Roma closing in on Mora; Luis Henrique emerges as leading candidate for vice-Wesley

Roma made multiple attempts to sign Iván Fresneda from Sporting before ultimately pivoting to Nahuel Molina to strengthen their right flank. The club submitted two proposals to Lisbon, with the final offer reaching €30 million in total value—€25 million plus €5 million in add-ons—but Sporting rejected the bid. The Portuguese club views the 2004-born winger as a key part of its long-term project and was unwilling to negotiate. The Giallorossi had pursued Fresneda over recent months because his qualities aligned with their needs on the wing. His technical profile and youth appealed to Roma's recruitment strategy. When Sporting's resolute stance made the deal impossible to complete, Roma made the decisive move to sign Molina instead, addressing the same positional requirement with an alternative candidate who was available on acceptable terms.

Rafael Leao has been offered to Roma and the Friedkin Group once again by agent Jorge Mendes on behalf of AC Milan. The Portuguese winger does not feature in Ruben Amorim's plans at Milan and remains in search of a new club. Roma have tracked Leao for several weeks but have chosen not to make a move, partly because his salary is considered too high. Roma are currently focused on other targets to strengthen their squad under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The club's director of sport D'Amico is prioritising younger profiles in Rodrigo Mora and Malick Fofana, viewed as additions that will help Roma return to Champions League football.

Roma continue work to complete the arrival of Rodrigo Mora as soon as possible, with negotiations advancing significantly. The club's players are resting ahead of their return to Trigoria for pre-season training. Goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini awaits developments in what supporters are describing as a period of anticipation for the club. Vincent Candela, speaking on Radio Romanista, reflected on his relationship with Franco Sensi and discussed the squad available to head coach Gian Piero Gasperini as Roma prepare for the new season.

Roma have made concrete progress on multiple fronts in their pursuit of new players. The club have agreed terms with Porto for Rodrigo Mora on a deal worth €25 million plus 50% of any future sale, with Roma holding the option to cancel that sell-on clause by paying Porto the remaining 50% next year. Porto's final approval is awaited to allow Mora to complete his move to the capital. In parallel, Roma have opened negotiations with Lyon over winger Malick Fofana, who has signalled his willingness to join the club in yellow and red. Lyon have provided Roma with all the operational details of a potential transfer, though the French side are pushing to keep Fofana for their Champions League commitments. Notably, Fofana's agents represent Luis Henrique, another player Roma have monitored in recent weeks. The decision on whether to pursue the Belgian talent now rests with Roma, though the club harbour an ambitious goal: to bring both Mora and Fofana to Rome and then add a further winger to complete the attacking department. With a week remaining until Roma's Serie A opener against Fiorentina, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is monitoring the fitness of Wesley and Niccolò Pisilli, both sidelined following a friendly against Borussia Dortmund on 15 August. Wesley continues to experience ankle trouble and will be assessed on the resumption of training at Trigoria, as will Pisilli. Confidence is filtering through that both will be available for the first match of the season.

Roma are intensifying their hunt for a left-sided midfielder over the next two weeks as the club pursues multiple targets across the pitch. Mora's arrival is imminent and Fofana remains a focus, but Roma are not stopping there. The priority search for a left-flank player has seen Cacciamani's stock fall following Torino's refusal to lower their demands, while negotiations over Inter's Luis Henrique have stalled. Roma and Inter have found no total agreement, and the approximately thirty million euros under discussion could be redirected towards Lyon's Fofana. Udogie leads Roma's wish list and could arrive on loan with a conditional obligation to buy, with talks continuing with Tottenham. The Italian player has already agreed to join Roma. Director D'Amico is searching for a deputy to Wesley to complete the wider midfield options for head coach Gasperini.

Roma will host Fiorentina at the Olimpico on Monday 24 August in their Serie A campaign opener, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini preparing a 3-4-1-2 formation centred around Matías Soulé in the attacking midfield role. Malen holds the edge over Castro in contention for a forward berth alongside Paulo Dybala, with Rodrigo Mora arriving but unlikely to start. Soulé, who spent the previous summer with his future uncertain, will make his first competitive start for the club against the Viola, who had previously pursued him before turning their attention to Mastantuono. Manu Koné returns to midfield alongside Bryan Cristante, with Wesley stationed on the left flank and Molina on the right. The backline consists of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso in front of Mile Svilar. Gasperini's setup represents largely familiar territory for Roma, with only one fresh face compared to last season's squad, though further market activity is anticipated in the coming weeks.