Roma in talks for Read as Endrick and Nusa continue to resist

Kostas Koulierakis has arrived at Roma from Wolfsburg in a deal worth €16.5 million plus €1.5 million in add-ons. Wolfsburg will also retain a 20 per cent stake in any future sale. The centre-back landed at Ciampino airport on 1 August and is expected to bolster Gasperini's defence. The transfer completes Roma's summer recruitment drive under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who has made defensive stability a priority ahead of the 2026–27 season. Koulierakis's arrival follows a busy window for the Giallorossi, with the club continuing to reshape the squad to match Gasperini's tactical demands.

AS Roma completed the signing of defender Konstantinos Koulierakis on 1 August 2026, with the Greek international arriving at Ciampino airport to begin his medical and contract formalities. Koulierakis joins on a permanent deal from Wolfsburg for a fixed fee of €16.5 million, with €1.5 million in add-ons and a 20 per cent sell-on clause included in the agreement. He becomes Roma's second summer signing after Castro. The 23-year-old represents a significant defensive reinforcement for Gian Piero Gasperini's squad as the club prepares for the 2026–27 season. Koulierakis, who has featured regularly in the Bundesliga, brings experience at a high level and adds depth to Roma's backline alongside existing defenders including Mario Hermoso, Evan N'Dicka, and Gianluca Mancini. The transfer was confirmed across social media on 1 August, with images and video of Koulierakis and his agent Paschalis Tountouris captured during their journey to the Italian capital. The defender will now complete standard club procedures before being integrated into pre-season training.

Konstantinos Koulierakis has landed at Rome's Ciampino airport to complete his transfer to AS Roma, becoming the club's second summer signing after Castro. The Greek defender touched down at 13:10 local time, 40 minutes behind schedule, and was greeted by roughly 25 supporters who sang and applauded his arrival. Roma agreed the deal with Wolfsburg on 31 July, paying €16.5 million plus €1.5 million in add-ons, with the German club retaining 20 per cent of any future sale profit. Koulierakis has signed a contract until 2031 on wages of approximately €2 million per season. The 24-year-old will undergo his medical examinations in Rome before immediately departing for Wales, where head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and the rest of the squad are continuing their pre-season training camp. Koulierakis will join Roma's defensive line alongside Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, Mario Hermoso, Daniele Ghilardi and Jan Ziółkowski as Gasperini shapes his backline for the 2026–27 campaign. The arrival completes a key piece of the recruitment jigsaw for the Giallorossi.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is on the verge of signing a new contract with Roma after the club revised its initial offer. The Friedkin Group had proposed a one-year deal expiring in June 2027, but Pellegrini sought a three-year commitment. The two parties are now expected to agree on a two-year deal with an option worth €2.5 million per season. Pellegrini has accepted a significant pay cut and awaits final approval from ownership. The midfielder's commitment to Roma has never wavered despite the protracted negotiations, and he remains eager to continue under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Pellegrini did not travel to Cardiff with his squad and is currently training in Rome with a personal physiotherapist as he nears complete recovery from an injury sustained late in the previous season. The contract renewal is expected to be finalised pending the Friedkin Group's definitive sign-off. Once fit, Pellegrini will be available to resume full duties in the 2026–27 campaign.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is awaiting final approval from the Friedkin Group to complete his contract renewal with Roma, with the deal expected to be concluded in the coming days. The captain did not travel to Cardiff with his squad and is continuing his recovery from a late-season injury while training in Rome with a personal fitness coach. According to Il Messaggero, the club's ownership initially proposed a single-year contract extension that would have seen his deal expire in June 2027—a formula the player found unsatisfactory after requesting a three-year deal. The two parties are now close to agreement on a two-year contract with an option valued at €2.5 million per season. Pellegrini has agreed to a significant reduction in his wages and is prepared to return to full availability for the Giallorossi. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is waiting for the midfielder to be ready for action.

