Roma bolster defence with Koulierakis signing as transfer window accelerates

AS Roma have submitted a €25 million offer to Feyenoord for Givairo Read, the 20-year-old Dutch right-back who has drawn comparisons to Denzel Dumfries. The Giallorossi's pursuit reflects confidence in the winger's potential, with Read regarded as one of Europe's most promising talents in his position. Born in 2006 and raised through Volendam's academy before joining Feyenoord, Read has become a regular starter in the Eredivisie and sits within the Dutch Under-21 setup. Read's primary strength lies in his attacking play: he is explosive, brave, and technically gifted, making meaningful contributions in the final third. He demonstrated no fear in high-stakes matches despite his age and boasts uncommon personality for a player his age. His defensive game still has room for development—he occasionally overcommits and loses balance—areas Gasperini would address. Read made his first appearance against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in 2024, one of several victories the Giallorossi have taken against Feyenoord. Two consecutive hamstring injuries during the 2025-26 season forced Read to miss more than three months and briefly cooled Bayern Munich's interest, though his technical value remained unquestioned. Once fit, he returned to regular football and has re-established himself as one of Europe's most sought-after young full-backs. Unlike most footballers, Read reportedly finds watching football on television tedious and avoids social media, having posted fewer than 10 photos over several years.

Roma are tracking Kevin Schade, the 24-year-old Brentford winger, as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini continues his search for a wide attacking option. Gasperini has made finding an attacking full-back a clear priority, and the Roma sporting department is monitoring the market to fulfil that brief. Schade, a German international, fits the club's profile on both age and financial grounds. The Brentford forward carries a valuation of 40 million euros and scored 8 goals in 31 Premier League matches in the most recent season. At 24, he represents an age bracket and wage structure that Roma consider viable. The player's attacking credentials and international experience align with Gasperini's tactical requirements on the flanks.

Roma have submitted an official bid of €25 million to Feyenoord for right-back Givairo Read as sporting director Tony D'Amico accelerates plans to reinforce the right flank. The offer has initiated direct negotiations between the two clubs in hopes of reaching a final agreement. Read represents a young, attacking profile suited to Gian Piero Gasperini's requirements for the right wing. The move comes as Nottingham Forest remain monitoring the situation closely after seeing two official offers rejected by Feyenoord, though Roma now attempt to break the deadlock with their formal proposal.

Roma's transfer window has shifted into high gear. An official double announcement confirming the exchange of Santiago Castro and Artem Dovbyk with Bologna is expected imminently. Director of football Tony D'Amico is close to securing Konstantinos Koulierakis, the left-footed centre-back from Wolfsburg born in 2003, who has already given his full approval. An agreement with the German club is being finalised for a fee near €15 million. Koulierakis will expand Roma's central defensive options alongside Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, with Jan Ziółkowski pushing for a departure. In defence and the wide areas, Ivan Fresneda (Sporting Lisbon asking €20 million) and Gabriele Cacciamani, the 19-year-old Torino prospect who impressed on loan at Juve Stabia, remain under consideration at €15 million. In attack, Abde Ezzalzouli has returned to the agenda alongside Jean-Mattéo Bahoya. Real Betis are demanding €45 million, while Roma are targeting a reduction to €35 million. On outgoings, Riccardo Pagano's move to Cesena has been confirmed with a sell-on clause retained by Roma. Anass Salah-Eddine's transfer to Olympiacos for €7.5 million is closing, and Angeliño has joined Deportivo La Coruña on loan with a €3 million purchase option.

Roma have agreed terms with Wolfsburg for Greek centre-back Konstantinos Koulierakis in a transfer worth approximately €15 million. The 24-year-old will arrive in the coming days and provide defensive cover alongside Mario Hermoso, completing Roma's backline rebuild. Koulierakis will be Roma's first Greek centre-back since Dellas. The club is pursuing a more ambitious attacking target in Abde Ezzalzouli of Real Betis, with negotiations ongoing. Roma tabled an opening offer of €35 million plus €3 million in bonuses, while Betis value the player at approximately €45 million total—a narrow gap that has prompted optimism. The 24-year-old winger contributed 15 goals and 13 assists last season and would address Gasperini's priority need on the left flank. Roma are also exploring alternatives including Diego Moreira from Strasbourg, provided the French club reduces its asking price, plus younger targets Cacciamani of Torino and Fresenda of Sporting. On outgoings, Salah-Eddine will depart to Olympiacos for €8 million, while Angeliño is close to completing a move to Deportivo. Separately, the Friedkin Group have appointed John Galantic as the club's new chief executive officer. Galantic, a former executive at Chanel and Tod's who previously sat on Roma's board during the Pallotta era, was described by the owners as someone who "knows Italy and has always been a Roma supporter."

