Pellegrini contract renewal close to completion

Robinio Vaz has moved from being a candidate for departure to a central part of Gian Piero Gasperini's plans after impressing during Roma's pre-season preparation. At the start of the summer retreat, the young French forward's future remained uncertain, with a temporary move away mooted to give him regular playing time. As the weeks progressed, however, Vaz's quality and growth potential persuaded Gasperini to work with him directly, developing his characteristics and integrating him into the first team's offensive rotation. Roma has acted decisively to keep him. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the club has rejected multiple loan approaches from Serie A sides. The decision reflects Gasperini's commitment to developing Vaz at Trigoria rather than sending him elsewhere for experience. The coach wants to work with him daily and assess how far he can push his development. Vaz can operate as a centre-forward or on the wing, offering flexibility in an attacking department Gasperini favours keeping well-stocked. The shift in direction marks a small but meaningful promotion earned entirely through his pre-season performances, an opportunity Vaz aims to build on after spending his first six months in Serie A in an apprenticeship role.

Roma are close to signing Jayden Oosterwolde from Fenerbahce on a loan deal worth approximately €3 million, with a right of purchase that can become an obligation under certain conditions, for a total package around €17–18 million. The Dutch left-back's agreement with the player is already finalised. Head coach Gasperini views him as Wesley's backup but notes he can also play centrally. Oosterwolde is currently sidelined by a muscle problem and is expected to be available around mid-September. With the transfer window entering its final days, Roma continue to scout attacking reinforcements despite the ownership's decision to scale back investment. The club has stepped up pursuit of several wing options while managing departures that could fund these acquisitions. Defence remains an area under review, with potential outgoings creating space for new additions. Among the targets on Roma's radar is Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, the 22-year-old Chelsea winger. The club has proposed roughly €3 million for a temporary transfer plus a purchase option worth around €40 million, but Chelsea have so far resisted a loan move and favour a permanent sale instead. Roma are expected to continue pushing for this deal in the final days of the window. Malick Fofana, the 21-year-old Lyon winger, remains a possibility but the operation is currently blocked. Lyon must first play their Champions League playoff return against Fenerbahce, and Roma have reduced their investment targets following ownership guidance. Should another winger not arrive and Lyon accept more sustainable economic terms in the coming days, the club could attempt to reopen negotiations. Jean-Mattéo Bahoya, a 21-year-old winger at Eintracht Frankfurt, is also among alternatives considered by sporting director D'Amico should primary targets fail to materialise. Pedro Henrique, a 20-year-old Brazilian winger at Zenit, has also been proposed to Roma in recent hours, though no concrete move has been signalled from the club. Yasin Ayari, a 22-year-old Swedish midfielder from Brighton, has attracted contact from Roma, but Borussia Dortmund's serious interest and Brighton's high valuation of approximately €45 million have complicated progress; Roma are considering a loan with a purchase option, a formula that currently conflicts with the asking price. On departures, Jan Ziółkowski could leave Rome. The 21-year-old Polish defender has attracted attention from several Saudi clubs, particularly Neom, from whom Roma await a concrete offer. Roma's valuation stands between €16 and €20 million, with 10 per cent of future resale revenue going to Legia Warsaw. A sale could fund the final investment in an attacking player. Daniele Ghilardi, aged 23, is also being monitored, with Bologna showing interest. Should either defender depart, Roma would return to the market for a replacement, preferably on loan.

Roma's transfer activity extends beyond Rodrigo Mora, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini overseeing multiple targets for the coming weeks. Mora is expected to be available for training at Trigoria on 24 August, with the possibility of featuring in the Florence fixture shortly after, provided no complications arise. The club continues to pursue Malick Fofana, while Udogie is the leading candidate to reinforce the left flank. Endrick remains a concrete prospect should Matías Soulé depart. Gasperini is keen to integrate Mora into the squad as soon as possible, but the transfer window strategy encompasses several alternative options across the pitch.

Roma prepare for their Serie A opener against Fiorentina on Monday evening at the Olimpico, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini running through final selection details. The squad is virtually at full strength, with Lorenzo Pellegrini the sole absentee as he continues his rehabilitation programme. Gasperini has been resolving key tactical questions in recent training sessions as Roma adopt their familiar 3-4-1-2 formation. The main selection uncertainty centres on midfield and the attacking three. In defence, the back three will comprise Gianluca Mancini on the centre-right, Evan N'Dicka in the middle, and Mario Hermoso on the left. Molina will operate on the right flank and Wesley on the left, both tasked with providing attacking thrust and quick defensive cover. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are locked in as the attacking partnership. Gasperini is considering fielding young Rodrigo Mora in the number 10 role from the start, a move that would sacrifice some defensive balance but offer greater attacking quality. In central midfield, Niccolò Pisilli holds a clear advantage over Neil El Aynaoui in the battle to partner Manu Koné and provide dynamism and forward runs. This positioning could see Bryan Cristante start on the bench despite featuring heavily in pre-season friendlies. Roma will hold a final training session this afternoon at Trigoria before the squad remains overnight at the Fulvio Bernardini sports centre ahead of Monday's debut against Fiorentina.

