Koulierakis makes first impression as Wesley sidelined but not a concern; Roma pressing hard on Read

Roma have welcomed defender Konstantinos Koulierakis to their pre-season training camp in Wales following a friendly defeat to Cardiff City. The Greek centre-back has arrived at the club's ritiro and featured in early photographs from his first day in the capital. The addition comes as Roma continue their summer preparation under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Koulierakis expressed his enthusiasm for the project, saying: "I can't wait to work with Gasp." The defender is now integrated into the squad as the club builds towards the 2026–27 season. The Welsh camp forms part of Roma's broader pre-season schedule as Gasperini shapes his team ahead of the domestic campaign.

Konstantinos Koulierakis has completed his first training session with Roma in Cardiff, declaring his excitement at the prospect of playing at the Olimpico. The Greek defender spoke to the club after arriving, saying he accepted Roma's offer immediately because of their status as a "great club". He praised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini as "one of the best coaches in Italy" and revealed he draws inspiration from Sergio Ramos and Aymeric Laporte, citing his left foot and mentality as key strengths. Koulierakis also spoke with Kostas Manolas before the transfer, who briefed him on the club and its atmosphere: "He spoke to me about Roma and it was very important for me. I can't wait to play at the Olimpico: I've watched many videos and I know the atmosphere will be incredible." Roma continue to pursue Givairo Read from Feyenoord, who views the Giallorossi as his ideal destination. The clubs are negotiating fee and payment structure, with Roma's offer of €25 million currently falling short of Feyenoord's demand of approximately €30 million. Club sources at Trigoria express confidence the deal will close during the week. Meanwhile, Marash Kumbulla is close to joining Rayo Vallecano on loan, with the Albanian defender set to leave the club after failing to fit Gasperini's plans.

Marash Kumbulla is on the verge of joining Rayo Vallecano on loan, with the deal between the Spanish club and Roma in its final stages. According to Fabrizio Romano, an agreement is close and only formal procedures remain to be completed. The Albanian defender will return to Spain for the third consecutive spell on a temporary basis, following previous loans at Espanyol and Mallorca. Roma are actively thinning their squad as they manage the summer transfer window. Kumbulla's departure is part of the club's outgoings strategy as they assess whether any of their key players may depart. The loan move represents a continuation of the defender's pattern of temporary moves away from the Stadio Olimpico.

Wesley left Roma's training session in Cardiff on 2 August, limping away after suffering discomfort to an ankle that had troubled him the previous day. The Brazilian was unable to continue the session and had to stop early. Roma are preparing for upcoming fixtures while managing an injury concern with one of their attacking options. Wesley joined the club last summer on a five-year contract from Flamengo for €25 million plus €5 million in add-ons. His availability for the next match will be monitored closely as the squad continues pre-season work in Wales. The club also reported on other squad movements during the training camp, with Koulierakis joining the group in Cardiff and fellow players including an unnamed Dutch player recently featuring in a 74-minute appearance against Atalanta following a €28 million bid.

Roma continued their pre-season preparation in Cardiff on 2 August with a training session that was disrupted by fresh injury concerns. Koulierakis arrived at the camp after completing his medical and paperwork in Rome, and took part in the open session alongside new CEO John Galantic and about fifteen travelling supporters. However, Wesley was forced to abandon the session after just minutes when an ankle sprain sustained in the previous day's friendly against Cardiff proved too painful to continue; he left the field visibly limping with significant strapping on his right leg. Jan Ziółkowski briefly caused alarm with a knock to his ankle during the session but recovered to continue without issue. Gasperini's squad is preparing for a Tuesday match against Newport while managing workload rotation through the summer window. Niccolò Pisilli remains unavailable despite being in the group, while defender Bah is awaiting an MRI scan scheduled for 3 August after sustaining a knee sprain in training on 1 August. Neil El Aynaoui, recently returned to training following World Cup duty, completed an extended fitness session around the resort and briefly paused for a minor left-knee discomfort before resuming his run.

Roma are maintaining their interest in left-winger Alessio Cacciamani as they look to strengthen the position following Angeliño's departure to Deportivo la Coruña. The 2007-born talent from Torino remains a target, though a significant gap persists in negotiations between the two clubs. According to Corriere della Sera, Torino are demanding €15 million while Roma have offered €7 million. Further talks are expected in the coming days as the clubs work towards an agreement. Cacciamani's emergence as a priority underscores Roma's need to shore up the left flank, where the departure of Angeliño and the anticipated exit of Salah-Eddine have left the squad thin. Wesley is currently the only established option in that area. Roma director D'Amico is continuing negotiations with a view to closing the gap between the two valuations and securing the young winger's services. In parallel, Roma remain active elsewhere in the market. Sporting director D'Amico is simultaneously working on a deal for Read, attempting to reach an economic agreement with Feyenoord as the transfer window enters its final weeks.

