Roma assemble for pre-season as Gasperini begins Champions League rebuild

Roma begin their pre-season programme under Gian Piero Gasperini on the morning of his second stint at the club. Players are expected at the Fulvio Bernardini training centre at Trigoria by midday, with the squad list to follow. Gasperini arrives alongside Tony D'Amico as Roma aim to build on their Champions League qualification in his first season, targeting further improvement and European competition. The club awaits contract renewals for Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, and Zeki Çelik, followed by extensions for Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante. Dybala has agreed to stay for another season on two million euros plus bonuses, with an option to renew based on appearances in the following year. The Argentina forward, intercepted at Fiumicino airport alongside Matías Soulé, is expected to complete his renewal announcement this morning. However, Pellegrini will miss early training as he continues rehabilitation from a late-season injury. Roma's pre-season includes three friendlies at Trigoria (16–24 July) against Primavera, Roma City, and Trastevere, followed by matches in France against Cannes (26 July), then Wales with Cardiff (1 August), Newport (4 August), and Brighton (8 August). The schedule concludes with a prestigious test against Dortmund on 15 August before the Serie A campaign opens.

Paulo Dybala has completed his contract renewal with Roma and will make his debut under Gian Piero Gasperini today, following the formal announcement after signing. Zeki Çelik's renewal is also on the verge of completion, though a handful of details remain to be finalised. Lorenzo Pellegrini's situation differs: negotiations continue at a measured pace, with Roma and the midfielder discussing terms over two years plus an optional third year—Pellegrini is pushing for three years guaranteed—alongside a significant reduction on his current salary. Pellegrini is currently undergoing rehabilitation following a consequence of an injury from the end of last season. Meanwhile, Roma confirmed the consensual termination of Federico Guidi's contract as Primavera head coach. Guidi had managed the youth team from 2022 to 2024 and again in the 2025–26 season, winning a Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in his first spell, as well as reaching the Scudetto final in 2024. Mattia Scala will be announced as his replacement shortly.

AS Roma's pre-season training camp opened at the Fulvio Bernardini centre on the first day of Gian Piero Gasperini's inaugural season in charge. Players were required to report by noon for mandatory medical checks and fitness testing. Daniele Ghilardi was the first to arrive at Trigoria as the squad assembled for the new campaign. The atmosphere at the training ground reflects a period of optimism at the club. A record-breaking response to the 2026–27 season-ticket drive has already generated exceptional numbers in the opening days of the campaign, signalling strong fan engagement ahead of what promises to be a significant year under Gasperini's leadership. The pre-season will see the group undergo standard protocols and conditioning work ahead of competitive fixtures. Live coverage of the opening day at Trigoria was being provided as players arrived and began their initial assessments, with continued updates expected throughout the day from the training ground.

Roma's squad reported to Trigoria by 12 noon on Monday to begin their first week of training under Gian Piero Gasperini, who enters his second season in charge following the club's return to the Champions League. The first session, preceded by routine medical checks, was scheduled for the afternoon after lunch. The squad welcomed back no new faces, with departures including El Shaarawy, Ferguson, Zaragoza and Tsimikas, and the club opted not to publish the squad list publicly. The decision to withhold squad details reflects uncertainty over Paulo Dybala's contract situation. Roma's hierarchy worked to complete all formalities of Dybala's contract renewal by Monday morning, with the financial terms already agreed for several days. Çelik will be the first player to return following his involvement in international competition, though his own renewal announcement has not yet been confirmed. The full or near-full squad is expected only when the team convenes for a training camp in Wales. Gasperini is awaiting reinforcements from the club's sporting director D'Amico, who has drawn up a target list prioritising Moreira, while Garnacho and Tresoldi remain under consideration for the attack and centre-back positions respectively.

