Roma pursue Fiorentina's Dodo as Gasperini eyes right-flank reinforcement

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has given Roma's squad two days of rest following a friendly draw against Cannes. Training resumes on Wednesday, with the team then departing for Wales on Thursday to begin the second phase of their pre-season camp. Neil El Aynaoui will rejoin the group after completing extra rest days following World Cup commitments. Salah-Eddine will not travel, having been deemed outside the coach's technical plans and is currently seeking a new club. Gasperini is hopeful that Santiago Castro will be available for the move to the capital, with Thursday expected to be a decisive day in finalising the signing once remaining details are resolved.

Roma drew 3–3 with Cannes in a friendly match after leading 3–0, with defender Wesley sent off in what the source describes as an absurd decision. The giallorossi surrendered their commanding advantage to finish level, a result overshadowed by the controversial dismissal. On the transfer front, Roma are edging closer to securing Castro's arrival while preparing to move on Artem Dovbyk. The dual activity signals a significant reshaping of the attacking department as the club progresses through the window.

AC Milan winger Rafael Leao has reportedly been offered to Roma, with talks described as still in the exploratory phase. The 27-year-old former Lille player is keen to leave San Siro after seven years, but Milan have maintained a substantial €50 million asking price. Leao has rejected interest from Turkish clubs Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, and despite alleged overtures from Manchester United, agent Jorge Mendes is exploring options at top European clubs. Roma face a significant obstacle in financing such a deal, given the club's cash constraints. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who guided Roma back to the Champions League for the first time since 2018, is reportedly keen to strengthen the squad ahead of an ambitious title push. Signing Leao, rated among Serie A's best performers despite a difficult last season, would represent a major coup and could elevate Roma from top-four contenders into genuine Scudetto challengers. However, Roma must first generate sufficient funds to meet Milan's valuation, and Leao's willingness to join the Giallorossi remains unclear.

Lorenzo Pellegrini remains in limbo nearly a month after his contract expired on 30 June, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini keen to retain him but negotiations still unresolved ahead of the new season. Gasperini has sought Pellegrini's confirmation alongside Paulo Dybala and Zeki Çelik; Dybala has already signed new terms and Çelik has departed, but Pellegrini's future remains uncertain. The midfielder is currently recovering from a previous season injury and unavailable for training, which has extended talks. Gasperini said: "I hope for the renewal, but at this moment the player could not train. He must recover from injury, for this reason the timescales are a little longer. In the meantime I hope he can recover as soon as possible, then reach an agreement." A banner from the Roma supporters' group appeared at the training ground reading: "Making a mistake can happen... Repeating it means carelessness! Let's hold on to Lorenzo!" Bryan Cristante added his support after Roma's friendly with Trastevere at Trigoria, saying he had been in contact with Pellegrini and was waiting for him with open arms. The sticking point centres on contract duration: Pellegrini is requesting a three-year deal but would reportedly accept two years. The squad will soon relocate from Trigoria to Wales for their summer training camp.

Vice-president Ryan Friedkin arrived at Roma's Trigoria training ground on 14 July to inject momentum into the summer transfer window, having successfully brokered deals during his January visit — most notably the arrival of Donyell Malen, who played a central role in Roma's push to the Champions League. This summer's mission has proved less fruitful. Two primary targets, Greenwood and Summerville, have already fallen through, with the American ownership expressing doubts about spending €50 million on the latter. Roma have also suffered the blow of Çelik signing with Juventus despite an oral agreement being in place. Gasperini had been awaiting Friedkin's arrival on 13 July, the first day of pre-season. With the window stalling, Friedkin has already returned to the United States within the past 48 hours, and no return date has yet been set. He may attend Cannes–Roma, a pre-season friendly between the two Friedkin-owned clubs, on Sunday, though that remains uncertain. The new transfer target is now Nusa, and Ryan will monitor negotiations from afar.

Summerville has completed his move from West Ham to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal on a four-year deal worth 15 million euros per season, leaving Roma to pursue alternative targets. The signing marks the third major disappointment for the Giallorossi in the transfer window after setbacks involving Greenwood and Çelik, and arrives with Roma's recruitment board yet to make a single purchase as of 23 July—described as a negative record for the club. Director D'Amico is now pursuing Norwegian international Nusa from Leipzig, who is valued at 60 million euros. Roma faces competition from Premier League clubs, notably Newcastle, but hopes to leverage player interest to negotiate with the German side. The club has a budget of 50 million euros earmarked for the position. Meanwhile, Garnacho is close to joining Aston Villa, who have secured an obligation to buy from Chelsea for 42 million euros after a loan year—a move that further removes him from Roma's grasp. El Mala and Uzun remain on D'Amico's shortlist as the window progresses.