Roma pursue Castro and El Mala as alternatives in attacking rebuild

Roma are actively working to sign Santiago Castro from Bologna as a potential understudy to Donyell Malen. According to reports, contacts between the two clubs remain live as Roma look to strengthen their attacking depth. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has made clear the priority: finding a forward who can deliver goals, intensity, and consistency when Malen is unavailable. The Giallorossi had previously pursued Tresoldi, but Brugge's €50 million valuation stalled that move. Bologna now represent a warmer option, though negotiations carry significant obstacles. The Emilian club have valued Castro at approximately €40 million and show no willingness to discount. One element appears settled: Artem Dovbyk will not be offered as a makeweight in any deal. The Ukrainian striker remains available on the market but will not be used as a counterpart in a potential Bologna transfer.

Roma's summer transfer market remains frozen with no new arrivals by late July, frustrating head coach Gasperini who expected reinforcements at Trigoria. Targets Mason Greenwood and Luis Summestre have already fallen through, while director D'Amico searches for the opening piece of the window. El Mala and Alexander Nusa top the priority list, though the Norwegian's high asking price and injury history give The Friedkin Group pause—they are reluctant to take on another injury-prone signing and have delayed movement. Nusa has not yet signalled openness to Roma. The pursuit of Tresoldi has become complicated despite the German's willingness to join. Club Brugge's steep demands are slowing negotiations. Fresh names emerging at Trigoria include Castro and Oscar Bobb, while midfielder Franck Kessié remains a live possibility. Noa Lang was offered to Roma in attack, but the club rejected the proposition, seeking different profiles for the forward line. Patience is wearing thin both among Roma supporters and sections of Everton's fanbase, who have begun to lose confidence in the Americans' transfer strategy. Ryan Friedkin has returned to the United States.

A meeting is scheduled for Monday regarding Roma's new stadium project. In the transfer market, Roma have made contact with RB Leipzig over winger Nusa, but Leipzig value the player highly and there remains a significant gap between the clubs' valuations. Nusa has not yet opened the door to a Roma move. Roma have also been proposed numerous other wide players, including Luiz Henrique of Zenit, though he was not pursued. Meanwhile, Gian Piero Gasperini and the Roma squad await the return of Lorenzo Pellegrini following injury. The midfielder wants to secure a contract renewal and has accepted reducing his salary, but a key sticking point remains: Pellegrini is pushing for a three-year deal while the club currently offers only two years. Nevertheless, both the player and the club show clear willingness to stay together. After Roma's friendly against Trastevere, Bryan Cristante spoke openly about his teammate, emphasising the squad is waiting for Pellegrini with open arms. Pellegrini was also spotted dining with Gianluca Mancini at a Roman trattoria, a signal of his continued bond with the group. Elsewhere, Roma are tracking Franck Kessié as Juventus pursue the midfielder. Juventus have been in contact for several weeks but no agreement has been reached, with salary and squad integration among points still to be finalised. Roma are prepared to move decisively should Manu Koné depart.

Roma are actively working to sign Santiago Castro from Bologna as a potential understudy to Donyell Malen. According to reports, contacts between the two clubs remain live as Roma look to strengthen their attacking depth. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has made clear the priority: finding a forward who can deliver goals, intensity, and consistency when Malen is unavailable. The Giallorossi had previously pursued Tresoldi, but Brugge's €50 million valuation stalled that move. Bologna now represent a warmer option, though negotiations carry significant obstacles. The Emilian club have valued Castro at approximately €40 million and show no willingness to discount. One element appears settled: Artem Dovbyk will not be offered as a makeweight in any deal. The Ukrainian striker remains available on the market but will not be used as a counterpart in a potential Bologna transfer.

Rome's radio stations have weighed in on Roma's summer transfer activity, with prominent voices expressing scepticism about the club's pursuit of winger Nusa and questioning the overall direction of the market strategy. Francesco Balzani said: "According to me Nusa is all smoke and mirrors, I believe there are few chances of seeing him at Roma. The Giallorossi are behind on everything. Roma a month before the start of the championship is worse than last year." Lorenzo Pes echoed the concerns, stating: "Nusa does not convince from a physical point of view. At this moment behind Malen there are Dovbyk who is leaving and Vaz who is not at the centre of the project. I think that Nusa is a distraction in order to try this time to stay more hidden on the real objectives. For me the real names are others." Piero Torri argued that any market talk beyond external positions is designed to divert attention from Roma's primary need: "Any market voice other than that of the wingers is a voice to divert attention from what Roma is doing. Now the main objective is to make the wingers." Marco Juric raised fitness concerns about Nusa's knee condition and questioned coach Gian Piero Gasperini's long-term recruitment vision. Roberto Pruzzo, Roma legend, expressed frustration with how negotiations have unfolded, suggesting that players have used Roma to extract better offers from other clubs: "When you have the agreement with the player you feel protected, but it is not so, and the latest situations are demonstrating it." Mario Mattioli placed Roma's struggles in a broader context, arguing that Italian football lacks the economic firepower to compete with European rivals.

Roma have made their first official offer of approximately €35 million to Brugge for striker Nicolò Tresoldi, but the Belgian club have rejected the approach. The 2004-born Italian-German forward has been identified by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini as a quality alternative to Donyell Malen or a potential partner in a two-striker system. Roma are working across multiple fronts in the transfer market as the league season approaches in roughly a month, with Gasperini still awaiting new additions to his squad. Brugge's stance is to retain Tresoldi, and the club will only consider selling if an offer becomes irresistible. The pursuit reflects Roma's ongoing efforts to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the new campaign. With the window active and concrete bids now being tabled, Roma face the challenge of either increasing their offer or pivoting to alternative targets as they seek to bolster their forward line.

