Roma begin summer training; Dybala renewal confirmed, Pellegrini deal close

Roma have abandoned their move for Jayden Oosterwolde after conducting additional medical tests that altered their assessment of the defender's injury status. Oosterwolde had already arrived in the capital in recent days and passed initial medical examinations, but further investigation into a biceps injury he was carrying prompted Roma to reopen talks with Fenerbahce about modifying the deal's terms. When no new agreement could be reached, the club decided not to proceed with the signing. The transfer had been structured as a loan with an obligation to buy, with a combined value under €20 million. Roma's medical team established that the defender would require three to four weeks to return to group training and a minimum of six to eight weeks before he could play, timescales the club deemed unacceptable. Having reassessed the situation with the Fenerbahce hierarchy, Roma chose to withdraw rather than risk the investment given the extended recovery period. Oosterwolde will now return to Turkey. The move had been expected to be wrapped up swiftly after the midfielder arrived at Ciampino airport two days ago, with only medical clearance standing between the player and his registration.

Roma have withdrawn from the signing of Jayden Oosterwolde after additional medical examinations revealed concerns over the defender's recovery timeline from a muscular injury sustained at Fenerbahce. The Dutch left-back had arrived in Rome in recent days and completed initial medical tests, but deeper assessments prompted the club to halt the transfer, which had been structured as a loan with an obligation to buy under certain conditions. Roma and Fenerbahce had attempted to renegotiate the terms of the deal after the medical findings emerged, but the giallorossi ultimately decided the recovery period was too lengthy and uncertain to justify proceeding. Oosterwolde will return to Fenerbahce. The setback leaves head coach Gian Piero Gasperini still seeking reinforcement on the wing before the transfer window closes, with sporting director Tony D'Amico now tasked with finding an alternative solution in that position.

Roma are exploring defensive reinforcements as the transfer window enters its final days, with uncertainty over Jan Ziółkowski's future complicating their planning. The Polish defender is in talks with Monza over a potential departure, forcing Roma to plan for a replacement centre-back option. The pursuit of Morato has grown increasingly difficult after Nottingham Forest rejected Roma's advances on a loan with a purchase option. Director D'Amico has turned his attention to Thilo Kehrer, the 1996-born defender leaving Monaco according to Sky Sport. Kehrer is viewed as an experienced profile capable of providing Gasperini with defensive cover when needed. The move would allow Roma to manage their squad depth at centre-back depending on whether Ziółkowski departs before the window closes.

Roma are reshaping their defence with two moves: Jan Ziolkowski is close to leaving on loan with a right of purchase that can become an obligation under certain conditions, with Monza expected to complete the deal this evening. To replace the Polish defender, Roma have opened official talks with Nottingham over a move for Brazilian left-sided centre-back Morato on a similar loan arrangement with a purchase option. The 2001-born Morato, 1.92m tall, is likely to serve as backup to Evan N'Dicka in the defensive hierarchy. His market value sits around €15 million. The signing represents a shift in Roma's defensive approach: Jayden Oosterwolde will now operate purely as a left-back rather than fill the sixth-defender role in Gasperini's system.

Six AS Roma players have been nominated for awards at the Gran Galà del Calcio, which takes place on 2 September at the Teatro della Scala in Milan. Sky Sport will broadcast the ceremony live. Mile Svilar is a candidate for best goalkeeper, Evan N'Dicka for best defender, Manu Koné for best midfielder, and Donyell Malen for best forward. Malen has made a strong start to the season with a hat-trick against Fiorentina. Gian Piero Gasperini is also in contention, nominated for best coach of the previous season.

AS Roma will have a strong presence at the 2026 AIC Gran Galà del Calcio on 2 September at Milan's Teatro alla Scala, with the club nominated for multiple individual and collective honours. Roma is in contention for the award of Society of the Year alongside Como and Inter, reflecting the strength of its season. Five Roma players and staff feature on the award shortlists: Mile Svilar is a candidate for best goalkeeper, Evan N'Dicka is among the selected defenders, Manu Koné is listed among the best midfielders, Donyell Malen appears in the forwards' list, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is nominated in the managers' category. The gala represents recognition of Roma's competitive standing this season. The ceremony will be broadcast live on Sky Sport from 7 p.m., streamed on NOW, and shown on free-to-air TV8 from 9:20 p.m.

