Bryan Zaragoza's spell at Roma has ended in disappointment, with Bayern Munich indicating the Spanish winger has no future at the Bundesliga club. After his loan at Roma concluded, Zaragoza returned to Bavaria only to be told to leave. Bayern sporting director Max Eberl made the club's position clear, stating: "Zaragoza, Palhinha and Boey don't have a future here. We are planning something else. If they want to stay, it will be difficult: they won't have a role." Roma had signed Zaragoza hoping to remedy the earlier disappointment of Bailey's tenure. However, the left-winger made little impact during his time at the Stadio Olimpico, scoring no goals and spending extended periods on the bench. His contribution to Roma's Champions League push proved negligible, and the club has already moved past him. The failed experiment joins Bailey as another unsuccessful wide recruitment for Roma—two losing bets that have left a gap the club must now fill urgently. Zaragoza must now find a new club as Bayern Munich have effectively shown him the door. The responsibility falls on Roma's technical director to identify the correct left-wing profile this time, as another mistake is not an option.

Roma have accelerated their transfer activity, officially confirming Castro and closing the Koulierakis deal while tabling a €25 million offer for Read. Head coach Gasperini will have at least two new faces available when Roma travel to Wales. The club continues to prioritize a left winger, but are also fielding offers for current squad members. Defender Daniele Ghilardi has emerged as a potential departure candidate following the arrival of the Greek defender, as he may see reduced playing time. Juventus have made an initial enquiry for the former Verona prospect, though Roma will not part with him easily. Gasperini is reluctant to lose Ghilardi, who remains young with significant room for development. To sweeten a potential deal, Juventus are considering offering defender Gatti as a technical counterpart. However, the proposal remains exploratory at this stage and may not progress further. Roma's transfer strategy continues on multiple fronts, with further activity expected both in incomings and departures in the coming days.

Roma face Cardiff City in a pre-season friendly on 1 August at 16:00 at Cardiff City Stadium, marking their first match of the Wales training camp following earlier warm-up fixtures against Primavera, Trastevere and Cannes. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will field a 3-4-2-1 formation: Svilar in goal; Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso across the back; Rensch and Wesley as wing-backs; El Aynaoui and Cristante in midfield; Dybala and Soulé in attacking support; with Malen leading the line. Tickets for the friendly are available through Cardiff City's official website. The match will be shown live on streaming platform DAZN, with a repeat broadcast at 21:30 on Italian channel NOVE. Live text coverage with real-time updates will be available on ilromanista.eu.

Roma have completed the signing of Konstantinos Koulierakis from Wolfsburg on a deal worth €15M plus add-ons. The Greek centre-back, who joined Wolfsburg from PAOK in 2024, has made 66 appearances for the German club, recording 4 goals and 3 assists. He has earned 22 caps for Greece and arrives to provide competition for Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in Roma's defensive ranks. The club have moved swiftly to bolster their backline and are now pursuing Givairo Read of Feyenoord as a primary target on the right flank, with Ivan Fresneda listed as an alternative. Roma are prepared to table a €25M offer for Read, who has scored 5 goals and provided 11 assists in 54 appearances for Feyenoord. Nottingham Forest have already submitted two proposals for the Dutchman, both of which were rejected by the Dutch club. Read has also attracted interest from Inter throughout the summer window. In squad movements, Angeliño is departing on loan to Deportivo La Coruna with a €2.5M option to buy. Centre-back recruitment was not considered a pressing need, though Roma continue to assess their options including Jan Ziółkowski and Daniele Ghilardi. The club remain active in pursuit of wing talent but have faced competition from rival suitors in the market.

Kostas Koulierakis has completed his move to AS Roma, becoming the club's second summer signing under director D'Amico. The Greek defender met head coach Gian Piero Gasperini via videoconference on Tuesday evening. Although presented by some as a backup option, Gasperini views him—like fellow new arrival Artem Dovbyk—as a core addition to the squad rather than reserve cover. Gasperini pushed for the upgrades after Roma finished third and qualified for the Champions League, seeking improvements across multiple fronts: numerically, technically, and tactically. With Zeki Çelik's departure confirmed and moves away for both Salah Eddine and Angeliño imminent, Roma's full-back options have thinned to just Devyne Rensch and Wesley, both capable on either flank. The recruitment team is pursuing two more wide defenders—targets include Read with Fresneda as an alternative, and Cacciamani—all of whom Gasperini has already approved. The club also plans to add further attacking reinforcements in the coming weeks, with Nusa identified as an immediate priority and Endrick a longer-term target. D'Amico's push to accelerate business reflects the board's backing for Gasperini's vision and focus on squad improvement rather than other institutional matters.

Amantino Mancini, who played for Roma between 2003 and 2008, has expressed confidence in the club's title prospects under new manager Gian Piero Gasperini. Speaking to Sky Sport, the former winger praised the summer signings, particularly Argentine forward Castro, whom he described as "a young player who performed very well last season" and someone with "the right mentality for Italian football." Mancini highlighted Gasperini's achievement in returning Roma to the Champions League after seven years, calling the manager's appointment "the most important signing Roma have made in recent years." He believes the club can challenge for the Serie A title, though acknowledged they need to complete "one or two or three more" transfer deals to strengthen the squad further. The former Roma player noted that winning the scudetto would be a special gift for supporters as the club prepares to celebrate its centenary. On Castro specifically, Mancini urged the Argentine to quickly understand Roma's unique status as a place where "football is discussed twenty-four hours a day," adding: "I think he can make an enormous contribution to Roma. He is truly an important player." When asked if Roma could realistically become title contenders, Mancini replied: "Yes, I think so. It still needs to settle itself, make one or two or three signings, but I think it can win the scudetto."

Roma face Cardiff City in a pre-season friendly on 1 August at 16:00 at Cardiff City Stadium, marking their first match of the Wales training camp following earlier warm-up fixtures against Primavera, Trastevere and Cannes. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will field a 3-4-2-1 formation: Svilar in goal; Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso across the back; Rensch and Wesley as wing-backs; El Aynaoui and Cristante in midfield; Dybala and Soulé in attacking support; with Malen leading the line. Tickets for the friendly are available through Cardiff City's official website. The match will be shown live on streaming platform DAZN, with a repeat broadcast at 21:30 on Italian channel NOVE. Live text coverage with real-time updates will be available on ilromanista.eu.

Roma's transfer window has shifted into high gear. An official double announcement confirming the exchange of Santiago Castro and Artem Dovbyk with Bologna is expected imminently. Director of football Tony D'Amico is close to securing Konstantinos Koulierakis, the left-footed centre-back from Wolfsburg born in 2003, who has already given his full approval. An agreement with the German club is being finalised for a fee near €15 million. Koulierakis will expand Roma's central defensive options alongside Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, with Jan Ziółkowski pushing for a departure. In defence and the wide areas, Ivan Fresneda (Sporting Lisbon asking €20 million) and Gabriele Cacciamani, the 19-year-old Torino prospect who impressed on loan at Juve Stabia, remain under consideration at €15 million. In attack, Abde Ezzalzouli has returned to the agenda alongside Jean-Mattéo Bahoya. Real Betis are demanding €45 million, while Roma are targeting a reduction to €35 million. On outgoings, Riccardo Pagano's move to Cesena has been confirmed with a sell-on clause retained by Roma. Anass Salah-Eddine's transfer to Olympiacos for €7.5 million is closing, and Angeliño has joined Deportivo La Coruña on loan with a €3 million purchase option.