Optimism surrounds Çelik contract extension as Roma close gap with Turkish defender

Nahuel Molina is on the verge of joining Roma. Talks with Atlético Madrid over the Argentine right-back accelerated on 5 August, with an agreement between the two clubs now in the final stages. Barring any surprises, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will have his new right winger in place. Molina's imminent arrival represents a significant addition to Roma's defensive line as the 2026–27 season approaches. The move has moved swiftly through negotiations in recent hours, positioning the club to complete the transfer in the coming days.

Evan N'Dicka has spoken ahead of Roma's Champions League campaign, emphasizing the club's ambitions after finishing third in Serie A last season. The defender, now in his fourth season at Roma under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, said: "It's beautiful to play in this competition, but we don't want to be extras. We have to be ambitious. We have to go step by step, Serie A is a complicated championship and finishing third is not simple. We are working to do better." N'Dicka is a key defensive leader for Gasperini's side, which secured Champions League qualification last term. The centre-back acknowledged the challenge ahead, noting that Serie A remains one of Europe's toughest leagues and that European competition demands a different level of intensity and consistency. The full interview will be published on 6 August on Forzaroma.info, where N'Dicka discusses these themes and other aspects of his role and Roma's season ahead.

Evan N'Dicka has spoken about his experience playing in the Champions League and his relationship with José Mourinho, reflecting on Roma's ambitions for the season ahead. The full interview will be published tomorrow. N'Dicka also commented on Roma's aims to improve on last season's performance. The defender, who joined Roma in July 2023 from Eintracht Frankfurt, has established himself as a key figure in the club's defence under the current coaching setup. The complete exclusive interview with N'Dicka will be available tomorrow on the publication's platform.

Juventus extended their pre-season preparation with a 1–0 victory over Chelsea, with Zhegrova settling the friendly with a first-time finish. The Serie A side, managed by Spalletti, built on an earlier closed-door win against Nice to overcome Xabi Alonso's side. Juventus looked to exploit transitions while Chelsea relied more on possession football. Zeki Çelik, the Roma defender, featured in the match and earned a rating of 6.5, showing positive signs in his performance. Douglas Luiz, meanwhile, failed to impress and was rated 5 by observers. The fixture served as another meaningful test for Juventus ahead of the competitive season. Zhegrova's clinical finishing proved decisive in what was an otherwise closely contested encounter between the two European sides.

Roma's transfer activity continues to take shape as negotiations over a move for Molina from Atlético Madrid advance, with agreement between the clubs already in place and details being finalised with the player, according to commentary on Roman radio. The move represents an upgrade on Zeki Çelik at left-back, following the collapse of earlier attempts to sign Read from Feyenoord. Felici questioned the market's inflation, citing the €25 million paid for Robinio Vaz as excessive, whilst observing that established players like Molina command more realistic valuations than emerging talent. Carina argued that Roma remain behind schedule in constructing their squad for the coming season. Gasperini is awaiting the arrival of at least four wide players to implement his preferred system, and with the pre-season phase underway to test the squad, the club still has structural gaps to address. Carina stated: "If the summer is being used to trial the squad ahead of the season then Roma is in arrears. In prospect of the league it still looks a bit short, because this is when you should be working with the squad that will define the season. There are still some holes." Pruzzo offered a critical assessment of defender Koulierakis following a friendly on 4 August, saying: "Koulierakis yesterday did not make a great impression on me. He seemed a bit approximate and made many sloppy passes. I didn't understand whether he is a defender who wants to hold his position or go to meet the attacker. I hope I'm wrong and that he is a player with the strength to play as a defensive utility man." Ryan Friedkin made a surprise appearance at the friendly.

Roma have accelerated their search for a new right-winger after Zeki Çelik's unexpected departure, but face a sticking point in the transfer market. Givairo Read of Feyenoord remains the preference, yet the Dutch club has stiffened its demands to more than €30 million in recent days, prompting Roma to pivot towards Atlético Madrid's Nahuel Molina. The Argentine World Cup winner, formerly of Udinese, is being targeted with an offer of approximately €17 million including bonuses—a significant saving on Read's inflated price. Molina currently earns €2.8 million annually in Spain, and Roma await his approval of the deal. Ryan Friedkin attended Roma's 4–1 friendly victory over Newport County and continues to oversee transfer strategy. The shift towards Molina is partly a signal to Feyenoord that Roma will not be moved by sudden price hikes. Other targets including Savona and Fresneda remain on the list; any money saved from a cheaper Molina deal could be reinvested in an additional winger. Roma have narrowed the gap with Torino over Cacciamani, with a decisive meeting with the Turin club's board taking place today. In attack, a final push for Nusa is imminent, with an offer to Lyon for Fofana standing ready if that bid fails.

Roma's attacking department has been decimated ahead of the 2026–27 season, with coach Gian Piero Gasperini now overseeing just five senior forwards for the role — down from ten options at the end of January. The remaining quartet consists of Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, and Robinio Vaz, with young prospect Arena also available. The collapse mirrors Gasperini's repeated public calls for investment in attack. Speaking exactly a year ago on 4 August 2025 at the English national team's St. George Park facility in Burton Upon Trent, Gasperini outlined his philosophy: "It concerns all clubs that spend large sums on attackers. The offensive department is the most sought after and most expensive. Teams with strong attacking players are more competitive." That same summer, Roma pursued Fabio Silva and Jadon Sancho without success, settling on a loan move for Romain Bailey as a last-minute solution. By the end of 2025, Roma had assembled eight attacking options — Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson, Bailey, Soulé, Baldanzi, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Lorenzo Pellegrini — to fill three positions in Gasperini's preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. The winter transfer window swelled that number to ten through the departures of Bailey and Baldanzi and the arrivals of Malen, Vaz, Bryan Zaragoza, and Lorenzo Venturino. However, only Malen performed consistently. With just twenty days until the league campaign begins, Roma faces a critical shortage. The club is reportedly making another approach for Nusa and preparing a move for Fofana to bolster the depleted ranks.