Roma are actively pursuing both Aurélien Fofana and Franck Kessié in the final days of the transfer window, according to multiple commentators on Roman radio on 27 August. Mario Corsi stated: "The situation is this: in these hours people are talking about Fofana and Kessié, Roma is absolutely trying to take them. I'm telling you that Roma is absolutely trying, and something will definitely come out. Then maybe it could be other names, but they'll do something good." Corsi added that if Roma sign both players, there is no reason not to discuss a title challenge, noting: "The only team that has four strong strikers is Inter. I have terrible tension in these last four days because it changes the thinking on the shield." The Fofana deal appears structured as a loan with an obligation to buy triggered by a set number of appearances, rather than an outright €35 million plus bonuses transfer from Lyon. Francesca Ferrazza explained: "Fofana has an important history of injuries, and for this reason they are working on the formula: a loan that then becomes an obligation to buy at a certain number of matches. With players who have this history of injuries you have to be cautious, and for this reason the operation is complicated." She urged swift decisions from the ownership: "Let's hope the Friedkins are quick to give answers to D'Amico and Gasperini to green-light the operations." On Jayden Oosterwolde, Checco Oddo Casano reported: "The situation has been clear since yesterday, but Roma still hasn't decided. The medical staff has expressed their doubts saying: 'Are you really sure you want to take this risk?' I honestly wouldn't take this risk, but then you have to see if you have an alternative ready, because today is 27 August and there is little time." Lorenzo Pes suggested negotiations with Fenerbahçe were ongoing to adjust terms: contacts have resumed "to change the cost of the loan, which will not be expensive but free, and on the number of appearances for the obligation to buy." Separately, speculation around Neil El Aynaoui's future prompted comment. Piero Torri stated: "I'm trying to understand something about El Aynaoui, because the story is building that he could leave Roma. The agent says quite decisively that he stays at Roma. There has been talk of Saudi Arabia and Crystal Palace, but I haven't found evidence." Ilario Di Giovambattista weighed in on Roma's overall strength: "Roma has shown they have a crazy defence—I don't see a better one in Italy. The attack is the best in Serie A along with Inter. Even like this Roma can fight for the title."

Radio pundits gathered to assess Roma's transfer activity and title ambitions on the opening day of the Champions League league-phase campaign. The debate centred on whether the squad can challenge for the Serie A title, with most speakers expressing optimism contingent on further additions before the window closes. Sabatini offered the strongest endorsement, saying: "If Roma had Dybala for 38 matches as he played against Fiorentina, the club could compete for the scudetto. What we saw from Dybala—I haven't seen him like that in ten years." Other analysts echoed the view that the squad has the foundation to compete. Di Giovambattista noted that Roma's defence is the best in Italy and, with recent reinforcements, the team can fight for the title. Orsi added that a Fofana signing would complete the squad, and that Gasperini did not engineer these changes merely to compete in the Champions League—"he wants to win the scudetto." Roma's transfer focus remains on midfield. Carina reported at Radio Radio: "There is this negotiation with Ziolkowski going to Monza. El Aynaoui is on the market, but there isn't a queue for him: if an offer arrives, Roma evaluates it, otherwise El Aynaoui stays. In this final part of the market many names will come out, there are clubs with surplus players, but Roma's market is outlined. You have to understand how it will end with Fofana: I am optimistic, because if you have an agreement with the club and the player, you find a formula to close it. Roma must compete for the scudetto: it is behind Inter, but it can play for it." Pes, reporting on Oosterwolde, said Roma has resumed contact with Fenerbahce and the formula is now a free loan with a right of purchase that can become an obligation once the player reaches 20 appearances. Torri noted that Lyon must sell Fofana regardless, facing a requirement to raise €100 million over the next year, and that selling El Aynaoui for €30 million would ease funds for further Fofana negotiations. He added that Roma is structured to compete for the top four and that "with Malen, Dybala and Fofana, that is a lot of quality." The window's final phase will determine whether Fofana and a left-sided player arrive. Lyon's financial crisis and Champions League status remain central to negotiations, with Roma and the French club still seeking agreement on terms.