Roma are actively working to sign Santiago Castro from Bologna as a potential understudy to Donyell Malen. According to reports, contacts between the two clubs remain live as Roma look to strengthen their attacking depth. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has made clear the priority: finding a forward who can deliver goals, intensity, and consistency when Malen is unavailable. The Giallorossi had previously pursued Tresoldi, but Brugge's €50 million valuation stalled that move. Bologna now represent a warmer option, though negotiations carry significant obstacles. The Emilian club have valued Castro at approximately €40 million and show no willingness to discount. One element appears settled: Artem Dovbyk will not be offered as a makeweight in any deal. The Ukrainian striker remains available on the market but will not be used as a counterpart in a potential Bologna transfer.

Rome's radio stations have weighed in on Roma's summer transfer activity, with prominent voices expressing scepticism about the club's pursuit of winger Nusa and questioning the overall direction of the market strategy. Francesco Balzani said: "According to me Nusa is all smoke and mirrors, I believe there are few chances of seeing him at Roma. The Giallorossi are behind on everything. Roma a month before the start of the championship is worse than last year." Lorenzo Pes echoed the concerns, stating: "Nusa does not convince from a physical point of view. At this moment behind Malen there are Dovbyk who is leaving and Vaz who is not at the centre of the project. I think that Nusa is a distraction in order to try this time to stay more hidden on the real objectives. For me the real names are others." Piero Torri argued that any market talk beyond external positions is designed to divert attention from Roma's primary need: "Any market voice other than that of the wingers is a voice to divert attention from what Roma is doing. Now the main objective is to make the wingers." Marco Juric raised fitness concerns about Nusa's knee condition and questioned coach Gian Piero Gasperini's long-term recruitment vision. Roberto Pruzzo, Roma legend, expressed frustration with how negotiations have unfolded, suggesting that players have used Roma to extract better offers from other clubs: "When you have the agreement with the player you feel protected, but it is not so, and the latest situations are demonstrating it." Mario Mattioli placed Roma's struggles in a broader context, arguing that Italian football lacks the economic firepower to compete with European rivals.

Gian Piero Gasperini is closely monitoring Mandjou Camara, a 2009-born Guinean forward who made an impression in Roma's friendly against Trastevere. The match saw Roma field a largely youth-team lineup, with only Gollini, Ziółkowski, Ghilardi, Angeliño and Dovbyk from the senior squad on the pitch. While Arena scored, Camara stole the spotlight with several impressive moments despite not finding the net. During the second half, Gasperini's assistant Gritti positioned himself on the right flank to guide Camara's movements, calling out instructions such as "Drop back", "Shoot", and "Don't stay too deep". Camara is expected to join Roma's pre-season training camp in Wales, giving Gasperini further opportunity to assess his development. Camara arrived at Roma as the final signing from the youth academy oversight of Alberto De Rossi, who departed the club on 30 June after more than 32 years. Roma acquired him on a free transfer after he left SPAL. He began the season in the Under 17 category before being promoted to the Under 18 squad under Mattia Scala, who now coaches the Primavera. In thirty matches, Camara has registered eleven goals and nine assists. His one-on-one ability and dribbling have impressed Gasperini, who is working to facilitate his next step forward, though some technical refinement remains needed. Vinicius Junior is his inspiration.

Roma's recruitment drive extends to player sales, with the club targeting significant profit margins. Manu Koné is among the players who could leave Rome for a fee exceeding €50 million, with Manchester United showing strong interest but yet to make a formal move. The French midfielder has opened the door to a Premier League switch but continues to hope for an approach from Paris Saint-Germain, which has not materialised to date. Elsewhere, English clubs have recently made contact regarding El Aynaoui. The midfielder caught attention following his impressive performances at the World Cup with Morocco, drawing the attention of several sides. Roma's technical team, led by D'Amico, is managing both incomings and outgoings as part of the club's ongoing strategy to generate capital gains from player departures.

Roma swept past Trastevere 6–0 in a pre-season friendly at Trigoria, with Donyell Malen making an immediate impact on his first appearance of the season. The Dutch forward unlocked the match after three minutes and provided an assist for Bryan Cristante's goal, though he squandered a close-range opportunity. Paulo Dybala and Cherubini completed the first-half scoring, while Angeliño and young player Arena added second-half goals. Despite the emphatic victory, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini faces a depleted squad. Seven players from last season remain unresolved in the transfer market, and several more are absent due to post-World Cup leave—including Manu Koné and Neil El Aynaoui. Matías Soulé was rested as a precaution, while Robinio Vaz and Niccolò Pisilli have physical issues; Pisilli is sidelined with a first-degree soleus muscle-fascial strain. Evan N'Dicka appears fully recovered and Cristante impressed with his solidity and attacking threat, though Angeliño showed signs of lacking match fitness despite his goal. Prospect Camara delivered a convincing display under close staff observation. Cristante reiterated Roma's ambitions for the upcoming Champions League campaign and expressed confidence in new signings arriving soon, while signalling full openness to Lorenzo Pellegrini's return to the group.

Donyell Malen and Evan N'Dicka have returned to Roma training and will feature in a friendly against Trastevere at Trigoria on 18:00 today. Both players rejoined the squad following their international commitments and will play their first minutes under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini in what amounts to their first session back after post-tournament rest. The Dutch attacker and Ivorian defender are keen to rediscover form after disappointing spells with their national teams and regain full fitness ahead of the new season. The friendly represents a significant opportunity for Gasperini to manage returning players' workload as Roma continue to operate with limited squad depth during the transfer window. Today's match will also serve as the debut for Roma's new adidas home kit for 2026–27, which features the return of the traditional crest. The club expects further national team returns in coming days, with Neil El Aynaoui due back on 30 July and Manu Koné completing the squad later.