Roma line up high-profile friendlies with Brighton and Barcelona

Jayden Oosterwolde arrived in Rome with all the ceremony of a completed signing — meeting fans, heading to the training ground, undergoing medical checks. An official announcement, photoshoot and first interview were ready. Then the deal collapsed. The medical examinations revealed serious concerns: several doctors flagged a high risk of surgery to the tendons of the Fenerbahçe defender. Fenerbahçe refused to negotiate a revised offer, and Roma swiftly sent Oosterwolde back. The club chose to abandon the transfer rather than proceed with the risk. The outcome is unusual but not unprecedented in Serie A. Milan faced a similar situation with Mateta; Lazio with Bamba Dieng. Roma's own history holds comparable examples. Six months into another transfer saga, Milik encountered the same fate with Napoli: full agreement reached, then detailed instrumental checks in Switzerland on the Polish striker's knees — he had undergone two previous cruciate ligament surgeries — prompted Roma's hierarchy to harbour serious doubts about his rehabilitation timeline, ultimately breaking the deal. Unlike Oosterwolde's public arrival, that negotiation remained behind closed doors. The 2024 case of Tiago Djalo offers another parallel. The Juventus defender's transfer to Roma collapsed on 30 August, in the final days of the transfer window, despite having already completed his medical with the club. Roma hesitated, unconvinced by the deal, leaving Djalo confined to a hotel. After two days, the player chose to return to Turin.

Roma are working to complete their squad in the final days of the transfer window. Head coach Gasperini has made clear that while new arrivals have impressed, further effort is needed to expand a squad requiring quality alternatives in every position to compete in all three competitions. With the wage bill and amortisation costs calculated to the last cent, Roma are being selective in their recruitment. A move for Kessie has been ruled out due to his salary demands, while discussions with Fenerbahce over Oosterwolde have stalled without a new agreement being reached. Ziółkowski is set to leave, but only if Roma secure a replacement first; interest in Morato has cooled. Nayef Aguerd, born 1996 and currently at Marseille, is on the club's list as a loan option. Monaco's Kehrer is also being assessed.

The Champions League league-phase draw on 27 August paired Roma with eight opponents across the competition's opening phase, featuring two former Roma managers now in charge of Europe's elite: José Mourinho at Real Madrid and Luis Enrique at Paris Saint-Germain. The draw shapes Roma's European path from 8 September to 27 January under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Roma's return to the Champions League comes after seven seasons away. Real Madrid and PSG, both seeded in the first pot, headline the fixture list. From the second pot, Roma drew Sporting Lisbon (home), Manchester United (away at Old Trafford), Fenerbahçe (away), and AEK Athens (away). Lille and Slovan Bratislava complete the eight, both at home. The tie against Lille offers a potential redemption: Roma missed three penalties in last season's Europa League fixture against the French club, including a double failure by Artem Dovbyk and another by Matías Soulé. Mourinho will return to the Stadio Olimpico with Real Madrid. The draw has constructed a fixture list combining Roma's ambitions in European football's premier competition with the nostalgic dimension of facing two managers who shaped the club's recent history—Mourinho's tenure yielding markedly different results from Luis Enrique's time in Rome.