Roma seal third-place finish and Champions League berth as Dybala dazzles in Verona victory

Roma ended their pre-season training camp in Wales with a 3–0 defeat to Brighton. Rutter and Ayari, who scored twice, were decisive for the home side. The loss concluded what proved a disappointing retreat before the Giallorossi return to Rome and prepare for their final warm-up fixture against Borussia Dortmund ahead of the 2026–27 season launch. In the second half against Brighton, Castro and Koulierakis were brought on to gain match time. Back at Trigoria, Roma await the return of Pellegrini and Koné, the latter having rejoined the squad after his summer break. Individual performances saw Bryan Cristante earn a rating of 6 for his display, while Mario Hermoso (4) and Wesley (4.5) both endured difficult afternoons in defence.

Roma's pre-season tour of Britain ended in defeat as Gasperini's side lost 3–0 to Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Rutter and Ayari scored in the first half, with Ayari adding a second early in the second period to seal the result. The loss marked the conclusion of Roma's summer preparations ahead of the league season, which begins in just over two weeks. Despite the disappointing scoreline, travelling supporters turned out in numbers to watch their side, demonstrating their backing for the club as it enters the new campaign.

Roma closed their British pre-season tour with a 3–0 defeat to Brighton at the American Express Stadium on 8 August, following earlier losses to Cardiff City and a win over Newport County. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged a poor performance but stressed the squad's wider progress during the week's training in ideal conditions. Gasperini attributed some sluggishness to players returning from World Cup duty—N'Dicka, El Aynaoui, and Malen among them—and noted the squad felt disjointed as a collective. He highlighted Paulo Dybala's recovery and welcomed the imminent availability of Lorenzo Pellegrini, who becomes eligible to play in September after at least a month. On the transfer market, Gasperini said: "Numerically it seems to me that there is still a need for something, but you know." He pointed to changes already made—Molina arriving to replace Çelik (to be assessed on Tuesday), Castro coming in for Dovbyk, and Koulierakis joining to complete the defence—but emphasised that future signings depended on the club's chief executive. When asked about outgoing transfers, Gasperini deferred: "We have a chief executive, you should ask him these questions about what Roma can or cannot do. On numbers and market possibilities Roma passes to him." He noted D'Amico was pursuing "very young but also very important" players.

Roma closed their British pre-season tour with a 3–0 defeat to Brighton at the American Express Stadium on 8 August, following earlier losses to Cardiff City and a win over Newport County. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged a poor performance but stressed the squad's wider progress during the week's training in ideal conditions. Gasperini attributed some sluggishness to players returning from World Cup duty—N'Dicka, El Aynaoui, and Malen among them—and noted the squad felt disjointed as a collective. He highlighted Paulo Dybala's recovery and welcomed the imminent availability of Lorenzo Pellegrini, who becomes eligible to play in September after at least a month. On the transfer market, Gasperini said: "Numerically it seems to me that there is still a need for something, but you know." He pointed to changes already made—Molina arriving to replace Çelik (to be assessed on Tuesday), Castro coming in for Dovbyk, and Koulierakis joining to complete the defence—but emphasised that future signings depended on the club's chief executive. When asked about outgoing transfers, Gasperini deferred: "We have a chief executive, you should ask him these questions about what Roma can or cannot do. On numbers and market possibilities Roma passes to him." He noted D'Amico was pursuing "very young but also very important" players.

Roma suffered a second defeat in three pre-season outings, losing 3–0 to Brighton in what Gasperini described as a concerning display two weeks before the season begins. Wesley emerged as the standout performer, while Neil El Aynaoui stepped back from his midweek form, and the defence was repeatedly breached. Gianluca Mancini (5) lost his man on Brighton's third goal and appeared less commanding than usual, while Mario Hermoso (5) was partly culpable for the opening goal and departed with a foot problem. Evan N'Dicka (5.5) offered insufficient security at the back, and Devyne Rensch (4.5) endured a forgettable afternoon at right-back following several indecisions; Koulierakis (6) and Daniele Ghilardi (6) came on at half-time and improved the display, though the match was already decided. Wesley (6) impressed with his physicality and athleticism, particularly a close effort at the 28-minute mark, while Paulo Dybala (5.5) created Roma's most dangerous opportunity despite a subdued showing. Neil El Aynaoui (4.5) was erratic in midfield, losing the ball in an exchange with Rensch that led to Brighton's second goal. Bryan Cristante (5.5), the captain, struggled to control the midfield as his experience might demand. Matías Soulé (5.5) lacked incisiveness despite constant movement. Donyell Malen (5) remained short of match fitness and rarely troubled the goalkeeper. Gasperini rated the performance 5, noting that Roma has conceded eleven goals across the last 360 minutes of pre-season play. Though he acknowledged no points are at stake in August, he expressed disappointment for the 750 Roma supporters in attendance. The transfer market remains underdeveloped, he added, but the squad must perform better ahead of competitive fixtures.

