Roma's Two-Sided Profile: Gasperini Demands Ready-Made Champions, Not Prospects

Santiago Castro completed his first training session with Roma on Tuesday at Trigoria before the squad departs for Wales. The Argentine, officially confirmed as the club's opening signing of the transfer window, was immediately integrated into group work by Gasperini, who used a game of tag to settle the newcomer in. The activity involved the entire squad and Castro adapted quickly, with teammates responding positively to his arrival. Hermoso marked Castro's debut with a characteristically robust challenge during a small-sided match, sending a clear message about Roma's work ethic and competitive standards. The physical reception underscored the club's culture: players joke and train together, but no quarter is given on the pitch. Roma's training camp moves to Wales later this week for the second phase of pre-season, where temperatures will be far more moderate than the 40-degree heat currently gripping the capital.

Roma have confirmed their first signing of the summer transfer window. Santiago Castro has joined from Bologna as a Roma player and will wear the number 9 shirt, vacated by Artem Dovbyk. The Ukrainian striker completes the reverse move to Bologna, where he will attempt a fresh start under Tedesco. The swap represents Roma's opening business of the transfer market, with the club's sporting director D'Amico continuing recruitment work. Castro takes up a key offensive role in Gian Piero Gasperini's squad, while Dovbyk seeks to rediscover his form in Serie A after his time in the Italian capital.

Santiago Castro has joined Roma from Bologna on a permanent transfer for €35 million, with the Argentine striker expressing his eagerness to contribute under Gian Piero Gasperini. Castro told Roma's official channels: "It was a short negotiation, I wanted to come from the first moment. I spoke with the sporting director, they told me what they expect from me, I felt the confidence and I know what I can do to help the squad. Since I heard from them I chose straight away to come here." On Gasperini, he added: "I like him. He does very well in Italy for years, I'm here to give a hand, I can do what he wants." Roma have swiftly moved to strengthen their defence with the signing of Konstantinos Koulierakis, a 2003-born centre-back from Wolfsburg, on a permanent deal worth approximately €15 million. The left-footed Greek defender will undergo medical tests and sign his contract in the coming days, competing with Hermoso for the left-centre role in Gasperini's three-man defence. Meanwhile, Angeliño departs on loan to Deportivo La Coruña with a €2 million buyout clause, returning to the Spanish club where he developed through the youth system. Roma have tabled an official €25 million offer to Feyenoord for right-back Givairo Read, with sporting director Tony D'Amico opening direct negotiations to find a resolution. Nottingham Forest remain interested but have had two bids rejected. The coming days are expected to be decisive in the pursuit of a replacement for Çelik on the right flank.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has undergone a minor surgical procedure in Finland to clean inflammation from the scar tissue of his May 2025 operation on the right thigh rectus femoris tendon. The Roma captain will miss training today and tomorrow, when the squad travels to Wales for the second phase of their summer retreat. Pellegrini travelled to Finland to consult with Prof. Lempainen, one of the club president's trusted specialists. Pellegrini's contract with Roma expired on 30 June, marking 29 days without an official giallorosso agreement in place. However, a new deal between player and club has been substantially agreed. The contract will run until 2028 on a two-year basis, worth a net €2.5 million annually plus performance bonuses, with an option in Roma's favour to extend the agreement by one further season through 2029.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has agreed a new Roma contract, but a surgical procedure is preventing him from finalising the deal and training with the squad. The captain flew to Finland after the end of the Serie A season for a minor cleaning operation on an inflamed scar on the right thigh's rectus femoris tendon, performed by Professor Lempainen. The procedure was scheduled in agreement with the club to resolve issues that hampered the closing stages of his campaign following his return in May, and explains why Pellegrini cannot yet train with the group or join the squad for the departure to Wales. Despite the apparent delay, negotiations conducted initially by Massara and advanced by Tony D'Amico have been settled on all details. Pellegrini has accepted a significant reduction in wages, giving up roughly 3.5 million euros net annually to sign a two-year deal worth 2.5 million euros plus bonuses through 2028, with a unilateral option in Roma's favour to extend to 2029. While the captain works continuously with physiotherapists, even during holiday periods, to accelerate recovery, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and teammates including Bryan Cristante are pushing to have him back at the centre of the project soon.

Roma are close to completing the signing of Koulierakis from Wolfsburg for a fee near €15 million, according to radio commentary. The move forms part of the club's broader recruitment plans, which include defensive reinforcements and wide options in midfield. Radio analysts outlined Roma's transfer strategy: should Matías Soulé depart, a second winger will be brought in alongside new signings Nusa and Koulierakis. Lorenzo Pellegrini's contract situation remains in flux after Juventus tabled a concrete three-year offer to the number 7, though he has rejected a move to the Bianconeri. Pellegrini's original agreement with Roma was structured as two years plus one optional year; he may now sign a single-year extension instead. Elsewhere, Castro's incoming deal includes performance-related bonuses described as straightforward to achieve, with the player set to earn €1.5 million annually. The recruitment drive reflects Roma's intent to strengthen across multiple positions ahead of the new season.

