Roma close to Molina signing as Atlético Madrid agree fee

Roma's pursuit of Givairo Read has collapsed after Feyenoord unexpectedly raised their demands during final-stage talks. Roma had offered approximately €28–29 million in total, including bonuses, moving closer to Feyenoord's initial €30 million valuation and exceeding rival offers from Nottingham Forest. After requesting a night to consider the proposal, Feyenoord shifted position dramatically, demanding €30 million plus bonuses to reach nearly €35 million—a move that reportedly frustrated Roma's hierarchy. The sudden escalation prompted Roma to immediately abandon the Read option and pivot to pursuing Molina instead. The breakdown underscores the volatility of late-stage transfer negotiations and the tactical positioning often deployed by selling clubs to maximize fees. Roma's swift decision to walk away suggests the club's preference for alternative targets over capitulating to what they viewed as unreasonable late demands.

Roma have completed two official signings — Castro and Koulierakis — with Molina approaching a deal, but Gian Piero Gasperini is growing increasingly puzzled by the lack of further arrivals as the club aims to compete on three fronts including the Champions League. The Friedkin Group's ownership presence in the stands during recent activity has offered little reassurance; behind cautious public statements, Gasperini's frustration is mounting as days pass without new players arriving. The stall in the market is already affecting Gasperini's preparation. Roma's second consecutive friendly displayed the problem plainly: for lack of reinforcements, the coach deployed a trequartista behind two strikers, a formation born more of necessity than choice. The side struggled against Newport County, the twentieth-placed side in last season's League Two (English fourth tier), before winning 4–1 with goals from Hermoso, Castro (penalty), Koulierakis and Soulé; Newport scored through Kyle. Only the defence is genuinely complete in squad depth. Every other area remains in flux, leaving Gasperini unable to finalize his tactical setup or implement meaningful summer rotations without disrupting the team's balance.

Alessio Cacciamani, an 18-year-old left-back prospect from Torino's academy, has emerged as a target for Roma this summer as the club seeks to strengthen its left-side options. Gasperini has followed Cacciamani closely after his loan spell at Juve Stabia last season in Serie B, where he made 33 appearances totalling 2,331 minutes, scoring 2 goals and providing 4 assists. New Italy manager Roberto Mancini is also monitoring the young talent, and Cacciamani has already featured in senior international fixtures. Roma are reportedly willing to pay close to €12 million to prise him away from Torino, though the club's owner Urbano Cairo is expected to resist the approach. Born in Chiaravalle on 29 June 2007, Cacciamani joined Torino's youth setup in 2023 and progressed through the Under-17 and Under-18 ranks before being promoted to the Primavera side in the 2024–25 season, where he accumulated 20 appearances. First-team manager Paolo Vanoli, now departed, gave him his senior debut. Cacciamani told Sky Sport: "He brought me close to professionalism. I stayed in the first squad for only a few weeks, but that was enough to understand how that world works. I owe much to Vanoli because he believed in my potential and gave me my debut; I was very excited that day." Described as a versatile winger capable of playing full-back, Cacciamani combines pace with strong tactical awareness and positional intelligence—precisely the profile that appeals to Gasperini.