Gian Piero Gasperini begins Roma's summer preparation at Trigoria, exactly fifty days after his appointment was celebrated at Verona. The coach will oversee a squad that has undergone subtle but significant changes since the end of the previous season. Stephan El Shaarawy has departed, while several players remain away on World Cup duty. Critically, Zeki Çelik and Lorenzo Pellegrini have yet to sign contract renewals, though both are expected to remain at the club—Çelik is still on holiday following Turkey's World Cup campaign, while Pellegrini must rebuild his fitness. Paulo Dybala is confirmed in the squad barring unforeseen developments. The transfer market remains frozen for now, but sporting director D'Amico will shift focus to incoming moves once renewals are secured. Gasperini's priority list is established. Mason Greenwood, the primary target, has slipped away, but the new sporting director is pursuing alternative options considered equally significant. Alejandro Garnacho and a player identified as Moreira are under active consideration. For Garnacho, Roma have requested a loan with an option to buy from Chelsea, though London has not yet opened discussions. Strasbourg are demanding 40 million for the Belgian, a considerably more demanding asking price that complicates any potential deal.

Paulo Dybala has recommitted to AS Roma following his automatic contract renewal, capping a resurgence that helped secure the club's return to the Champions League for the first time in seven years. The Argentine playmaker delivered decisively in the final stretch of the 2025–26 season, recording assists for Malen and El Shaarawy in matches against Verona—the goals that sealed Europa League qualification and promotion to the group stage. Over 27 appearances in that run, Dybala posted 3 goals and 8 assists. Since joining Roma in 2022, Dybala has compiled 140 matches, 45 goals and 30 assists across all positions—attacker, second striker, attacking midfielder and creative fulcrum. His debut campaign (2022–23) proved prolific with 18 goals and 8 assists before injury despite a standout display against Inter and a vital Europa League goal against Feyenoord. The following year brought 16 goals in 39 matches with 10 assists. A proposed summer transfer to Al-Qadsiah fell through when Dybala chose to remain in the Eternal City, but form and fitness suffered under successive managers, leaving him sidelined until early 2026. After knee surgery in March forced another layoff, his timely return proved crucial. The lingering scar from the 31 May 2023 final—a missed opportunity to change Roma's history—remains, but the coming seasons offer fresh chances to heal that wound.

Roma's squad reported to Trigoria by 12 noon on Monday to begin their first week of training under Gian Piero Gasperini, who enters his second season in charge following the club's return to the Champions League. The first session, preceded by routine medical checks, was scheduled for the afternoon after lunch. The squad welcomed back no new faces, with departures including El Shaarawy, Ferguson, Zaragoza and Tsimikas, and the club opted not to publish the squad list publicly. The decision to withhold squad details reflects uncertainty over Paulo Dybala's contract situation. Roma's hierarchy worked to complete all formalities of Dybala's contract renewal by Monday morning, with the financial terms already agreed for several days. Çelik will be the first player to return following his involvement in international competition, though his own renewal announcement has not yet been confirmed. The full or near-full squad is expected only when the team convenes for a training camp in Wales. Gasperini is awaiting reinforcements from the club's sporting director D'Amico, who has drawn up a target list prioritising Moreira, while Garnacho and Tresoldi remain under consideration for the attack and centre-back positions respectively.

Roma have renewed their pursuit of Diego Moreira, the 2004-born Strasbourg winger who featured for Belgium at the World Cup, as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's priority reinforcement on the left side. The French club values the Belgian at €40 million—a figure Roma director Tony D'Amico will attempt to reduce through negotiation. A previous approach came before the World Cup tournament, and the club has now resumed talks. Moreira's arrival would restore Wesley to his natural position on the right flank. The winger impressed on the opposite side last season, but Gasperini's vision centres on strengthening the left, a flank without a settled incumbent. Salah-Eddine is being moved on, Angeliño will be evaluated during the pre-season retreat, and Kostas Tsimikas departed a month ago. Gasperini views Moreira as the ideal fit: quick, technical, and with sharp attacking capabilities demonstrated in matches such as the encounter against Senegal. Last season the Belgian recorded 4 goals and 7 assists. The decision now rests with the Friedkin Group ownership.