Roma are close to signing Konstantinos Koulierakis from Wolfsburg for a fee reportedly near €15 million. The Greek centre-back, born in 2003 and left-footed, will serve as a backup to Mario Hermoso, fulfilling a request Gasperini made at the start of the summer. Koulierakis spent last season at Wolfsburg after joining from PAOK, where he won the Greek championship in 2024—the club's fourth in history. He came through PAOK's youth academy and made his senior debut early in his career. Standing nearly 1.90 metres tall, he has played almost exclusively in a four-man defence throughout his career but will adapt to Gasperini's system and provide cover when Hermoso needs rest. Vasilis Torosidis, a former Roma defender and fellow Greek, praised the imminent signing: "He is a very strong defender, left-footed and good at moving the ball. Good at anticipation and aerials. He is an aggressive and rocky player thanks to his build and is among the best talents in Greek football. Roma will make a great purchase."

Roma's transfer window has shifted into high gear. An official double announcement confirming the exchange of Santiago Castro and Artem Dovbyk with Bologna is expected imminently. Director of football Tony D'Amico is close to securing Konstantinos Koulierakis, the left-footed centre-back from Wolfsburg born in 2003, who has already given his full approval. An agreement with the German club is being finalised for a fee near €15 million. Koulierakis will expand Roma's central defensive options alongside Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, with Jan Ziółkowski pushing for a departure. In defence and the wide areas, Ivan Fresneda (Sporting Lisbon asking €20 million) and Gabriele Cacciamani, the 19-year-old Torino prospect who impressed on loan at Juve Stabia, remain under consideration at €15 million. In attack, Abde Ezzalzouli has returned to the agenda alongside Jean-Mattéo Bahoya. Real Betis are demanding €45 million, while Roma are targeting a reduction to €35 million. On outgoings, Riccardo Pagano's move to Cesena has been confirmed with a sell-on clause retained by Roma. Anass Salah-Eddine's transfer to Olympiacos for €7.5 million is closing, and Angeliño has joined Deportivo La Coruña on loan with a €3 million purchase option.

Roma have agreed terms with Wolfsburg for Greek centre-back Konstantinos Koulierakis in a transfer worth approximately €15 million. The 24-year-old will arrive in the coming days and provide defensive cover alongside Mario Hermoso, completing Roma's backline rebuild. Koulierakis will be Roma's first Greek centre-back since Dellas. The club is pursuing a more ambitious attacking target in Abde Ezzalzouli of Real Betis, with negotiations ongoing. Roma tabled an opening offer of €35 million plus €3 million in bonuses, while Betis value the player at approximately €45 million total—a narrow gap that has prompted optimism. The 24-year-old winger contributed 15 goals and 13 assists last season and would address Gasperini's priority need on the left flank. Roma are also exploring alternatives including Diego Moreira from Strasbourg, provided the French club reduces its asking price, plus younger targets Cacciamani of Torino and Fresenda of Sporting. On outgoings, Salah-Eddine will depart to Olympiacos for €8 million, while Angeliño is close to completing a move to Deportivo. Separately, the Friedkin Group have appointed John Galantic as the club's new chief executive officer. Galantic, a former executive at Chanel and Tod's who previously sat on Roma's board during the Pallotta era, was described by the owners as someone who "knows Italy and has always been a Roma supporter."