Roma radio commentators have offered conflicting assessments of the club's transfer strategy heading into the final month of the window. Ilario Di Giovambattista rated Nusa's arrival at Roma as 85% likely, describing him as a strong signing and suggesting that adding him alongside Malen, Dybala and Castro would form an attractive attacking unit. He noted that head coach Gasperini deploys six players across the front line during matches. Other voices struck a more cautious tone. Roberto Pruzzo estimated only a 10% chance that Nusa joins Roma. The transfer priority debate also centred on full-back depth: Piero Torri argued that Roma must sign two wing-backs after Zeki Çelik's departure, stating the club currently has only Wesley and Devyne Rensch in those positions. "You have to compulsorily take two players, and one must be a starter," Torri said, adding that a month remains before the market closes. Vocalelli expressed confidence in the Friedkin Group's spending plans, noting they have consistently invested funds and will address remaining squad needs. Nando Orsi referenced Gasperini's preference for depth at every position, questioning whether the new CEO understands that Gasperini commands final say on recruitment.

Roma face Cardiff City in a pre-season friendly on 1 August at 16:00 at Cardiff City Stadium, marking their first match of the Wales training camp following earlier warm-up fixtures against Primavera, Trastevere and Cannes. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will field a 3-4-2-1 formation: Svilar in goal; Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso across the back; Rensch and Wesley as wing-backs; El Aynaoui and Cristante in midfield; Dybala and Soulé in attacking support; with Malen leading the line. Tickets for the friendly are available through Cardiff City's official website. The match will be shown live on streaming platform DAZN, with a repeat broadcast at 21:30 on Italian channel NOVE. Live text coverage with real-time updates will be available on ilromanista.eu.

Matías Soulé's future at Roma continues to hang in the balance despite the arrival of fellow Argentine attacker Castro, who completes the club's all-Argentine attacking line alongside Paulo Dybala. The former Frosinone winger has been proposed to AC Milan, though the Rossoneri must first resolve the departure of Rafael Leão. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Soulé has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia, England, and Germany through exploratory calls, though no concrete offers have materialised. Roma's number 18 is not entirely excluded from the Giallorossi project, but the club would consider a departure if the right financial proposal arrives. The scouting activity around the Argentine signals he is not untouchable, despite his presence in the squad for the 2025–26 season. Soulé recently welcomed Castro on social media with a message saying 'benvenuto fratello' (welcome brother), though the prospect of the two combining regularly in Roma colours may prove only a fleeting possibility.

Santiago Castro has joined Roma from Bologna on a permanent transfer for €35 million, with the Argentine striker expressing his eagerness to contribute under Gian Piero Gasperini. Castro told Roma's official channels: "It was a short negotiation, I wanted to come from the first moment. I spoke with the sporting director, they told me what they expect from me, I felt the confidence and I know what I can do to help the squad. Since I heard from them I chose straight away to come here." On Gasperini, he added: "I like him. He does very well in Italy for years, I'm here to give a hand, I can do what he wants." Roma have swiftly moved to strengthen their defence with the signing of Konstantinos Koulierakis, a 2003-born centre-back from Wolfsburg, on a permanent deal worth approximately €15 million. The left-footed Greek defender will undergo medical tests and sign his contract in the coming days, competing with Hermoso for the left-centre role in Gasperini's three-man defence. Meanwhile, Angeliño departs on loan to Deportivo La Coruña with a €2 million buyout clause, returning to the Spanish club where he developed through the youth system. Roma have tabled an official €25 million offer to Feyenoord for right-back Givairo Read, with sporting director Tony D'Amico opening direct negotiations to find a resolution. Nottingham Forest remain interested but have had two bids rejected. The coming days are expected to be decisive in the pursuit of a replacement for Çelik on the right flank.

Roma radio commentators have offered conflicting assessments of the club's transfer strategy heading into the final month of the window. Ilario Di Giovambattista rated Nusa's arrival at Roma as 85% likely, describing him as a strong signing and suggesting that adding him alongside Malen, Dybala and Castro would form an attractive attacking unit. He noted that head coach Gasperini deploys six players across the front line during matches. Other voices struck a more cautious tone. Roberto Pruzzo estimated only a 10% chance that Nusa joins Roma. The transfer priority debate also centred on full-back depth: Piero Torri argued that Roma must sign two wing-backs after Zeki Çelik's departure, stating the club currently has only Wesley and Devyne Rensch in those positions. "You have to compulsorily take two players, and one must be a starter," Torri said, adding that a month remains before the market closes. Vocalelli expressed confidence in the Friedkin Group's spending plans, noting they have consistently invested funds and will address remaining squad needs. Nando Orsi referenced Gasperini's preference for depth at every position, questioning whether the new CEO understands that Gasperini commands final say on recruitment.

Kostas Koulierakis has completed his move to AS Roma, becoming the club's second summer signing under director D'Amico. The Greek defender met head coach Gian Piero Gasperini via videoconference on Tuesday evening. Although presented by some as a backup option, Gasperini views him—like fellow new arrival Artem Dovbyk—as a core addition to the squad rather than reserve cover. Gasperini pushed for the upgrades after Roma finished third and qualified for the Champions League, seeking improvements across multiple fronts: numerically, technically, and tactically. With Zeki Çelik's departure confirmed and moves away for both Salah Eddine and Angeliño imminent, Roma's full-back options have thinned to just Devyne Rensch and Wesley, both capable on either flank. The recruitment team is pursuing two more wide defenders—targets include Read with Fresneda as an alternative, and Cacciamani—all of whom Gasperini has already approved. The club also plans to add further attacking reinforcements in the coming weeks, with Nusa identified as an immediate priority and Endrick a longer-term target. D'Amico's push to accelerate business reflects the board's backing for Gasperini's vision and focus on squad improvement rather than other institutional matters.