Paredes invites Dybala to Bombonera as Roma contract renewal nears completion

Marash Kumbulla has left AS Roma on loan to Spanish club Rayo Vallecano, with the agreement structured as a loan with a right of redemption. The Albanian centre-back departs after collecting 68 appearances in the giallorossi shirt, during which he scored 4 goals and was part of the squad that won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022. Kumbulla's exit continues a pattern of movement for the defender, who has now departed Roma on loan. The club issued an official statement confirming the arrangement and wished him well for the future.

Marash Kumbulla has left Roma on loan with a buy option to join Rayo Vallecano, marking his third spell in Spanish football after previous stints at Mallorca and Espanyol. The central defender will compete in La Liga, a division he knows well from his earlier experiences in the country. Kumbulla expressed his enthusiasm upon joining the Madrid club. "I am happy and excited to wear the Rayo shirt and begin this new adventure," he said. "It is a club with one of the most historic names in La Liga, a competition I now know very well thanks to my past experiences. The team demonstrated last year how, through hard work, important objectives can be achieved. I want to thank the president and coach for their confidence, and I cannot wait to start." The loan deal includes a clause allowing Rayo Vallecano to make the transfer permanent at a future date.

Marash Kumbulla has joined Rayo Vallecano on loan with a right of redemption, completing a move away from AS Roma. The defender, who spent last season on loan at Mallorca, returns to Spain after being deemed surplus to requirements under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Kumbulla did not feature in Roma's pre-season preparations in Wales and his path to the first team was further diminished following the arrival of Koulierakis. During his time at Roma, Kumbulla made 68 appearances in the giallorossi shirt, scoring 4 goals and playing a part in the club's UEFA Europa Conference League victory in 2022. The former Verona defender has now departed alongside Angeliño as Gasperini reshapes his defensive options. The Spain-based move reunites Kumbulla with a league he knows well from previous experience. Kumbulla said in a statement: "I am happy and enthusiastic to wear the Rayo shirt and begin this new adventure. It is a team that last year showed how, through hard work, important goals can be reached. Moreover, we are talking about one of the most historic clubs in La Liga, a league that I now know very well thanks to past experiences. I want to thank the president and coach for their confidence. I can't wait to get started."

Roma will face Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August 2026 at 16:00 Italian time. The match comes after Roma's training camp in Wales and friendlies against Cardiff and Newport County. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to field a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, midfielders Devyne Rensch, Neil El Aynaoui, Bryan Cristante, and Wesley, with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attacking roles behind striker Donyell Malen. Tickets for the fixture are available through Brighton's official website. The friendly will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text coverage available on ilromanista.eu and radio commentary from Radio Romanista providing real-time updates from the stadium.

Roma captain Bryan Cristante spoke to Sky Sport from the club's pre-season camp in Wales, ahead of a friendly at Brighton tomorrow that concludes the week's matches overseas. Cristante expressed pride at Roma's return to the Champions League after a prolonged absence. "We've been wanting to play in the Champions, we'd been close a few times, we're proud to play it," he said. "It's important to have the society's presence, which gives an extra gear even in the market; we talk about it daily." Cristante highlighted his desire to face Real Madrid in Europe and revealed that Lorenzo Pellegrini, expected to rejoin the squad soon, remains a key part of the project. "I'd like to play at the Bernabéu in the Champions, it would be nice to play in the new stadium and see Mourinho again," he added. The midfielder also confirmed he and Paulo Dybala had resolved a disagreement that arose during Roma's pre-season match in Cardiff. "We cleared it up straight away, it was a small disagreement that happened on the pitch and ended there," Cristante explained. On domestic ambitions, Cristante acknowledged the Serie A title as Roma's dream objective but cautioned about the campaign's difficulty. "The Scudetto is the dream but it's still early, the league is difficult and very competitive. We want to have a good Champions, we hope to be in the fight in January to try to play for the championship." Cristante also reflected positively on his experiences under Italy manager Mancini, saying the goal is to "be reborn and return to where we belong."

Bryan Cristante, Roma's captain and midfielder, spoke to Sky Sport from the club's pre-season training camp in Wales ahead of a friendly against Brighton. The 2026-27 season is approaching, and Cristante outlined his ambitions: "We have a strong desire to play in the Champions League, we've been waiting for it for a long time and came close several times. We're proud to be playing it. The presence of the society is important—it gives extra momentum in the market too, and we discuss things daily." Cristante acknowledged that Roma have been chasing European qualification for some time and stressed the significance of finally securing Champions League football. Regarding Lorenzo Pellegrini's expected return, he said: "We've been in touch with him in recent days, we can't wait to have him back with us." On potential Champions League matchups, Cristante added: "In the Champions League I'd like to play at the Bernabéu, it would be nice to play in the new stadium and see Mourinho again." On domestic ambitions, Cristante said: "The Scudetto is the dream but it's still early. The league is difficult and highly competitive. We want to do well in the Champions League and hope to be in contention in January to fight for the title." He also confirmed that a minor on-field disagreement with Paulo Dybala in a Cardiff-Roma match was quickly resolved. Looking ahead to his international role under Mancini, Cristante stated: "With Mancini the memories are only beautiful ones. We hope to do well to make everyone happy. The goal is to be reborn and return to where we belong."