Gian Piero Gasperini defended Roma's transfer approach at his pre-match press conference on 22 August, two days before the Serie A opener against Fiorentina at the Olimpico. The coach confirmed that UEFA financial regulations have forced a strategic shift in the market, compounding constraints that stem from years of previous spending. "The profile is only that of UEFA; there are no other possibilities," Gasperini said. "There are situations that UEFA imposes and from which our ownership, even wanting to, cannot escape. I thought that after six months or with arrival in the Champions League the situation would be resolved, but it is not so." Gasperini emphasised that Roma remain the only Italian club currently under UEFA supervision. "Roma has already had two deferrals and probably cannot have any more," he noted. "Now the reckoning has arrived, but we will do well anyway." Despite those constraints, he expressed satisfaction with arrivals in the window. Álex Molina replaced Zeki Çelik after winning the World Cup two months earlier; Christos Koulierakis joined as a defensive profile the squad lacked; and Rodrigo Mora arrived as a young long-term investment. Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson departed, replaced by Mateo Castro. El Shaarawy, Bryan Zaragoza, Angeliño and Kostas Tsimikas also left. Gasperini stated: "All the players who arrived have strongly wanted to come to Roma. They have also reduced their salaries—and under this aspect I believe very positive work has been done. There are still ten days of the market left and we hope to complete everything." On the left wing position that Roma had pursued, Gasperini offered flexibility: "Only if he can be added value, otherwise I am not going to load myself with players just for the sake of it." Numerically, two squad slots remain available from a full complement of 23. He praised Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante for accepting significant wage cuts. On Dybala's fitness prospects, Gasperini said: "I am certain, because I see him not only determined as he was last year but also particularly strong. He completed a pre-season perhaps for the first time without injuries." Dybala suffered two serious injuries last season—one requiring meniscus surgery that sidelined him for three and a half months. Gasperini stated that further squad exits may follow only if they represent tactical switches rather than pure departures. "If there are other exits it is only for changes, to switch," he said. "In this moment there is nothing certain." The window closes in ten days. Roma finished last season on 73 points and third place in Serie A, but Gasperini stressed the slate resets: "Every year you start from zero. What was done was very positive and satisfactory for all, but when the season starts everyone begins at 0 points and the 73 points from last year must be played again."

Gian Piero Gasperini held a pre-match press conference two days before Roma's fixture against Fiorentina, addressing the transfer market and the squad's readiness for the 2026–27 season. The coach confirmed Roma's squad remains numerically incomplete, with the ability to field 23 players in a matchday squad. Gasperini stressed the need for two more signings but said they would only arrive if they met Roma's financial constraints. "Numerically yes, because we have the possibility to present 23 players in the squad," he said when asked about incompleteness. Gasperini acknowledged the difficulty of signing established players due to wage-bill restrictions imposed by UEFA. He revealed that Roma is uniquely constrained in Italy by Financial Fair Play rules stemming from previous years and that the club cannot accept further deferrals. "There are technical parameters that cannot be explained. You can have the society's trust that they are fairly complex and that force a society under UEFA control like Roma, the only one in Italy at this moment, to comply," he explained. He praised players including Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante for accepting contract reductions to help the club navigate these limits. Gasperini described this as "a creative market, but very positive," noting that had Roma signed Summerville, other acquisitions would not have been possible. On Rodrigo Mora, Gasperini backed the young forward as an important investment for the future, noting the player scored 10 goals for Porto two years ago and possesses all the qualities to emerge. When asked whether a left-winger was essential or optional, Gasperini replied that any arrival must add genuine value: "Only if it can be an added value, otherwise I won't burden myself with players just to have them. Whoever arrives is strongly wanted and strongly wants to play at Roma." Regarding Paulo Dybala's condition, Gasperini said he is "not only determined as he was last year but also particularly strong," having completed a full pre-season without injury for the first time in recent years. At 32, Dybala has improved other qualities even if his raw pace and shot power have naturally diminished, Gasperini suggested. "I am sure he can do a season with more appearances than in recent years," the coach said. Gasperini confirmed that further squad exits may occur but only as part of deliberate swaps rather than enforced departures: Wesley arrived for Zeki Çelik's exit, and Castro was brought in as Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk departed. Roma's focus now turns to the opening fixture against Fiorentina, a side Gasperini described as heavily rebuilt on the transfer market. He acknowledged uncertainty ahead of the first match, partly due to players returning from World Cup duty with different conditioning and recent arrivals like Mora and Molina still settling in.

