Roma explore postponement of UEFA settlement agreement amid financial constraints

Zeki Çelik has departed AS Roma following a contract renewal breakdown, announcing his exit on social media. The Turkish defender, who joined Roma under José Mourinho, shared a lengthy farewell message thanking the club, city, and supporters. Çelik reflected on his time in the Giallorossi shirt, saying: "Cari Romanisti, today, in saying goodbye to this great family, I feel emotions difficult to describe. Wearing Roma's shirt, fighting for these colours and taking the field in front of you has been an immense honour and great pride for me. Every day spent at this club helped me grow, both as a player and as a person. We lived unforgettable moments together. I will always carry with me the pride of having contributed to bringing Roma back to the UEFA Champions League." Çelik extended special thanks to former managers José Mourinho, Daniele De Rossi, Ivan Jurić, and Claudio Ranieri for their support and belief in him. He also acknowledged current head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, noting that despite their brief time together, the trust, honesty and respect Gasperini showed him had been deeply meaningful. "Now the moment has arrived to begin a new chapter of my career," Çelik stated. "But I will always carry this club, this city and all of you in my heart. I wish Roma to continue achieving all the success it deserves. Thank you with all my heart for everything."

AS Roma held an internal match against the club's Primavera side at Trigoria under intense Rome heat as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's squad began sharpening their match sharpness. The session took place in the afternoon with high intensity as the first-team players worked to rebuild their connection with competitive football following pre-season preparation. Gasperini oversaw a single training session structured at maximum intensity for the day, with the friendly serving as a practical method for the squad to accumulate match minutes and regain rhythm before upcoming fixtures. The Primavera team, managed by Mattia Scala, provided opposition in what is a routine internal fixture for Roma's development pathway. The club shared footage of the friendly across social media platforms, giving supporters a glimpse of the work being conducted during this phase of preparation.

Roma held a single afternoon training session at Trigoria under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini as the club continues its preparation for the coming season. The squad played a friendly match against the Primavera team at the Fulvio Bernardini facility. Mattia Scala, recently promoted to oversee the Primavera after progressing through Roma's youth academy structure, took charge of the younger side. Roma will spend the night at Trigoria before a demanding double training session tomorrow as Gasperini's preparations intensify. The focus remains on building fitness and sharpness ahead of 24 August, when the new campaign is set to begin.

Roma are preparing a €45 million offer for Crysencio Summerville, the Dutch winger from West Ham. Sporting director D'Amico has tabled the bid after the player's agents met Roma's board in Italy in the past 48 hours. The club aims to complete the deal by the start of next week and beat rival competition. Zeki Çelik has left Roma to join Juventus despite a verbal agreement over a contract renewal with the Giallorossi. The Turkish fullback's deal with Roma expired on 30 June and has now completed medical tests at Juventus's J Medical facility in Turin. Roma are now targeting Olympique Marseille's Quinten Timber as midfield cover, with early contact already established. The 2001-born Dutchman shares a close bond with Roma's Donyell Malen through their shared youth and senior international paths. Besiktas are also in the running. Lorenzo Pellegrini's contract renewal is moving closer to completion following a productive meeting yesterday between sporting director Tony D'Amico and the player's agent Giampiero Pocetta. Roma have already secured renewals for Çelik, Paulo Dybala, Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante. Dybala's extension to 2027, confirmed three days ago, includes a €2.2 million annual base salary plus €100,000 per starting appearance (45+ minutes) up to €2 million, rising to €150,000 from the 21st appearance. Substitute appearances worth 20+ minutes earn €75,000 per match (capped at 20 games), then €100,000 thereafter. Bonus blocks of five combined goals and assists start at €100,000, reaching €1 million for 30 contributions. Team objectives including trophy wins or Champions League qualification trigger additional payments.

Robinio Vaz is attracting interest from multiple Serie A clubs as Roma explore potential loan exits. Cagliari have joined Bologna in pursuing the 2007-born winger, who will be sidelined for 15 days through injury. Head coach Gasperini does not view Vaz as ready to serve as backup to Malen, particularly with Champions League football in the picture, making a temporary departure an attractive option for the player to gain experience and minutes. Director D'Amico is juggling inbound priorities—specifically pursuing Summerville and Moreira—while managing outgoings from Trigoria. Vaz, a former Olympique Marseille player, is seeking greater playing time and confidence heading into the coming season. The central obstacle to any loan arrangement remains the player's salary, which both Bologna and Cagliari consider excessive for a prospect of his age and development stage.

Roma are pushing to sign at least one of two targets — Summerville or Moreira — in the coming days as the club seeks to strengthen its attacking options. D'Amico has secured the agreement of Moreira, who currently earns €900,000 annually and would see his salary rise to €2.5 million under a Roma deal. The Friedkin Group has set strict wage limits of €4 million maximum per player and a preference for signings aged 25–26 or under, except in special circumstances. Chelsea, despite maintaining good relations with Roma, are demanding €50 million for the Strasbourg winger regardless of the structure of any deal. The London club has also invoked their recent €60 million outlay on a player signed from Atalanta. A potential sale of Koné — with Manchester United in the running — could ease Roma's path to the Summerville transfer, though additional midfield investment would still be required. The club confirmed they have secured Tresoldi, who will serve as backup to Malen and has been locked down to prevent interest from Premier League and Bundesliga clubs.