Roma eyes Pinamonti as backup to Malen; Dovbyk set to leave

Nahuel Molina is on the verge of joining Roma. Talks with Atlético Madrid over the Argentine right-back accelerated on 5 August, with an agreement between the two clubs now in the final stages. Barring any surprises, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will have his new right winger in place. Molina's imminent arrival represents a significant addition to Roma's defensive line as the 2026–27 season approaches. The move has moved swiftly through negotiations in recent hours, positioning the club to complete the transfer in the coming days.

Angeliño has completed a move away from Roma on loan to Deportivo La Coruna, the Spanish club where he developed through the academy. The left-back passed medical examinations and the deal includes a purchase option set at €2 million. Roma announced the agreement in an official statement: "AS Roma communicates that it has reached an agreement with Deportivo La Coruna for the departure of Angeliño. The operation is concluded with the formula of a loan with a right of redemption." Angeliño, 27, endured a difficult campaign at the Giallorossi, hampered by physical issues and other concerns. The move represents a fresh start for the Spanish defender at the club that launched his professional career. By returning to La Coruna, he hopes to rediscover his form and reignite his development under familiar surroundings.

Angeliño has passed his medical and will join Deportivo La Coruña on a loan deal with a right of redemption. The Spanish left-back departs Roma after collecting 80 appearances and 4 goals in giallorosso colours. AS Roma confirmed the transfer, stating: "L'AS Roma comunica di avere trovato l'accordo con il Deportivo La Coruna per la cessione di Angelino. L'operazione si conclude con la formula del prestito con diritto di riscatto. In giallorosso, l'esterno spagnolo ha collezionato 80 presenze, segnando 4 gol. In bocca al lupo per il futuro, Angelino!" The departure opens the door for Roma to pursue a new left-back, with Alessio Cacciamani of Torino on the club's radar. Torino are demanding €15 million plus bonuses and are unwilling to reduce their asking price, though talks between the parties continue. Kumbulla has also been cleared to leave and will join Rayo Vallecano on loan with a right of redemption, with his medical scheduled for the following day.

Roma's squad resumed training the day after their friendly fixture against Newport County in Cardiff, which they won 4–1. Donyell Malen took part in the afternoon session after missing the previous match due to flu. Malen's absence forced head coach Gian Piero Gasperini to deploy a new arrival, Castro, in the centre of attack in his place. Castro marked his debut by scoring from the penalty spot in the win. With the international break completed and pre-season underway, Roma's conditioning work continues at their overseas training camp.

Roma held a recovery and conditioning session in Cardiff following their friendly victory over Newport. The squad underwent light athletic work, with drills including possession exercises and sprint training. Donyell Malen participated in the session but completed a modified programme apart from the main group. The training camp in Wales continues Roma's pre-season preparation under Gian Piero Gasperini ahead of the 2026–27 season. Players who featured in the Newport friendly undertook recovery work, while those who did not play completed the full session. The club is managing individual fitness loads as the squad builds towards competitive action. Malen's separate training suggests a cautious approach to his integration, though he remained part of the wider camp activity in Cardiff.

Santiago Castro is taking detailed instruction from head coach Gian Piero Gasperini on positioning and movement patterns used by fellow forward Donyell Malen. Castro was Gasperini's first signing request this summer, having previously been targeted during the coach's time at Atalanta. During a cooling break in yesterday's friendly against Newport, Gasperini explained that when Castro receives the ball, he should position himself diagonally rather than facing away from goal, allowing him to release play quickly and push forward. Malen has mastered this movement, and Castro executed it successfully multiple times in the second half, earning applause from his manager. Castro scored against Newport and continues to build match fitness. Gasperini has indicated Malen remains the primary striker and the pair would rarely start together, though that option remains available during the dense fixture schedule ahead. The squad trained at Hensol on 5 August under the watch of owner Ryan Friedkin, with afternoon work provided for players who did not feature from the start yesterday. Meanwhile, Roma's transfer activity continues. Negotiations are advancing on a deal for Molina: Atlético Madrid will receive €13 million plus €4 million in bonus payments, with the player offered a four-year contract worth €2.5 million annually. Left-back targets include Cacciamani, and in attack Roma are weighing options between Nusa and Fofana.

Roma defeated Newport 4–1 in a pre-season friendly in Wales, with Paulo Dybala and Artem Dovbyk combining in attack. Mario Hermoso opened the scoring from a regista role in the 37th minute before Castro converted a penalty kick in the second half. Koulierakis added a third from a Dybala assist, and Matías Soulé finished with a curling strike; Newport scored a consolation goal. Donyell Malen was absent due to fever. Ryan Friedkin attended the match and will weigh in on ongoing transfer activity. Roma's pursuit of Feyenoord winger Read has stalled after the Dutch club raised their asking price to over €30 million overnight on Monday. The demand prompted the club to shift focus to Atlético Madrid's Molina, with Roma lodging an offer of approximately €17 million (including bonuses). Molina, a former Udinese player, currently earns €2.8 million annually in Spain. Other defensive targets remain under consideration, including Savona and Fresneda, though funds saved on Read may be redirected to securing an additional winger alongside Molina. Roma has narrowed Torino's valuation for Cacciamani and a decisive meeting with the Turin club is scheduled today. The club also plans a final push for Nusa, with Lyon midfielder Fofana lined up as a backup option if that approach fails.