Angeliño is close to leaving Roma on a free loan to Deportivo la Coruña, with the Spanish club holding a €2 million purchase option. According to Matteo Moretto, only minor details remain to be finalised before the left-back departs for his home country. Angeliño failed to convince head coach Gian Piero Gasperini during pre-season and exits after a season of mixed fortunes. The 2024–25 campaign proved inconsistent for the Spanish defender, and his departure marks another outgoing alongside fellow squad member Salah-Eddine. Roma are now exploring replacements for Angeliño's deputy role on the left flank, with Torino's Alessio Cacciamani on the club's radar. The 2007-born prospect spent last season on loan at Juve Stabia, and Torino are seeking over €5 million for his services.

Roma have intensified their search for attacking reinforcements and a wing-back following Zeki Çelik's departure, with Ivan Fresneda of Sporting CP and Real Betis forward Abde Ezzalzouli emerging as primary targets. The club has held three recent talks with Fresneda and his representatives; the Portuguese defender is valued at around €17–18 million plus substantial bonuses. Fresneda joined Sporting from Real Valladolid for €9 million in 2023 and has made 81 appearances, scoring 4 goals and providing 3 assists. Ezzalzouli carries a similarly high price tag. The Real Betis attacker has scored 29 goals and laid on 18 assists in 128 games, while earning 37 caps for Morocco. Roma have also explored options lower down the valuation chain. They tabled a €2.5 million bid for Club America's Israel Reyes on the wing, but the Mexican side demanded €7 million—Reyes has featured 146 times for his current club over five seasons. The Giallorossi remain in complex negotiations over Antonio Nusa but have not abandoned the pursuit. While Santiago Castro's arrival has bolstered the attacking department, Roma's need for multiple wing-backs after Çelik's exit may limit their ability to invest heavily in a second premium signing, though Wesley and Devyne Rensch offer tactical flexibility.

Roma remain committed to signing Diego Moreira despite negotiations with Strasbourg stalling over valuation. The French club initially demanded nearly €60 million for the left-back, a figure Roma deemed excessive. However, the transfer of an ex-Cagliari player has shifted dynamics: BlueCo, which owns both Strasbourg and Chelsea, is now willing to sell Moreira at a similar price. Roma's strategy, orchestrated by D'Amico, involves waiting for Strasbourg to lower their asking price, banking on the fact that no other club is prepared to meet their current demands. Mendes, Moreira's agent, is pushing for the move. Personal terms have already been agreed with the Belgian winger, who would receive a contract worth approximately €2.5 million per season—a significant increase from his current €900,000 annual salary. D'Amico plans to return to Strasbourg within days to resume negotiations. Meanwhile, Roma are exploring alternative options across the pitch. On the right flank, attention is focused on Fresneda, a Spanish 2004-born prospect from Sporting CP, where negotiations are underway. Sporting are asking €25 million; Roma hope to negotiate closer to €15 million. Belghali of Verona, capable of playing both flanks and also of interest to Napoli, remains an option. In terms of departures, Salah-Eddine and Angeliño are available for transfer, whilst Alessio Cacciamani of Torino is under consideration as a backup to Wesley.

Gianluca Mancini has renewed his contract with Roma until 2029, reinforcing his commitment to the club despite interest from elsewhere. The defender, who has tattooed SPQR on his quadriceps, rejected approaches to leave the capital. His agent Giuseppe Riso acknowledged the situation: "I wanted to take him away. I told him that for me he's mad, but he loves Roma... Gasperini and D'Amico were better at convincing him than I was. I would have taken him away, but he refused: he wanted Roma. This is a gesture he makes for the Roma people. I'm happy because he's happy." Mancini's renewal comes as Roma continue their summer squad overhaul under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Bryan Cristante has also extended his contract with the club, and Riso praised the midfielder: "Bryan is the captain. He has 360 matches for Roma, he is a pillar and I believe he will enter Roma's history." Roma are pursuing reinforcements across multiple positions. Priority targets include a left-back with a right foot, with Nusa and Ezzalzouli (Betis) under consideration. Movement at Leipzig involving Diomande could free up Endrick from Real Madrid for a loan deal. In defence, Gasperini is seeking a left-sided centre-back, with Fresneda among profiles monitored. At full-back, Wesley and Rensch currently provide options, though Roma aim to sign two additional players for wide positions.