Roma behind schedule in squad building, Pruzzo unimpressed by Koulierakis

Santiago Castro is settling into life at Roma following his arrival this summer at Gasperini's request. The Argentine striker is being coached to mirror the positioning and movement of Donyell Malen, Roma's starting centre-forward. In recent days, Gasperini has worked closely with Castro during pre-season fixtures, including a match against Newport on 4 August in which the coach provided tactical instruction during a cooling break. Gasperini wants Castro to receive the ball at a diagonal angle to goal rather than with his back fully to the frame, enabling him to release the ball quickly and attack in depth—a technique Malen executes expertly. Castro showed improvement in the second half against Newport and earned the manager's approval, scoring in the process. While Malen remains the designated starter, Gasperini indicated the pair are unlikely to start together regularly, though he left open the possibility during the fixture-heavy 2026–27 season. Castro's physical condition is improving as pre-season progresses. On 5 August, Roma trained at Hensol under the observation of Ryan Friedkin, with an afternoon session for players who did not feature from the start against Newport. Meanwhile, Roma are working on several transfer targets. Negotiations are advancing for Molina, with Atlético Madrid to receive €13 million plus €4 million in bonuses, while the player is offered a four-year contract at €2.5 million annually. Roma continue to pursue a left-back in Cacciamani and are weighing options in attack between Nusa and Fofana.

Roma are advancing in talks to sign Nahuel Molina from Atlético Madrid after abandoning their pursuit of Givairo Read. The Giallorossi are negotiating the Argentine's fee down from Atlético's €15M plus €5M in bonuses, with reports suggesting they could land him for €3–4M less. They had previously tabled €27M as their final bid for Feyenoord fullback Read, but the Dutch club sought more and Roma walked away. Molina, 28, would represent a significant move back to Serie A, where he previously played for Udinese before joining Atlético in 2022. He has made 181 appearances, scored 9 goals, and provided 17 assists for Los Colchoneros, with his contract running until 2027. Roma see his acquisition as allowing funds to be redirected to other positions. The club continues to track other targets including Antonio Nusa, Malick Fofana of Olympique Lyonnais—for whom they have received reassurances over his recovery from a serious ankle injury—and youngster Alessio Cacciamani of Torino, who impressed on loan at Juve Stabia last season. The strategy of pairing an experienced wing-back with a younger option on the opposite flank is central to Roma's defensive plans for the window.

Nahuel Molina's move to Roma is in its final stages, and statistics from his time at Atlético Madrid underline his quality as an attacking full-back. According to Opta Paolo, the Argentine ranks second among Liga defenders for overall offensive output over the past four years, with 25 goal contributions: 9 goals and 16 assists. Only Jules Koundé has superior numbers in the same role, standing at 32 total contributions (10 goals, 22 assists). Molina arrives as a reinforcement for Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma on the flanks, bringing elite-level credentials to the giallorossi's system. His statistics underscore his role as a protagonist in attack—a significant asset for a side seeking width and creativity in the wide areas. The 26-year-old's record demonstrates sustained excellence across multiple seasons in Spain's top division, offering Roma an experienced and productive option on either flank.

Juventus extended their pre-season preparation with a 1–0 victory over Chelsea, with Zhegrova settling the friendly with a first-time finish. The Serie A side, managed by Spalletti, built on an earlier closed-door win against Nice to overcome Xabi Alonso's side. Juventus looked to exploit transitions while Chelsea relied more on possession football. Zeki Çelik, the Roma defender, featured in the match and earned a rating of 6.5, showing positive signs in his performance. Douglas Luiz, meanwhile, failed to impress and was rated 5 by observers. The fixture served as another meaningful test for Juventus ahead of the competitive season. Zhegrova's clinical finishing proved decisive in what was an otherwise closely contested encounter between the two European sides.

Roma have accelerated their search for a new right-winger after Zeki Çelik's unexpected departure, but face a sticking point in the transfer market. Givairo Read of Feyenoord remains the preference, yet the Dutch club has stiffened its demands to more than €30 million in recent days, prompting Roma to pivot towards Atlético Madrid's Nahuel Molina. The Argentine World Cup winner, formerly of Udinese, is being targeted with an offer of approximately €17 million including bonuses—a significant saving on Read's inflated price. Molina currently earns €2.8 million annually in Spain, and Roma await his approval of the deal. Ryan Friedkin attended Roma's 4–1 friendly victory over Newport County and continues to oversee transfer strategy. The shift towards Molina is partly a signal to Feyenoord that Roma will not be moved by sudden price hikes. Other targets including Savona and Fresneda remain on the list; any money saved from a cheaper Molina deal could be reinvested in an additional winger. Roma have narrowed the gap with Torino over Cacciamani, with a decisive meeting with the Turin club's board taking place today. In attack, a final push for Nusa is imminent, with an offer to Lyon for Fofana standing ready if that bid fails.

Roma are finalizing the signing of Givairo Read, a right-back born in 2006 from Feyenoord, after the Dutch club accepted their offer on 3 August. The deal is worth €25 million plus approximately €2.5 million in bonuses, and Read has been pushing for the move following talks with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and the prospect of playing Champions League football. The transfer is expected to be completed imminently, with bonuses to be finalized. Read is set to join Roma in Wales, where the club play their second friendly against Newport on 4 August at 20:00 (live on DAZN). Read's arrival will fill the right-back slot left by Zeki Çelik's departure. Gasperini is still hunting three more signings, with a left winger his priority. RB Leipzig's asking price for Nusa remains €60 million, prompting Roma to explore alternatives including Stuttgart's Leweling and Lyon's Fofana, though there are fitness concerns over the latter. A potential return move for Tel has also emerged as a possibility, contingent on Tottenham's pursuit of Manchester City's Savinho; if that deal goes through, Frankfurt's interest in Tel could create an opening for Roma to revive their interest in the French winger.

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 travel to Wales on Saturday 1 August for a pre-season friendly against Cardiff, kicking off at 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT). Donyell Malen starts in attack, with Castro on the bench in his first appearance of pre-season. Neil El Aynaoui returns to action after missing the opening weeks of summer training due to World Cup involvement. Robinio Vaz is available after recovering from a knee injury. Niccolò Pisilli remains unavailable and has not yet reached full fitness. The match will be broadcast live exclusively on DAZN, requiring a subscription to watch on smart TV, gaming consoles (Xbox or PlayStation), or streaming devices including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and TIM VISION Box. The fixture will also air on free-to-air channel Canale Nove, though only as a delayed broadcast at 21:30. Roma fans can follow live updates via Forzaroma.info's live blog and the club's social media accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Roma started their pre-season campaign in Wales on 1 August, with a morning training session at Hensol followed by a friendly against Cardiff City at the Cardiff City Stadium, kicking off at 15:00 (16:00 Italian time). All eyes were on Castro, who was set for his debut, while Neil El Aynaoui returned from holiday and is fully available for head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The majority of the squad was available, with Robinio Vaz having recovered from injury and Niccolò Pisilli progressing in his rehabilitation and expected to rejoin the group in the coming days. The club's pre-season schedule continued with another training session scheduled for 2 August at the sports complex, open to supporters and media. A second friendly fixture against Newport follows on 3 August at 19:00.