Gasperini is preparing Roma's opening lineup for Monday's visit of Fiorentina, with the shape of his team already taking clearer form in the final days of the transfer window. The Stadio Olimpico will host Fiorentina, managed by Grosso, who despite their youth and last season's league position will present a stern test. Gasperini has identified Fiorentina's preference for a 4-3-3 setup during summer friendlies and is likely to counter with a 3-4-1-2 formation against their four-man defence, adapting his usual structure. That system would see Rodrigo Mora operating as the trequartista behind the Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen partnership, a position where the Argentine could make an immediate impact and deliver more options than Matías Soulé offers from the left flank. The formation can shift to a 3-4-2-1 during play when Malen presses higher up the pitch. Gasperini will keep some selection decisions until the final stages of Monday's match. Wesley and Molina appear set for the right flank, while Kostas Tsimikas contests the left-back role against Mario Hermoso for a starting place. The central defensive duel between Evan N'Dicka and Fiorentina's Kean will be a critical battleground — N'Dicka has struggled more than usual against Kean's pace and explosive moments from his time at Juventus. Fiorentina's Arthur Atta will be their wildcard variable, looking to disrupt Roma's defensive shape by dropping deep and unsettling the back line. Molina will have dual duties: creating danger down the flank through his runs while containing the constant forward drives of Valdepeñas. The final training session takes place this afternoon at Trigoria, where remaining selection dilemmas—including the Mora-Soulé contest and the Cristante-Neil El Aynaoui decision—will be resolved. Gasperini continues to wait for one more attacking wide player with different characteristics from Mora during the summer window. Monday brings the first competitive test of the season, a tactical chess match between two managers with distinct philosophies and clear identities. Roma will need a strong start in a title race that this year features more Champions League contenders than ever before.

Gasperini will settle his choice of attacking midfielder for Sunday's match against Fiorentina by tonight or tomorrow morning. Matías Soulé has been tested for a second consecutive day in training, but Rodrigo Mora and Bryan Cristante remain in contention. Should Cristante advance into that role, either Neil El Aynaoui or Niccolò Pisilli would partner Manu Koné in midfield. Roma's campaign starts from third place and a 65,000-capacity Olimpico crowd, but the foundation is Gasperini's core players. The coach continues to regard Paulo Dybala, Gianluca Mancini and Cristante as essential to the team. Dybala finished pre-season with 7 goals and strong physical condition, while Mancini and Cristante remain the anchors for solidity, charisma and balance. Former Roma player Dario Bonetti reflected on the club's great regrets in an interview. On a disallowed goal by Turone, he said: "The disallowed goal to Turone cost us the scudetto in a glaring way." He also recalled Roma-Lecce: "That was an unexplainable, cursed match: it still bothers me to talk about it now." On the European Cup final against Liverpool, Bonetti added: "We were penalised, their goal came from an obvious foul on me."

Roma face Fiorentina in their Serie A opener on 24 August with Nahuel Molina poised to make his debut at right-back, ahead of Devyne Rensch, while Wesley is fully fit at left-back after recovering from an ankle problem. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's main uncertainty centres on the attacking midfield slot alongside Paulo Dybala and behind centre-forward Donyell Malen. Matías Soulé currently leads the competition for the position after impressing the coaching staff with his dedication since the start of pre-season, losing excess weight and setting aside transfer speculation. Rodrigo Mora provides competition and is eager to make his debut. Gasperini retains a tactical option to consider deploying Bryan Cristante as a number 10. The 1995-born midfielder has been used repeatedly in that role during the previous season in Roma's 3-4-1-2 formation, delivering balance and positive results. Should Gasperini select Cristante, the midfield would comprise Manu Koné alongside either Neil El Aynaoui or Niccolò Pisilli. The final decision will come only after the pre-match training session on 24 August, with Gasperini assessing the fitness of El Aynaoui, who remains behind schedule following the World Cup, and Pisilli, who has only recently rejoined the squad.

