Molina's Liga record: only Koundé ahead of him in four-year defensive ranking

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 are advancing in talks to sign Nahuel Molina from Atlético Madrid after abandoning their pursuit of Givairo Read. The Giallorossi are negotiating the Argentine's fee down from Atlético's €15M plus €5M in bonuses, with reports suggesting they could land him for €3–4M less. They had previously tabled €27M as their final bid for Feyenoord fullback Read, but the Dutch club sought more and Roma walked away. Molina, 28, would represent a significant move back to Serie A, where he previously played for Udinese before joining Atlético in 2022. He has made 181 appearances, scored 9 goals, and provided 17 assists for Los Colchoneros, with his contract running until 2027. Roma see his acquisition as allowing funds to be redirected to other positions. The club continues to track other targets including Antonio Nusa, Malick Fofana of Olympique Lyonnais—for whom they have received reassurances over his recovery from a serious ankle injury—and youngster Alessio Cacciamani of Torino, who impressed on loan at Juve Stabia last season. The strategy of pairing an experienced wing-back with a younger option on the opposite flank is central to Roma's defensive plans for the window.

Nahuel Molina's credentials as a left-back continue to impress despite scepticism surrounding his move to Roma. According to Opta Paolo, the Atlético Madrid defender ranks second among La Liga defenders for combined goals and assists since 2022, with a total of 25 (9 goals, 16 assists). Only Koundé surpasses him in the Spanish league, with 10 goals and 22 assists. Molina is now on the verge of joining Roma, a move that addresses lingering doubts about his attacking output and defensive reliability at the highest level. The 26-year-old Argentine's track record in La Liga demonstrates consistent offensive contribution from the full-back position, a quality that could strengthen Roma's wing play under Gasperini. The statistics underline Molina's value as a progressive defender capable of generating both goals and chances. His campaign in Spain since 2022 positions him among Europe's most productive defenders, reinforcing Roma's investment in his profile as the transfer nears completion.