Roma's attacking department has been decimated ahead of the 2026–27 season, with coach Gian Piero Gasperini now overseeing just five senior forwards for the role — down from ten options at the end of January. The remaining quartet consists of Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, and Robinio Vaz, with young prospect Arena also available. The collapse mirrors Gasperini's repeated public calls for investment in attack. Speaking exactly a year ago on 4 August 2025 at the English national team's St. George Park facility in Burton Upon Trent, Gasperini outlined his philosophy: "It concerns all clubs that spend large sums on attackers. The offensive department is the most sought after and most expensive. Teams with strong attacking players are more competitive." That same summer, Roma pursued Fabio Silva and Jadon Sancho without success, settling on a loan move for Romain Bailey as a last-minute solution. By the end of 2025, Roma had assembled eight attacking options — Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson, Bailey, Soulé, Baldanzi, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Lorenzo Pellegrini — to fill three positions in Gasperini's preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. The winter transfer window swelled that number to ten through the departures of Bailey and Baldanzi and the arrivals of Malen, Vaz, Bryan Zaragoza, and Lorenzo Venturino. However, only Malen performed consistently. With just twenty days until the league campaign begins, Roma faces a critical shortage. The club is reportedly making another approach for Nusa and preparing a move for Fofana to bolster the depleted ranks.

Royal Antwerp have submitted an official offer for Anass Salah-Eddine on a loan deal with a purchase option, according to reports. The 24-year-old left-back is not part of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's plans at Roma and has been excluded from the club's pre-season training camp in Wales. Roma's hierarchy has made clear that Salah-Eddine is set to leave, and discussions between the two clubs are ongoing while the Moroccan player considers his next destination. Roma have already begun reshaping their squad this summer, with the departure of Artem Dovbyk already concluded. Salah-Eddine does not fit Gasperini's tactical approach and is a priority for the club to move on. The player had previously rejected an approach from Olympiakos. Beyond Antwerp's interest, PSV Eindhoven and several other Eredivisie clubs are monitoring the situation and ready to step in should negotiations with the Belgian side stall.

Roma's transfer activity continues to take shape as negotiations over a move for Molina from Atlético Madrid advance, with agreement between the clubs already in place and details being finalised with the player, according to commentary on Roman radio. The move represents an upgrade on Zeki Çelik at left-back, following the collapse of earlier attempts to sign Read from Feyenoord. Felici questioned the market's inflation, citing the €25 million paid for Robinio Vaz as excessive, whilst observing that established players like Molina command more realistic valuations than emerging talent. Carina argued that Roma remain behind schedule in constructing their squad for the coming season. Gasperini is awaiting the arrival of at least four wide players to implement his preferred system, and with the pre-season phase underway to test the squad, the club still has structural gaps to address. Carina stated: "If the summer is being used to trial the squad ahead of the season then Roma is in arrears. In prospect of the league it still looks a bit short, because this is when you should be working with the squad that will define the season. There are still some holes." Pruzzo offered a critical assessment of defender Koulierakis following a friendly on 4 August, saying: "Koulierakis yesterday did not make a great impression on me. He seemed a bit approximate and made many sloppy passes. I didn't understand whether he is a defender who wants to hold his position or go to meet the attacker. I hope I'm wrong and that he is a player with the strength to play as a defensive utility man." Ryan Friedkin made a surprise appearance at the friendly.

Roma's attacking department has been decimated ahead of the 2026–27 season, with coach Gian Piero Gasperini now overseeing just five senior forwards for the role — down from ten options at the end of January. The remaining quartet consists of Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, and Robinio Vaz, with young prospect Arena also available. The collapse mirrors Gasperini's repeated public calls for investment in attack. Speaking exactly a year ago on 4 August 2025 at the English national team's St. George Park facility in Burton Upon Trent, Gasperini outlined his philosophy: "It concerns all clubs that spend large sums on attackers. The offensive department is the most sought after and most expensive. Teams with strong attacking players are more competitive." That same summer, Roma pursued Fabio Silva and Jadon Sancho without success, settling on a loan move for Romain Bailey as a last-minute solution. By the end of 2025, Roma had assembled eight attacking options — Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson, Bailey, Soulé, Baldanzi, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Lorenzo Pellegrini — to fill three positions in Gasperini's preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. The winter transfer window swelled that number to ten through the departures of Bailey and Baldanzi and the arrivals of Malen, Vaz, Bryan Zaragoza, and Lorenzo Venturino. However, only Malen performed consistently. With just twenty days until the league campaign begins, Roma faces a critical shortage. The club is reportedly making another approach for Nusa and preparing a move for Fofana to bolster the depleted ranks.

Roma travel to Wales on Saturday 1 August for a pre-season friendly against Cardiff, kicking off at 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT). Donyell Malen starts in attack, with Castro on the bench in his first appearance of pre-season. Neil El Aynaoui returns to action after missing the opening weeks of summer training due to World Cup involvement. Robinio Vaz is available after recovering from a knee injury. Niccolò Pisilli remains unavailable and has not yet reached full fitness. The match will be broadcast live exclusively on DAZN, requiring a subscription to watch on smart TV, gaming consoles (Xbox or PlayStation), or streaming devices including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and TIM VISION Box. The fixture will also air on free-to-air channel Canale Nove, though only as a delayed broadcast at 21:30. Roma fans can follow live updates via Forzaroma.info's live blog and the club's social media accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.