Gian Piero Gasperini arrived at Roma in June with ambitions to sign elite attacking talent such as Mason Greenwood, Luis Summerville or Alexander Nusa, but faces the close of the transfer window having settled for younger, more sustainable prospects. Oosterwolde is expected to arrive in the coming days as one of two final signings, but the manager's publicly measured tone masks deeper disappointment at what proved achievable against his original vision for the squad. The shift reflects the club's financial constraints under UEFA's settlement agreement with Roma. The constraint has not only limited inbound spending but appears to have narrowly governed outbound movement as well. On 21 July, Roma sent a private aircraft to Rotterdam to pursue Summerville, whose transfer would have cost €53 million in fees plus €4 million in annual wages including bonuses. When that move collapsed, Gasperini suggested the dynamics altered: "Perhaps if we had done Summerville we couldn't have done anything else. Or perhaps his contract was sustainable at that moment." The comment hints that Roma's operational budget suddenly contracted mid-window, forcing a change in strategy communicated by ownership during a meeting at a location in Wales. The timing and scale of other moves support this reading. After Al Hilal's counter-offer prompted Roma to act quickly, the club signed Castro (€36 million plus €3 million add-ons), Koulierakis (€16.5 million plus €1.5 million) and Molina (€13 million plus €4 million—an unplanned expense given the earlier expectation Çelik would remain). A club source indicated that "Roma has already had two payment deferrals with UEFA and cannot have more. Now comes the reckoning." The new stance, communicated as ownership's direction, prioritizes younger profiles over established names, regardless of sporting ambition. Gasperini blamed the Financial Fair Play framework: "It is limiting; perhaps Roma is the only club in Italy that must pay this price." The tension between what he sought and what the transfer market delivered will shape his approach to the new season.

Roma's recruitment this summer has been solid without delivering the transformational signing head coach Gasperini believed would unlock scudetto ambitions. The club secured a Champions League return and approaches its centenary in a position of genuine hope, yet the window carries an air of incompleteness. Gasperini had nursed real title dreams and was convinced that one or two top-tier additions could lift Roma out of the dreamlike state that has gripped the club since 2001. Players such as Greenwood, Summerville, Nusa and Fofana were mooted—names that offered greater guarantees than the squad possessed—but none arrived. Roma instead finds itself in a crowded midfield battle alongside Como, Milan, Juventus and Atalanta, unable to close the gap with Inter and Milan. The squad is measurably stronger than last year's. The article cites positional switches: Castro replaces Dovbyk, Molina comes in for Çelik, and Mora arrives for Bailey. Gasperini acknowledged both D'Amico's serious work in the transfer market and the communication difficulties with the Friedkin ownership. Crucially, Roma held firm by not selling any major players, but equally failed to move on the fringe figures who might have opened the door to genuine transformation. The absence of a headline signing—the kind of arrival that might force police to station units at Rome's airports—leaves the club without that superhero figure to lean on during difficult moments. Gasperini knows the squad is not title-contenders material, perhaps not even Champions League material despite finishing third last season. The coach had hoped the previous miracle result might unlock previously blocked spending channels, constrained by UEFA regulations that have clouded Roma's waters for years. That reckoning will arrive in the coming months. Much depends on Paulo Dybala's form, on the promises Mora delivers and on Donyell Malen's consistency. Ten days remain before the season begins. Until then, the sense of wanting but being unable to act lingers unresolved.

Gian Piero Gasperini defended Roma's transfer approach at his pre-match press conference on 22 August, two days before the Serie A opener against Fiorentina at the Olimpico. The coach confirmed that UEFA financial regulations have forced a strategic shift in the market, compounding constraints that stem from years of previous spending. "The profile is only that of UEFA; there are no other possibilities," Gasperini said. "There are situations that UEFA imposes and from which our ownership, even wanting to, cannot escape. I thought that after six months or with arrival in the Champions League the situation would be resolved, but it is not so." Gasperini emphasised that Roma remain the only Italian club currently under UEFA supervision. "Roma has already had two deferrals and probably cannot have any more," he noted. "Now the reckoning has arrived, but we will do well anyway." Despite those constraints, he expressed satisfaction with arrivals in the window. Álex Molina replaced Zeki Çelik after winning the World Cup two months earlier; Christos Koulierakis joined as a defensive profile the squad lacked; and Rodrigo Mora arrived as a young long-term investment. Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson departed, replaced by Mateo Castro. El Shaarawy, Bryan Zaragoza, Angeliño and Kostas Tsimikas also left. Gasperini stated: "All the players who arrived have strongly wanted to come to Roma. They have also reduced their salaries—and under this aspect I believe very positive work has been done. There are still ten days of the market left and we hope to complete everything." On the left wing position that Roma had pursued, Gasperini offered flexibility: "Only if he can be added value, otherwise I am not going to load myself with players just for the sake of it." Numerically, two squad slots remain available from a full complement of 23. He praised Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante for accepting significant wage cuts. On Dybala's fitness prospects, Gasperini said: "I am certain, because I see him not only determined as he was last year but also particularly strong. He completed a pre-season perhaps for the first time without injuries." Dybala suffered two serious injuries last season—one requiring meniscus surgery that sidelined him for three and a half months. Gasperini stated that further squad exits may follow only if they represent tactical switches rather than pure departures. "If there are other exits it is only for changes, to switch," he said. "In this moment there is nothing certain." The window closes in ten days. Roma finished last season on 73 points and third place in Serie A, but Gasperini stressed the slate resets: "Every year you start from zero. What was done was very positive and satisfactory for all, but when the season starts everyone begins at 0 points and the 73 points from last year must be played again."