Kostas Tsimikas's spell at Roma has ended without the impact promised when Liverpool loaned him to the club on 31 August 2025. The left-back arrived as backup to Angeliño but failed to deliver despite encouraging early signs, making just 1050 minutes across 18 Serie A appearances and 7 Europa League matches. His season average rating of 5.63 reflects a run marred by costly errors—including a meekly struck free kick at Como that became social media fodder—and finishing with only one assist to his name, earned in a Europa League match at Nice on 24 September when he set up Gianluca Mancini twice in a performance that proved his sole highlight. Tsimikas debuted in the Derby della Capitale on 21 September, contributing the final 9 minutes of Roma's victory against Lazio, but never again demonstrated the quality shown in France. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini was forced to solve the left-back shortage by deploying Wesley in that position, with Zeki Çelik anchoring the opposite flank—a makeshift arrangement that ultimately benefited Roma through Wesley's exceptional form. Roma chose not to activate the permanent option on the Greek international, who has returned to Liverpool. The 41-cap international's failure to flourish, despite arriving as an experienced Premier League performer, underscores how promising signings can falter even when all conditions appear favourable.

Roma's squad reported to Trigoria by 12 noon on Monday to begin their first week of training under Gian Piero Gasperini, who enters his second season in charge following the club's return to the Champions League. The first session, preceded by routine medical checks, was scheduled for the afternoon after lunch. The squad welcomed back no new faces, with departures including El Shaarawy, Ferguson, Zaragoza and Tsimikas, and the club opted not to publish the squad list publicly. The decision to withhold squad details reflects uncertainty over Paulo Dybala's contract situation. Roma's hierarchy worked to complete all formalities of Dybala's contract renewal by Monday morning, with the financial terms already agreed for several days. Çelik will be the first player to return following his involvement in international competition, though his own renewal announcement has not yet been confirmed. The full or near-full squad is expected only when the team convenes for a training camp in Wales. Gasperini is awaiting reinforcements from the club's sporting director D'Amico, who has drawn up a target list prioritising Moreira, while Garnacho and Tresoldi remain under consideration for the attack and centre-back positions respectively.

Nine players assembled during Gian Piero Gasperini's first season at Roma have combined for 100 appearances across Serie A and cup competitions but have failed to establish themselves as regular contributors. Pierluigi Gollini featured only once, against Panathinaikos in January's final Europa League group stage match. Angeliño made brief appearances against Celtic and Panathinaikos before a March return to the Olimpico against Lecce, where he saw limited action in the run-in. Robinio Vaz, signed for 20 million euros plus 5 million in bonuses in January alongside Donyell Malen, scored his sole Roma goal against Lecce but has proven too raw for immediate impact as deputy striker. Bryan Zaragoza arrived on loan from Bayern Munich in January and impressed on his second appearance, starting against Napoli and providing an assist for Malen's opening goal from the seventh minute, yet proved costly when he came on in Roma's Europa League elimination against Bologna in extra time. Lorenzo Venturino, an 18-year-old winger on loan from Genoa, saw limited use due to his age. Evan Ferguson, signed on loan with a purchase option from Brighton, closed the season with 40 combined appearances across both strikers; the 20-year-old's campaign ended in January after injury and limited backing from Gasperini. Artem Dovbyk meanwhile struggled to meet the technical demands of the role and reappeared late in the season with only two minutes in the final two matches.

Roma is reportedly exploring a possible transfer axis with Bologna as the summer window accelerates. The Giallorossi have made contact regarding three players: Argentine striker Castro, Scottish midfielder Ferguson (Bologna's captain), and defender Ghilardi. Castro, who has also attracted interest from Nottingham Forest, is valued at approximately 40 million euros by Bologna. Ferguson, recently eliminated from the World Cup despite strong individual performances, has drawn attention from Rangers and Atalanta; Bologna is seeking at least 20 million euros plus bonuses for the midfielder. Head coach Gasperini's squad-building plans remain the priority for the Friedkin Group, with Greenwood continuing as the primary transfer target. Roma has informed Bologna that defender Kumbulla—returning from a loan spell at Majorca—is available for transfer, while Bologna has expressed interest in Ghilardi, particularly given the expected departure of Lucumì. The club views Freuler, available on a free transfer from 1 July, as below their level of priority. Details of any formal offers or agreements remain unclear. The 30 June deadline is slowing activity across the market but does not appear to concern Roma's ownership, who remain focused on delivering a competitive squad across all competitions.