Rensch to replace Wesley, Koné fit and set to start against Verona

Roma are closing in on Torino's young full-back Cacciamani with negotiations between the two clubs now closer on valuation. The parties are separated by approximately two million euros, a gap described as bridgeable, and Roma's next decisive push could seal the deal. Cacciamani, who has significant growth potential, would serve as an alternative to Wesley on the left flank and represents the kind of young, important player the club is targeting, according to coach Gian Piero Gasperini. As of 9 August, Roma's transfer window remains further behind Gasperini's preferred timeline, though activity is substantial across multiple fronts. The primary focus remains securing a right-footed attacking midfielder to deploy on the left; Nusa remains the preferred option, but negotiations with Leipzig have stalled around the €45–50 million budget threshold, with the German club unmoved on its asking price. Roma are also exploring alternatives including 21-year-old Malick Fofana at Lyon, who is still recovering from ankle surgery and a subsequent surgical intervention. On outgoings, Jan Ziółkowski has received an offer from Saudi Arabia that is currently under evaluation by the club. The Polish defender could join Matías Soulé and Manu Koné as potential departures if the right terms materialise. Elsewhere, Roma continue pursuing a right winger with Endrick's name still in the mix; the club is exploring a loan structure for the Brazilian talent born in 2006 to bolster that position.

Roma's pre-season tour of Britain concluded with a 3–0 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium, marking the final fixture of an intensive preparation cycle that took Gian Piero Gasperini's squad through Cardiff, Newport, and England. The loss came after encouraging signs against Newport but exposed defensive frailties and a need for sharper athletic conditioning as the squad builds towards the 2026–27 campaign. The intensity of Brighton's play and elevated tempo highlighted areas where Roma's match fitness still requires development, a natural consequence of the heavy workload sustained during the early weeks of the British training block. The squad flew back to Italy immediately after the final whistle and returned to Rome yesterday evening. To allow recovery from the accumulated fatigue and to process the tactical lessons from the Amex, Gasperini granted the group two full days of rest. Training resumes on Tuesday afternoon at Trigoria. The next major test arrives on Ferragosto (15 August) in a high-profile friendly against Borussia Dortmund, a fixture intended as a final dress rehearsal before the opening competitive matches of the new season.

Roma have not given up on signing Endrick. The Brazilian has been on the club's radar for some time, and director Ghigiarelli met with the player's agents today. According to Sportitalia, Ghigiarelli is waiting for Real Madrid to communicate whether Endrick will remain in their squad or be sent out on loan, as happened last season. Real Madrid, unlike their situation with Mastantuono, have yet to make their position clear to the player. Roma are prepared to move quickly if the Spanish club decide to sell. The Giallorossi have joined the queue of interested parties, which also includes Fenerbahçe and several Premier League clubs. Should Real Madrid make Endrick available, Roma believe they have a genuine chance of bringing the former Palmeiras forward to the capital. The outlook on Endrick's future is expected to become clearer early next week.

Roma's pre-season tour of England closed with a 3–0 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium on 8 August. Georginio Rutter opened the scoring in the 29th minute after Wesley squandered a one-on-one chance against Verbruggen in the 28th, with Yasin Ayari doubling the lead before half-time and completing his brace early in the second half at the 49th minute. The result capped a disappointing week for Gasperini's side, following a heavy loss to Cardiff City, with only an improved performance against Newport offering respite. Wesley's missed opportunity proved decisive; from the resulting counter-attack, Rutter fired past Svilar, and the concession of the opening goal triggered a psychological collapse that Brighton exploited ruthlessly through their pace and directness. Gasperini's Roma controlled stretches of the match and came closest to opening the scoring when Wesley was played through one-on-one in the 28th minute but shot over from a favourable position. The side's lack of clinical finishing and defensive frailty were stark: Brighton's attacks repeatedly found space, particularly down the flanks, and Roma's back line appeared disorganised and slow to react. Svilar made several key saves to prevent a larger scoreline. The heavy rotation Gasperini introduced in the second half, giving opportunities to younger squad members, failed to ignite a response from a team that appeared depleted and lacking intensity. Evan Ferguson, still recovering from injury, was present at the stadium to greet his former teammates before kick-off. Roma's next fixture is a friendly against Borussia Dortmund on 15 August, a match Gasperini will view as essential for rebuilding confidence and addressing the defensive and mental issues laid bare at the Amex.

Roma are closing in on Torino's young full-back Cacciamani with negotiations between the two clubs now closer on valuation. The parties are separated by approximately two million euros, a gap described as bridgeable, and Roma's next decisive push could seal the deal. Cacciamani, who has significant growth potential, would serve as an alternative to Wesley on the left flank and represents the kind of young, important player the club is targeting, according to coach Gian Piero Gasperini. As of 9 August, Roma's transfer window remains further behind Gasperini's preferred timeline, though activity is substantial across multiple fronts. The primary focus remains securing a right-footed attacking midfielder to deploy on the left; Nusa remains the preferred option, but negotiations with Leipzig have stalled around the €45–50 million budget threshold, with the German club unmoved on its asking price. Roma are also exploring alternatives including 21-year-old Malick Fofana at Lyon, who is still recovering from ankle surgery and a subsequent surgical intervention. On outgoings, Jan Ziółkowski has received an offer from Saudi Arabia that is currently under evaluation by the club. The Polish defender could join Matías Soulé and Manu Koné as potential departures if the right terms materialise. Elsewhere, Roma continue pursuing a right winger with Endrick's name still in the mix; the club is exploring a loan structure for the Brazilian talent born in 2006 to bolster that position.