Roma continued their pre-season preparation in Cardiff on 2 August with a training session that was disrupted by fresh injury concerns. Koulierakis arrived at the camp after completing his medical and paperwork in Rome, and took part in the open session alongside new CEO John Galantic and about fifteen travelling supporters. However, Wesley was forced to abandon the session after just minutes when an ankle sprain sustained in the previous day's friendly against Cardiff proved too painful to continue; he left the field visibly limping with significant strapping on his right leg. Jan Ziółkowski briefly caused alarm with a knock to his ankle during the session but recovered to continue without issue. Gasperini's squad is preparing for a Tuesday match against Newport while managing workload rotation through the summer window. Niccolò Pisilli remains unavailable despite being in the group, while defender Bah is awaiting an MRI scan scheduled for 3 August after sustaining a knee sprain in training on 1 August. Neil El Aynaoui, recently returned to training following World Cup duty, completed an extended fitness session around the resort and briefly paused for a minor left-knee discomfort before resuming his run.

Borussia Dortmund will face Roma in a friendly on 15 August as part of their pre-season preparations. Ahead of the fixture, defender Luca Reggiani, speaking after Dortmund's training match against FC Tokyo, expressed his excitement about the encounter. "Facing Roma is a unique emotion, I hope I can play. I will give my best," Reggiani said. The 2008-born defender also offered high praise for Roma midfielder Niccolò Pisilli. "Niccolò is a very good and very strong lad, really impressive," Reggiani told interviewer Norikazu Sato. The friendly marks an important pre-season test for both clubs as they prepare for the new season.

Borussia Dortmund centre-back Luca Reggiani has spoken ahead of a friendly against Roma scheduled for 15 August at 17:30, describing the fixture as special. During an interview with local media while on tour in Japan, Reggiani said: "Facing Roma is a unique emotion, I hope to play. I will give my best." The match will serve as Roma's final pre-season test before their Serie A campaign begins against Fiorentina on 24 August. Roma are currently on a training camp in Wales, where they suffered a heavy 4–1 defeat to Cardiff on 1 August. The club has further friendlies against Newport on Tuesday and Brighton on Saturday before returning to Rome. Richard also praised Niccolò Pisilli, the Roma midfielder, calling him "a really talented and strong lad". Paulo Dybala and his Roma teammates will use the Dortmund match to build fitness and sharpness ahead of the competitive season.

Neil El Aynaoui withdrew from a Roma training session in Wales on 2 August to undertake an extended run around the resort, but stopped when he felt knee discomfort. Gasperini's staff asked whether he wished to halt, after which he resumed running. El Aynaoui returned from holiday on Friday and has joined Roma's pre-season preparations in Wales. The brief interruption reflects the squad's ongoing work in their mid-summer training camp as the 2026–27 season approaches.

Roma continued their pre-season preparation in Cardiff on 2 August with a training session that was disrupted by fresh injury concerns. Koulierakis arrived at the camp after completing his medical and paperwork in Rome, and took part in the open session alongside new CEO John Galantic and about fifteen travelling supporters. However, Wesley was forced to abandon the session after just minutes when an ankle sprain sustained in the previous day's friendly against Cardiff proved too painful to continue; he left the field visibly limping with significant strapping on his right leg. Jan Ziółkowski briefly caused alarm with a knock to his ankle during the session but recovered to continue without issue. Gasperini's squad is preparing for a Tuesday match against Newport while managing workload rotation through the summer window. Niccolò Pisilli remains unavailable despite being in the group, while defender Bah is awaiting an MRI scan scheduled for 3 August after sustaining a knee sprain in training on 1 August. Neil El Aynaoui, recently returned to training following World Cup duty, completed an extended fitness session around the resort and briefly paused for a minor left-knee discomfort before resuming his run.

Roma travel to Wales on Saturday 1 August for a pre-season friendly against Cardiff, kicking off at 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT). Donyell Malen starts in attack, with Castro on the bench in his first appearance of pre-season. Neil El Aynaoui returns to action after missing the opening weeks of summer training due to World Cup involvement. Robinio Vaz is available after recovering from a knee injury. Niccolò Pisilli remains unavailable and has not yet reached full fitness. The match will be broadcast live exclusively on DAZN, requiring a subscription to watch on smart TV, gaming consoles (Xbox or PlayStation), or streaming devices including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and TIM VISION Box. The fixture will also air on free-to-air channel Canale Nove, though only as a delayed broadcast at 21:30. Roma fans can follow live updates via Forzaroma.info's live blog and the club's social media accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.