Roma eyes Martinelli discount as Arsenal contract winds down

Nahuel Molina will land at Rome's Ciampino Airport on 10 August 2026 at 18:25 to complete his move to AS Roma. The Argentine defender, who begins his new adventure with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, returns to Serie A following his previous spell at Udinese, which launched him towards larger clubs including Atlético Madrid. Molina completes his transfer after resolving all administrative details and securing his European Union passport. He joins Roma as a new reinforcement under Gasperini's stewardship, bringing experience from both Italian football and Spanish elite football. The defender's arrival marks a fresh chapter at the club after his vacation period following the World Cup.

Roma have revived their interest in Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's search for an attacking wide player continues. The Brazil international, whose contract with the Gunners runs until 2027, has re-entered the club's thinking in recent days following what sources describe as preliminary soundings on other targets including Rodrigo Mora, Endrick, and Malick Fofana. The primary obstacle is Martinelli's salary. He earns 11 million euros gross per season, a figure well beyond Roma's wage structure. Arsenal are seeking at least 40 million euros for the 2001-born player despite his contract expiring in a year. Sporting director Tony D'Amico has shelved the pursuit of Nusa due to excessive costs and has turned his attention to alternative profiles. Martinelli is represented by Roc Nation, the agency that also manages both Fofana (Lyon) and Endrick (Real Madrid), two players on whom Roma have already conducted preliminary checks.

AS Roma are pursuing Porto winger Rodrigo Mora, who is valued at €45–50 million, but face a significant hurdle: Porto have firmly rejected any loan-with-option-to-buy arrangement. Roma are actively working on alternative structures to meet the Portuguese club's demands. Yesterday, a Roma scout attended Porto's opening league match against Alverca at the Estádio do Dragão to assess Mora directly, watching a 2–0 victory. The 2007-born winger appeared only in the final 25 minutes of the contest. The player interest is genuine and Roma are moving concretely on the deal, but the valuation gap remains a challenge. Porto's insistence on a permanent transfer or substantial upfront fee forces Roma to reconsider their traditional approach in this negotiation. The club must decide whether to meet Porto's asking price outright or devise an alternative formula that both satisfies the Portuguese side's ambitions and fits Roma's own financial structure.