Roma are actively negotiating to sign Givairo Read as director Tony D'Amico works across multiple transfer fronts with the season starting in just over three weeks. The Giallorossi are in competition with Nottingham Forest for Read, after reports emerged that the English club had stepped back from an auction-style bidding war being fuelled by Feyenoord. Earlier, D'Amico completed the signing of Koulierakis from Wolfsburg for 16 million euros plus 1.5 million in bonuses and 20 per cent of future sale proceeds. Gasperini has requested at least four reinforcements: two attacking wingers and two defensive full-backs, though a potential departure of Koné would necessitate a direct replacement of equal standing. Nusa remains the primary left-wing target, with discussions ongoing over whether the Norwegian arrival would displace Lorenzo Pellegrini in the squad hierarchy. At centre-forward, Roma have established they can secure both Endrick and Mastantuono following discussions in Madrid on Wednesday. The Brazilian prospect, who would rotate with Paulo Dybala in Gasperini's preferred pairing system, holds the greater appeal. The club is prepared to accelerate a move for Endrick after 15 August, provided Real Madrid agrees to a deal beyond a straight loan, with Matías Soulé potentially playing a balancing role in the squad's finances and formation decisions.

Roma face Cardiff in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, 1 August at 16:00 — the Giallorossi's first examination of substance under Gasperini's direction this summer. The squad arrived in Wales on Friday and will field Paulo Dybala as the lead forward from the start, with Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen deployed in supporting attacking roles. Castro, described as Roma's new striker, will not start but is expected to feature as Gasperini assesses him on the pitch. Robinio Vaz returns to availability after an earlier absence, while Neil El Aynaoui has rejoined the group following time away and is ready to play. The match comes after Roma's initial pre-season friendlies against their Primavera side, Trastevere, and Cannes. It will be Roma's first match on Welsh soil under Gasperini, who took charge last year. The 3-4-2-1 formation sees Mile Svilar in goal, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso in defence; Devyne Rensch, Neil El Aynaoui, Bryan Cristante, and Wesley across the midfield; and Dybala and Soulé behind Malen in attack. The fixture will be broadcast live exclusively on DAZN with a 16:00 kickoff on Saturday, 1 August. A delayed terrestrial broadcast is scheduled for Canale Nove at 21:30.

Roma director D'Amico is working across multiple fronts in the transfer market with Koulierakis set to arrive in the capital today. The Greek defender will undergo medical examinations before joining the squad's training camp in Wales. The operation is worth €16.5 million, with Wolfsburg retaining a 20 per cent stake on any future resale. Roma has offered €25 million (€23m plus €2m in bonuses) for Read to Feyenoord, but Nottingham Forest remains a serious competitor, having tabled a lower bid of €19 million plus €2 million in bonuses yet offering the player an agreement worth €20 million over five years. D'Amico is also pursuing winger options, with Nusa emerging as Gasperini's preferred target on the flank. Real Madrid has set strict conditions for Mastantuono—loan or buy-back clause—which Roma finds unattractive. The director believes either Endrick or Mastantuono could arrive; Endrick is the player who most appeals to him given his potential to rotate with Dybala in Gasperini's tactical setup. Matías Soulé remains in the exit door, with AC Milan circling. Leao is also on Roma's radar, though less advanced. Roma offered Kumbulla to Torino in an effort to reduce the asking price for Cacciamani, but Torino refused the deal outright.

Roma faced Cardiff, the newly promoted Championship side, in a pre-season fixture at the Helton training centre on Friday, with kickoff at 15:00 local time (16:00 CET, live on DAZN). The match offered the first real glimpse of how head coach Gian Piero Gasperini intends to deploy Castro, the Colombian forward nicknamed 'Torito' who joins Roma after two seasons at Bologna. The key question surrounding Castro's Roma career centres on his role in Gasperini's system: whether he will operate as backup to Donyell Malen or feature alongside the Dutch winger in a two-striker formation. Early indications suggest both players may feature for one half each in Friday's outing. The prospect of Castro and Malen playing together, potentially with Paulo Dybala operating as a trequartista, carries significant tactical intrigue, particularly against defensive systems built around a back four. In Gasperini's previous spell at Roma, he favoured widening Malen when opting for alternatives, though his broader managerial history demonstrates tactical flexibility up front. At Atalanta, he deployed varied attacking combinations: Muriel and Zapata with Gomez as trequartista; Petagna and Gomez ahead of Kurtic; and later Koopmeiners operating behind Hojlund and Lookman—showing a manager unafraid to experiment with multiple forward configurations.