Pellegrini remains unsigned as Friedkin approval holds up new deal

Roma continue to strengthen their squad following the official arrivals of Castro and Koulierakis. Head coach Gasperini has made a new left-flank reinforcement a priority, and negotiations over Read are ongoing. Once that deal is closed, the club will push decisively on the manager's request for a left-sided defender. Nusa remains Roma's primary target for the position, but another option has emerged in recent days. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma have identified Juventus winger Nico González as a potential candidate. The Argentine wants to leave Juventus after spending the previous season on loan at Atlético Madrid, who are prepared to take him back. However, no agreement has been reached between those two clubs yet. Roma are now ready to table their own offer to the Bianconeri as they explore alternatives in the market.

Roma are monitoring Nico Gonzalez as a potential left-wing target, though the Argentine remains unlikely to be available unless a move to Atletico Madrid falls through. Gonzalez, recently at the World Cup with Argentina, wants to leave Juventus, and Atletico Madrid is preparing to bring him back to Spain after his loan spell there last season. Should that agreement with Juventus collapse, Roma would be ready to make an offer to the Turin club. However, Antonio Nusa remains Roma's primary left-wing objective and is unlikely to move for less than €60 million. The Giallorossi are also monitoring Stuttgart's Leweling and Brentford's Schade as alternatives. Gonzalez's name, therefore, ranks as a secondary option among several targets being tracked by the club at Trigoria.

Rome's radio stations hosted a discussion among prominent pundits on Roma's transfer strategy and squad composition. Piero Torri of Manà Sport stated that while negotiations with Nusa remain active, he continues to favour Lyon's Fofana, despite the financial burden of such a deal. Torri also raised concerns about Roma's ability to execute sales: "The problem with profit margins is there. Roma tries to sell Salah-Eddine for 8 million and the player refuses, then no offers come in for Koné. D'Amico at Atalanta has made tremendous sales, here he can't manage it. If Read costs 30, Wesley is worth triple." Mario Mattioli of Radio Radio praised Read as a versatile player suited to Gasperini's system, comparing him to Dumfries and noting that he could flourish alongside Castro given the latter's advanced playmaking traits. Roberto Pruzzo acknowledged Read's potential but questioned the lack of push from the fullbacks in Roma's recent display, pointing out that both Rensch and Wesley appeared undercooked. Pruzzo added: "You have good attackers, but you need to complete the squad. If you're able to spend this amount on an winger, I think it's the right thing to do." He also suggested that Castro and Malen could complement each other effectively in attack.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is waiting for reinforcements and sent a barb at the club following Roma's 4–1 defeat in Cardiff. After signing Castro, Roma have targeted Norwegian winger Nusa and offered Leipzig €40 million plus bonuses, though the German club is asking for €60 million. The alternative remains Betis winger Ezzalzouli, for whom the 24-year-old Moroccan's club is asking €55 million. A new option is now Endrick, a Brazilian playmaker who could arrive on loan from Real Madrid with the Spanish club retaining a right of redemption, according to reports. Diego Moreira of Strasbourg remains under consideration. In defence, Roma are monitoring Fiorentina's Dodo, Sporting's Fresneda, and Feyenoord's Read. For the last-named, Roma have offered €25 million. Elsewhere, discussions continue over the renewal of Lorenzo Pellegrini's contract.

Roma are tracking multiple attacking targets as they enter a critical week in the transfer window. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who has been seeking a left-sided forward for a year, told the club two days ago: "The squad will be competitive, we are dealing with players of value." Among the options under consideration is Jamie Leweling, 25, Stuttgart's winger and a Germany international who featured at the recent World Cup. Leweling's valuation stands at around €50 million. Roma are also monitoring Antonio Nusa this week in what Gasperini views as a decisive moment for that target. Kevin Schade of Brentford remains a secondary option, while Endrick from Real Madrid is being considered as a potential replacement for Matías Soulé should the Argentine depart. Gasperini's priority remains securing a major attacking addition, alongside renewing Lorenzo Pellegrini's contract and potentially finding a replacement for Soulé if he leaves. Roma have given themselves a few more hours to assess their realistic scope for manoeuvre on Nusa. On the defensive front, activity is also expected: Roma have prepared a bid of €28 million for Givairo Read of Feyenoord, with the Dutch player favouring a move to Roma over Nottingham Forest.

