Paixão emerges as Roma's Plan B if Greenwood deal falls through

Santiago Castro has completed his move to Roma on a five-year contract worth €1.5 million plus bonuses per season, with the signing formally concluded today. The deal forms part of a package involving Artem Dovbyk's departure to Bologna. Castro was greeted by crowds at Termini railway station despite the weekday timing, and will now begin training under Gian Piero Gasperini alongside his new teammates. The Argentine will wear the number 9 shirt—the traditional pure strikers' number. Castro, 20, impressed Gasperini during Atalanta's Coppa Italia quarter-final win over Roma in February 2025, a match the Argentine won with a goal that sent Atalanta to the final. Roma face that same Atalanta side again when they begin preparations in Wales this Friday, with friendlies against Cardiff, Newport, and Brighton scheduled before an Ferragosto test against Borussia Dortmund. His competitive debut comes on 24 August. In attack, Castro will initially operate alongside fellow Argentines Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé, who are currently Roma's only playmakers. Soulé and Castro are linked by a strong friendship and spent part of their holidays training together at Comunicaciones, the club owned by Soulé's father. Donyell Malen will also feature, with Castro serving as his primary alternative, though Gasperini may deploy the pair's combined pace and dynamism simultaneously.

Roma's recruitment drive continues at Trigoria following Santiago Castro's arrival, with sporting director D'Amico unwilling to pause activity. The club is working multiple fronts to strengthen the squad, with a left-footed left-winger now the top priority. Nusa remains a live target with costs currently under exploration, while Ezzalzouli at Betis is also being evaluated. Roma are monitoring developments at Leipzig, particularly around Diomande's potential move to Real Madrid, which could free up Endrick. There are indications that Endrick's parent club might sanction a loan move—a deal structured similarly to Nico Paz's arrangement—if the Brazilian's representatives give approval. Beyond attacking options, Roma need reinforcements at full-back. Gasperini currently has only Wesley and Rensch available, with Angeliño sidelined. The club require two full-backs, one per flank. Fresneda is among the profiles being tracked, though not the only candidate. Diego Moreira's valuations have dropped significantly due to prohibitively high costs. Defensively, Gasperini and D'Amico are also considering moves for a left-sided centre-back with a left foot to provide additional cover.

Roma have intensified negotiations with Real Betis over the signing of Abde Ezzalzouli as Gian Piero Gasperini continues his search for a new attacking winger. The Moroccan winger, born in 2001, has emerged as one of the club's primary targets to reinforce the wide areas after the Roma hierarchy assessed several profiles in recent weeks. Quick, adept at one-on-one duels and capable of playing across both attacking flanks, Ezzalzouli possesses the characteristics Roma seek to add quality and unpredictability in the final third. The negotiations are not expected to be straightforward, however. Betis's financial demands are considered high by Roma, and the outcome of the deal will depend largely on the Spanish club's economic requirements. Despite those challenges, Roma remain committed to finding a solution and have no intention of abandoning the pursuit. D'Amico is working to identify the correct formula to bring the Moroccan to the capital without exceeding the budget set by the club. Ezzalzouli remains one of the hottest names on Roma's radar as the summer transfer window progresses.