Roma eyes Sauer as transfer market stalls; Akturkoglu emerges as alternative target

Roma have paused negotiations for Sassuolo winger Tresoldi and pivoted to Bologna's Mateo Castro as their preferred option to provide competition for Donyell Malen. Sporting director D'Amico is working on multiple fronts in the transfer market, but an attacking reinforcement remains a priority alongside securing a deputy for Malen. The Tresoldi operation ground to a halt in recent hours because Club Brugge's asking price of €50 million proved prohibitive; despite reaching personal terms with the player, Roma decided to explore alternative targets. Castro, an Argentine forward, has emerged as the leading candidate. Gasperini is keen on the profile, and initial contact has already been established. Bologna value the 23-year-old at approximately €40 million. Further talks are scheduled for the coming days as Roma look to strengthen their forward line before the squad departs for Wales on Friday. Gasperini is hoping to welcome at least one new signing before that departure.

Santiago Castro's performance against Roma on 19 March — when Bologna won 4–3 at the Olimpico with an assist and goal from the Argentine striker — eliminated the Giallorossi from the Europa League and sent the Emilia-Romagna side to the quarter-finals, where they later fell to Aston Villa in May. The display exemplified Castro's blend of determination and clinical finishing that has now attracted Roma's interest as the club weighs a summer move for the 20-year-old. Castro's trajectory began at Velez in Buenos Aires, where he spent a decade in the youth system before making his senior debut in August 2021 at just 16 years old. He scored his first goal in Copa Argentina against Cipolletti in March 2022, followed by a strike against Talleres, signalling the creativity and positioning that would define his play. After totalling two goals in 2021–22 and seven in 2022–23, Bologna sporting director Sartori signed him in January 2024 for just over 13 million euros. Castro wrote on social media on the day of departure: "I leave peacefully, because I gave everything." The departure of Sergiño Zirkzee after his first six months opened the pathway to regular minutes. In 2025–26, Castro has continued his development: he hit the crossbar against Roma, scored a spectacular goal against Fiorentina, and netted with a heel flick versus Genoa. At 1.79 metres tall, he operates effectively both from distance and inside the box through work-rate and technical quality. Roma is considering Castro or Tresoldi as a forward option.

Roma's hopes of signing RB Leipzig winger Nusa have become significantly more difficult following Real Madrid's interest in the club's other star player, Diomande. Roma have been in contact with Leipzig for several days regarding the Norwegian winger, born 2005, but there is no formal negotiation under way. Leipzig have no intention of selling Nusa unless offered at least €60 million — a fee Roma are unwilling to pay. The situation has been further complicated by Real Madrid's readiness to table €100 million for Diomande, Leipzig's other marquee asset within the Red Bull group structure. Leipzig are now reluctant to lose both players in a single transfer window, leaving Roma's recruitment plan in jeopardy. This represents another setback for Roma's transfer business, following missed moves for Greenwood and Summerville, with the Serie A season beginning in less than a month.

Roma have paused negotiations for Sassuolo winger Tresoldi and pivoted to Bologna's Mateo Castro as their preferred option to provide competition for Donyell Malen. Sporting director D'Amico is working on multiple fronts in the transfer market, but an attacking reinforcement remains a priority alongside securing a deputy for Malen. The Tresoldi operation ground to a halt in recent hours because Club Brugge's asking price of €50 million proved prohibitive; despite reaching personal terms with the player, Roma decided to explore alternative targets. Castro, an Argentine forward, has emerged as the leading candidate. Gasperini is keen on the profile, and initial contact has already been established. Bologna value the 23-year-old at approximately €40 million. Further talks are scheduled for the coming days as Roma look to strengthen their forward line before the squad departs for Wales on Friday. Gasperini is hoping to welcome at least one new signing before that departure.

Roma take on Cannes in a pre-season friendly on Sunday 26 July at 17:30 at Stade Pierre de Coubertin. The match marks another step in Gian Piero Gasperini's preparation after earlier fixtures against Primavera and Trastevere. Roma will be without Pisilli and Vaz, both currently sidelined through injury. Gasperini has named a 3-4-2-1 lineup: Svilar in goal; Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso in defence; Rensch, Bah, Cristante and Wesley across midfield; Dybala and Cherubini behind Malen up front. The fixture takes on added significance as Cannes is owned by the Friedkin Group, which also controls Roma, making this an internal test ahead of the competitive campaign. Tickets remain on sale through the official Cannes website. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text updates available on ilromanista.eu.

Roma will face Cannes in a friendly match on Sunday 26 July, with kickoff at 17:30. The fixture represents the Giallorossi's third pre-season test under Gasperini, following successive 6–0 victories over the Primavera and Trastevere. Cannes, owned by the Friedkin Group, will offer a more demanding examination than those earlier opponents as Roma's summer preparation continues. Gasperini is expected to deploy Bah alongside Cristante in midfield due to a shortage of alternatives in that area. In attack, Malen and Dybala are likely to feature, with the latter already showing excellent form during the pre-season campaign. This match will give the coach more significant insights into the work completed so far in the preparation period. The match will be broadcast exclusively live on DAZN. Viewers can watch via the DAZN app on smart TV, gaming consoles including Xbox and PlayStation, or alternative devices such as Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and TIM VISION Box. An active DAZN subscription is required. Live updates will also be available through Forzaroma.info's live blog and Roma's social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.