Roma's transfer strategy dominated Roman radio discussion on 4 August 2026, with prominent voices divided over the club's pursuit of Read and wider recruitment targets. Alessandro Vocalelli argued Roma should not rush into signings, stating: "I prefer to wait to sign an important player rather than sign a mediocre footballer straight away." He criticised Gasperini's squad retention, suggesting players like Svilar—who has reached a level where "it would have been a bargain to sell him for 60 or 70 million"—should have been sold. Luigi Ferrajolo warned that failing to land Read would represent a third failed negotiation, citing systemic problems: "The problem with Roma is that it cannot get the players it wants." Francesco Balzani claimed Roma believed it could close Read's deal on 4 August, having moved close to Feyenoord's asking price, but stressed the club must now look elsewhere. He also highlighted a paradox over Lorenzo Pellegrini, who has been out of contract for weeks with an agreement in place—yet awaiting Friedkin Group approval to finalise terms. Roberto Pruzzo advocated shifting focus away from Read: "Roma should go for Dodo instead of investing in a 20-year-old prospect. This year the Giallorossi must seek certainties and it would be better to go for a proven player. Before investing 30 million on a footballer who already knows Serie A." Ugo Trani predicted Roma would pursue Fofana if Nusa fell through, noting that the squad must be ready in 20 days, with the left-winger position still incomplete.

Gianluca Mancini has declared his intention to spend his entire career at Roma following his contract renewal with the club. Speaking from the Welsh training camp, the defender said: "Roma for me is home. Then in football you never know, but I hope it can be like this: Roma for life." Mancini also discussed his recent performances in the Derby della Capitale, saying he did not anticipate scoring twice and only fully grasped the significance during a break: "Before it seemed to me that I had only done my duty, it was like scoring two goals against Milan, Juventus or Inter. Then I understood." Mancini underlined his emotional attachment to the club, referencing a tattoo he pledged to get in December if Roma qualified for the Champions League. "SPQR is a beautiful inscription and it sums up the bond I have with the city and with the club," he said. He also praised the role of those supporting him, noting: "I am not crazy, but you cannot command the heart. When I signed we hugged each other. And he was happy to see me happy." On the absence of Lorenzo Pellegrini from the squad, Mancini described the midfielder as a lifelong friend and an important figure in the dressing room: "But he is missed by everyone, we hope he can reach us soon. He is an important figure for the dressing room and as a player he can give us a great helping hand."

Roma have agreed terms with Atlético Madrid defender Nehuen Molina after two days of negotiation. The Argentine will arrive for €18 million including bonuses on a four-year contract worth just over €2.5 million per year. Molina will operate on the right flank alongside Wesley on the left, completing Roma's full-back options at senior level. He becomes the fourth Argentine in the squad alongside Matías Soulé, Paulo Dybala, and Santiago Castro. During an intense summer training session, Roma's technical staff oversaw strength and sprint drills with additional load work to sharpen acceleration. The club's board attended in full, notably including vice-president Ryan Friedkin, whose presence underlined the ownership's commitment to backing the head coach's work as the new season approaches. Roma continue to pursue young midfielder Cacciamani from Torino, with president Cairo evaluating the prospect—who spent last season on loan at Juve Stabia—at a valuation of at least €15 million. Gasperini has identified the 2007-born player as ideal cover for Wesley. Analysis on local radio has been mixed. Roberto Pruzzo expressed reservations about recent defensive signing Koulierakis: "He did not make a great impression yesterday. He seemed a bit imprecise and made many passing errors. I didn't understand if he's a defender who wants to hold his position or step forward to the attacker." Antonio Felici praised the club's work on fullbacks: "When you go for players like Molina, who maybe don't have all this interest, finished articles where you know what they can give you, you perhaps get more realistic valuations."

Roma's squad engaged in a teqball competition during a pre-season training camp, with Paulo Dybala and Mario Hermoso defeating Wesley and Castro 7–3. The match took on a South American and Latin flavour, pitting the experience of Dybala and Hermoso against the younger pairing. After the victory, Dybala offered commentary on the result and the age gap between the teams. He stated: "Experience always pays off", and later added: "Much to learn for the young lads", directing the remark at the Argentina–Brazil duo. Dybala and Hermoso combined for 45 years between them, while Castro and Wesley brought nearly 64 years of experience. The teqball contest formed part of Roma's pre-season schedule, with the club using downtime activities to strengthen squad cohesion and competitive spirit among players during the summer training period.

Nahuel Molina is set to become Roma's third summer signing, after Castro and Koulierakis, following an agreement in principle with Atlético Madrid for a permanent transfer worth approximately €13 million plus €4 million in bonuses. The Argentine right-back will join fellow countrymen Dybala, Soulé and Castro at Trigoria. Molina's path to Roma appeared written in the stars. In February 2025, the 2022 World Cup winner dined at a restaurant on Rome's Colle Aventino, a known favourite among Roma players and staff. At the time, he was still wearing Atlético Madrid's colours and could not have imagined the Giallorossi would become his new home. Social media images from the evening have since surfaced, capturing a moment that preceded his move to the Italian capital.