Roma ended their pre-season training camp in Wales with a 3–0 defeat to Brighton. Rutter and Ayari, who scored twice, were decisive for the home side. The loss concluded what proved a disappointing retreat before the Giallorossi return to Rome and prepare for their final warm-up fixture against Borussia Dortmund ahead of the 2026–27 season launch. In the second half against Brighton, Castro and Koulierakis were brought on to gain match time. Back at Trigoria, Roma await the return of Pellegrini and Koné, the latter having rejoined the squad after his summer break. Individual performances saw Bryan Cristante earn a rating of 6 for his display, while Mario Hermoso (4) and Wesley (4.5) both endured difficult afternoons in defence.

Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged Roma's transfer shortfall after a poor showing in a friendly against Brighton, conceding that the club lacks adequate depth. The head coach said: "If we do the count, numerically there is still a need for something, but you know how it is. D'Amico is negotiating very young and very important players. That is the indication." Gasperini stressed that squad decisions rest with the club's chief executive, saying: "We have a chief executive, you will have to ask him these questions and he will say what Roma can and cannot do. On numbers and market possibilities the ball passes to him." Gasperini cited returnees from international duty—Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen—as still recovering their sharpness. He praised Paulo Dybala's fitness and noted that recent arrivals from the start of preseason had performed well. The manager confirmed that an injured player "will be out for at least a month," with discussion to resume from September onward. Gasperini also highlighted recent squad changes: "We replaced Çelik with Molina, whom we will see on Tuesday. We replaced Dovbyk with Castro, who I believe will give us great satisfaction. And then Koulierakis arrived, who seems interesting to complete the defence."

Roma suffered a 3–0 defeat at Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August, the final test of their training camp in England before returning to the Italian capital. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged a disappointing performance but said the squad lacked concentration rather than fitness. He noted that players returning from the World Cup — Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen — needed extra time to recover. "It's not really a fitness issue, but more the fact that we played disconnected as a team, certainly not with the right concentration," Gasperini said. "We have some players coming back from World Cup competitions like Ndicka, El Aynaoui and Malen who are a bit depleted. We need to be patient because when you return from these tournaments it takes a little longer to recover." On the transfer front, Gasperini confirmed that midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini will miss at least another month with injury, likely returning in September. He acknowledged that Roma currently have limited squad depth and are pursuing new signings. "If I do the count at this moment we are few," he said, noting that Alessandro Molina has arrived to replace Zeki Çelik and will be seen in action on Tuesday, and that João Bahrim Castro was brought in to replace Artem Dovbyk alongside defender Koulierakis. Gasperini added: "D'Amico is searching and negotiating very young but also very important players. That is the direction."

Roma lost 3–0 to Brighton at the American Express Stadium, finishing their British pre-season tour with defeats to Brighton and Cardiff City balanced by a win over Newport County. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged the poor display but stressed the squad's broader progress during the week's training camp. "Today was a very poor match, undoubtedly. We put in a bad performance. For the rest of the week we worked quite well, in a fresh and ideal environment for the facilities. But this was not a good match. We have some difficulties, which we think we can fix in the coming weeks," Gasperini said. Gasperini identified squad fatigue as a factor, noting that Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui and Donyell Malen are "somewhat depleted" after their Copa América and Africa Cup of Nations commitments. He confirmed Lorenzo Pellegrini's return is now official, though he will be unavailable for roughly a month. On the transfer market, Gasperini stopped short of ruling out departures but deferred questions to the club's chief executive: "I don't know. We have a chief executive officer; you should ask him these questions about what Roma can or cannot do. On figures and market possibilities Roma goes through him." Gasperini assessed Roma's summer moves—Molina replacing Çelik, Castro replacing Dovbyk, and the arrival of Koulierakis to strengthen defence—as steps forward. However, he admitted: "Numerically it seems to me there is still a need for something." He added that assistant D'Amico is pursuing young but significant players, indicating that further moves are expected.

Bryan Zaragoza remains without a club after his disappointing spell at Roma, currently sidelined at Bayern Munich and outside Vincent Kompany's plans. The winger is seeking a return to Spain, where Espanyol director of football Monchi has identified him as a target. Alaves and several Arab clubs are also monitoring his availability, leaving his future uncertain. Zaragoza's time at Roma failed to impress Gasperini, who used him sparingly throughout the campaign. He spent three weeks sidelined by injury in the run-in, further limiting his impact in the giallorosso shirt. His struggles in Italy have prompted his exit from the Bavarian club's immediate plans.

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 must accelerate their transfer business, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has identified the left flank as a priority area after disappointing performances from Bailey and Zaragoza. Antonio Nusa of Leipzig has been the club's primary target in recent weeks, but the German side's unwillingness to sell—stemming from their sale of Diomande to Real Madrid—has complicated negotiations. The Norwegian winger is pushing for a move, but Leipzig are demanding €60 million. Roma has set themselves a deadline; if Leipzig do not show openness in the coming hours, the club will pivot to alternative targets. Among the options being explored are Premier League players Savinho of Manchester City and Adingra of Sunderland, with Savinho potentially available on a loan deal with a buyout clause given the competitive situation at City and his desire for regular playing time. Godo of Strasbourg and Bahoya of Eintracht Frankfurt remain in reserve, as does the possibility of Rafa Leão, though the AC Milan winger would need to lower his wage demands. Reports also suggest Roma's director D'Amico may be working on a surprise move behind the scenes, similar to the groundwork done for signings such as Koulierakis and Read.