Radio commentators weighed in on Roma's transfer window and squad stability on 2 August. Rossomando stated that Lorenzo Pellegrini's desire to remain at the club is evident, arguing that if he wanted to leave, he would already have pursued other options with his agent. Rossomando attributed Roma's wider difficulties to ownership and management rather than individual player decisions, noting that other Italian clubs are also experiencing transfer delays. Conflitti offered a defence of the club's sporting directors, suggesting that this summer's events have clarified that transfer delays at Roma cannot be blamed solely on Ghisolfi, Massara, and D'Amico. He acknowledged that some errors may have occurred but argued the responsibility extends beyond the sporting department to the broader structure of the organisation. Both commentators spoke on Radio Manà Manà Sport as part of Romanews.eu's daily radio commentary column. Rossomando said: "The will of Pellegrini to stay at Roma is clear, otherwise he would have already found other solutions with his agent. As always the problems arise from whoever runs this company, namely the ownership. Many other clubs in Italy are also behind schedule." Conflitti added: "I would say that this summer has dispelled some doubts about what Roma's problems are regarding market delays. The blame clearly was not solely on the sporting directors, so we need to reconsider some of the thinking on Ghisolfi, Massara and also D'Amico, aside from some mistakes that may have been made."

Roma suffered a 4–1 defeat to Cardiff City on 1 August, a match in which the Giallorossi struggled to perform at their best and tensions flared on the pitch. A flashpoint involved captain Bryan Cristante and Paulo Dybala, who had a heated face-to-face exchange following an unblown foul on Castro that led to Cardiff's fourth goal. The pair did not come to blows, but the moment reflected frustration over the refereeing decision. At Roma's training session on 2 August, the atmosphere had eased considerably. Cristante was observed speaking calmly with all three Argentine squad members, indicating a return to normal team dynamics and no lingering ill-feeling between the players involved in the Cardiff incident. The match marked another disappointing pre-season outing for Gasperini's side as preparations for the 2026–27 season continue.

Konstantinos Koulierakis joined Roma's pre-season training camp in Wales on 2 August, a day after his signing was officially announced. The defender arrived at the Vale Resort to meet Gian Piero Gasperini and his teammates, including Bryan Cristante, Gianluca Mancini, Paulo Dybala, and Donyell Malen. The moment was captured on camera as Koulierakis embraced the head coach and squad members. Some Roma supporters at the resort approached the new arrival to request photographs and autographs. Gasperini now has an additional defender available as Roma continues its pre-season preparations. The timing of Koulierakis's arrival reflects the club's push to strengthen the backline during the current transfer window. His integration into the group comes as Roma prepares for the 2026-27 season.

Koulierakis joined Roma's squad in Wales on 2 August, arriving at Vale Resort in Hensol after completing his medical and signing yesterday. The Greek centre-back posed for photographs with Roma supporters at the training ground before linking up with Gasperini and the squad for his first team session. He arrived on a permanent deal worth €16 million plus €1.5 million in bonuses, with Wolfsburg retaining a 20 per cent sell-on clause. Koulierakis joins an established defensive unit comprising Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso, Ziółkowski and Ghilardi, though the last-named could depart the capital. This morning Dybala and the wider group completed a gym session, with a video review and field training scheduled for the afternoon. Gasperini welcomes Koulierakis as Roma's second new acquisition of the summer, following Castro, who made his debut in yesterday's 0–0 draw with Cardiff. The defender will bolster Roma's backline as pre-season preparations continue in Wales.