Roma have made a concrete move for Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessié, with the club presenting a contract proposal to his agent on 25 August in an attempt to pre-empt Juventus. The approach marks a significant escalation beyond exploratory contact, as Roma seek to reunite Kessié with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who worked with him at Atalanta. However, no agreement has been reached; Juventus retains the advantage in Kessié's preferences and has intensified talks following Roma's bid. The midfielder, a former Atalanta and Milan player, would strengthen Roma's midfield without requiring a transfer fee. Director Tony D'Amico has moved to establish whether the conditions exist to bring Kessié back to Serie A. The contract terms and Kessié's final response remain undisclosed. Roma remain in contention but currently trail Juventus in the player's calculations. A potential Kessié arrival could trigger a cascade of further market activity. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the signing might alter the status of Neil El Aynaoui, the Moroccan winger who could become available if an economically significant offer materialises. Should El Aynaoui depart, the proceeds would fund Roma's final major attacking objective at a moment when UEFA settlement restrictions are constraining the club's investment capacity. Neither an offer for El Aynaoui nor a definitive Roma decision on his future has been formally tabled. D'Amico's strategy aims to complete Gasperini's requested squad by assembling a free agent midfielder, potentially monetising an attacking player, and reinvesting the funds on an offensive flank—a sequence designed to navigate UEFA's economic controls without collision. The pathway hinges on convincing Kessié to choose Roma over Juventus.

The relationship between head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and sporting director Ricky Massara deteriorated throughout the 2025–26 season, marked by clashing views on transfer strategy, public criticism and mounting friction that became irreparable. Massara, who felt treated as an amateur despite his substantial track record, endured difficult months in silence, though tension grew steadily. The conflict began last summer during negotiations for Sancho and Fabio Silva, then escalated in late August when Massara said "Sancho at the moment remains a suggestion because I don't think there are the conditions or the motivations," while Gasperini later replied: "Sancho never refused Roma." The situation exploded in early September during a heated discussion at Fulvio Bernardini, where Gasperini accused Massara of being too slow in negotiations, dismissing the restrictions imposed by Financial Fair Play and inherited difficulties. Disputes over specific targets fuelled the rift further: Gasperini's veto on Raspadori, his preference for Malen over Zirkzee, and disagreements over Robinio Vaz. The breakdown continued from a distance after Massara moved to Juventus, with the director's pursuit of Zeki Çelik irritating Roma while Gasperini attempted to insert himself into the Juventus deal for Kessié. The definitive rupture came in spring, when Gasperini rejected Kerim Alajbegovic and made his position clear: having secured the departure of Ranieri, he wanted Massara gone as well to remain at Roma.

Giancarlo Antognoni, Fiorentina legend, has praised Paulo Dybala as the best attacking midfielder in Serie A and the player capable of driving Roma towards the title under Gian Piero Gasperini. Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Antognoni analysed Roma's recent victory and Dybala's role in it, singling out the Argentine's quality on the ball as decisive. "Dybala is one of the strongest in the league, the best in his position," Antognoni said. "If he continues like this, Gasperini will be able to fight for the Scudetto. With the ball he does what he wants: pure spectacle. Fiorentina gave him too much freedom, but if bad luck leaves him in peace, Gasperini has an ace in his hand." Antognoni also highlighted Dybala's impact on Roma's opening goal, noting how he "jumped past half the team before setting up Malen." Antognoni reflected on the rarity of the number 10 role in modern football, observing that Italy has few players of such quality. "Football has become too tactical and physical," he explained. "The number 10 still exists in youth academies, but at club level results come first and fear of losing stifles imagination. So the number 10s have to adapt: Calhanoglu became a regista, Dembélé is a ten disguised as a nine, Yildiz starts wide but moves inside the pitch." He detected signs of revival, citing Nico Paz at Como, Liberali, and Mastantuono as promising talents, and suggested that talented players in midfield positions—like Lautaro at Inter—can make their teams unpredictable. Antognoni also praised Rodrigo Mora, describing him as another talented signing Roma has brought in who "seems already almost ready."

Donyell Malen has been nothing short of extraordinary in Serie A since January, scoring 17 goals at an average of one every 91 minutes. According to Opta, among players with at least ten Serie A goals, only Malen holds a better conversion rate than Cristiano Ronaldo (one every 105 minutes) and Ronaldo (one every 117 minutes). The Dutch forward has bounced back from World Cup disappointment and returned to the form he showed before. Malen has now scored his second hat-trick in a Roma shirt, matching his achievement from last year against Pisa, when he was the only player in Serie A to achieve that feat throughout the entire season. The winger shows no sign of slowing down and is eyeing the Capocannoniere title.