Koulierakis: Roma was an instant yes, I admire Ramos and Laporte

Royal Antwerp have submitted an official offer for Anass Salah-Eddine on a loan deal with a purchase option, according to reports. The 24-year-old left-back is not part of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's plans at Roma and has been excluded from the club's pre-season training camp in Wales. Roma's hierarchy has made clear that Salah-Eddine is set to leave, and discussions between the two clubs are ongoing while the Moroccan player considers his next destination. Roma have already begun reshaping their squad this summer, with the departure of Artem Dovbyk already concluded. Salah-Eddine does not fit Gasperini's tactical approach and is a priority for the club to move on. The player had previously rejected an approach from Olympiakos. Beyond Antwerp's interest, PSV Eindhoven and several other Eredivisie clubs are monitoring the situation and ready to step in should negotiations with the Belgian side stall.

Anass Salah-Eddine remains one of Roma's most active outgoing transfer targets this summer. The Moroccan winger is currently outside Gian Piero Gasperini's project at the club, despite interest from multiple suitors. Royal Antwerp have submitted an official offer for Salah-Eddine on a loan deal with a right of redemption, with the two clubs in dialogue. The player is considering his next destination. Salah-Eddine has already rejected approaches from the PSV and Olympiacos, though the Greek club may return to the table. His decision could partly hinge on Olympiacos's progress in UEFA Champions League qualification; they face NEC in a third-round preliminary tie. Betis are also reported to be monitoring his availability. Salah-Eddine returns from the World Cup but finds himself without a clear role under Gasperini's tactical plans, making a temporary move abroad an attractive option to regain playing time.

Roma have targeted Feyenoord's Dutch winger Givairo Read as a primary objective to strengthen their wing options. Read has already agreed to join the Giallorossi, and Rotterdam continue negotiations with Roma over his transfer. Read will start in a friendly on 2 August against Atalanta, kicking off at 15:00 at the De Kuip in Rotterdam. Feyenoord confirmed the fixture on their official social channels. The match will be broadcast exclusively on DAZN, accessible via the platform's app on any device (TV, PC, smartphone, tablet) or through the official website with a subscription.

Konstantino Koulierakis has spoken about his move to Roma, expressing enthusiasm about joining the club and working under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. "I am very happy to be here," Koulierakis said in an interview with the club. "When my agent informed me that Roma was interested in me, I told him straight away: 'Ok, let's go'. I asked him to do everything possible to make me a Roma player." On Gasperini, he added: "Tsimikas spoke to me a bit about the manager: he is one of the best in Italy, and this makes me very enthusiastic about working with him." Koulierakis, a left-sided defender, cited Aymeric Laporte as a professional inspiration, noting their similar characteristics and shared left-footed style. He also spoke warmly of Manolas, saying he had telephoned the former Roma defender over the summer. "It was a nice conversation," Koulierakis explained. "When we discussed Roma, I told him it would be a very important step for me. It felt like a conversation between friends." Manolas, he added, "is one of the most important defenders in Roma's history, especially for that night against Barcelona." Looking ahead to his debut at the Stadio Olimpico, Koulierakis expressed excitement about the atmosphere. "I have never been to the Olimpico, but from what I have seen the atmosphere is extraordinary," he said. "I have watched many videos from the past and I cannot wait to play in this stadium, because I know the environment will be very warm. I have high expectations."

Kostas Tsimikas became the centre of controversy during Liverpool's pre-season friendly against Wrexham at Yankee Stadium, when a dispute over the captain's armband sparked an awkward exchange between players. Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones argued over who should wear the armband during the post-match lap of honour; according to reports including from the BBC, Jones expressed displeasure when Szoboszlai handed it to Tsimikas instead. Standing between the two, Tsimikas removed the armband and threw it to the ground, where Jones retrieved it as the disagreement continued. Tsimikas departed Roma on 1 July to join Liverpool on a permanent basis. The former Roma left-back's treatment of the armband drew swift criticism on social media, with supporters objecting to what they viewed as disrespect towards the symbol of the club's captaincy. The incident also reflected poorly on Curtis Jones, who was similarly criticized for his role in the confrontation. Supporters described the episode as "a total lack of respect" for the captain's armband.

Roma have a long history of recruiting Greek players, particularly in defence. The first was Lampros Choutos, an attacker from Roma's youth academy between 1995 and 2000 with only 4 appearances, followed by defender Traianos Dellas (2002–2005, 67 presences, 4 goals, 3 assists). Dimitrios Eleutheropoulos served as third-choice goalkeeper in 2005–06 without playing. Between 2012 and 2019, four Greek players represented Roma: the standout centre-back Kostas Manolas (206 presences between 2014 and 2019, 8 goals, 6 assists), plus full-backs Vasilis Torosidis (77 appearances with 7 goals and 5 assists from 2013 to 2016) and José Cholevas (34 presences with 1 goal and 1 assist in 2014–15), alongside midfielder Panagiotis Tachtsidis (23 appearances with 1 goal and 2 assists in 2012–13). Torosidis publicly backed the signing of Koulierakis. More recently, centre-back Dimitrios Keramitsis (born 2004), a cornerstone of Roma's youth setup, earned only one first-team appearance between 2022 and 2024. Full-back Kostas Tsimikas featured 25 times with 1 assist in the last disappointing campaign before returning to Liverpool.