Roma faced Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the final warm-up match of their British tour. Gasperini named Donyell Malen in the starting eleven, while leaving new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis on the bench to manage their workload ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. The Roma boss fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, and a four-strong midfield of Devyne Rensch, Bryan Cristante, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley. Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala occupied the advanced midfield roles, with Malen leading the attack. The fixture served as a final examination of the squad's preparation during the pre-season tour, with Gasperini using the match to assess combinations and match sharpness before competitive action resumes.

Roma closed their British pre-season tour with a 3–0 defeat to Brighton at the American Express Stadium on 8 August, following earlier losses to Cardiff City and a win over Newport County. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged a poor performance but stressed the squad's wider progress during the week's training in ideal conditions. Gasperini attributed some sluggishness to players returning from World Cup duty—N'Dicka, El Aynaoui, and Malen among them—and noted the squad felt disjointed as a collective. He highlighted Paulo Dybala's recovery and welcomed the imminent availability of Lorenzo Pellegrini, who becomes eligible to play in September after at least a month. On the transfer market, Gasperini said: "Numerically it seems to me that there is still a need for something, but you know." He pointed to changes already made—Molina arriving to replace Çelik (to be assessed on Tuesday), Castro coming in for Dovbyk, and Koulierakis joining to complete the defence—but emphasised that future signings depended on the club's chief executive. When asked about outgoing transfers, Gasperini deferred: "We have a chief executive, you should ask him these questions about what Roma can or cannot do. On numbers and market possibilities Roma passes to him." He noted D'Amico was pursuing "very young but also very important" players.

Roma suffered a second defeat in three pre-season outings, losing 3–0 to Brighton in what Gasperini described as a concerning display two weeks before the season begins. Wesley emerged as the standout performer, while Neil El Aynaoui stepped back from his midweek form, and the defence was repeatedly breached. Gianluca Mancini (5) lost his man on Brighton's third goal and appeared less commanding than usual, while Mario Hermoso (5) was partly culpable for the opening goal and departed with a foot problem. Evan N'Dicka (5.5) offered insufficient security at the back, and Devyne Rensch (4.5) endured a forgettable afternoon at right-back following several indecisions; Koulierakis (6) and Daniele Ghilardi (6) came on at half-time and improved the display, though the match was already decided. Wesley (6) impressed with his physicality and athleticism, particularly a close effort at the 28-minute mark, while Paulo Dybala (5.5) created Roma's most dangerous opportunity despite a subdued showing. Neil El Aynaoui (4.5) was erratic in midfield, losing the ball in an exchange with Rensch that led to Brighton's second goal. Bryan Cristante (5.5), the captain, struggled to control the midfield as his experience might demand. Matías Soulé (5.5) lacked incisiveness despite constant movement. Donyell Malen (5) remained short of match fitness and rarely troubled the goalkeeper. Gasperini rated the performance 5, noting that Roma has conceded eleven goals across the last 360 minutes of pre-season play. Though he acknowledged no points are at stake in August, he expressed disappointment for the 750 Roma supporters in attendance. The transfer market remains underdeveloped, he added, but the squad must perform better ahead of competitive fixtures.

Roma faced Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the final warm-up match of their British tour. Gasperini named Donyell Malen in the starting eleven, while leaving new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis on the bench to manage their workload ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. The Roma boss fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, and a four-strong midfield of Devyne Rensch, Bryan Cristante, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley. Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala occupied the advanced midfield roles, with Malen leading the attack. The fixture served as a final examination of the squad's preparation during the pre-season tour, with Gasperini using the match to assess combinations and match sharpness before competitive action resumes.

Roma's attacking department has been decimated ahead of the 2026–27 season, with coach Gian Piero Gasperini now overseeing just five senior forwards for the role — down from ten options at the end of January. The remaining quartet consists of Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, and Robinio Vaz, with young prospect Arena also available. The collapse mirrors Gasperini's repeated public calls for investment in attack. Speaking exactly a year ago on 4 August 2025 at the English national team's St. George Park facility in Burton Upon Trent, Gasperini outlined his philosophy: "It concerns all clubs that spend large sums on attackers. The offensive department is the most sought after and most expensive. Teams with strong attacking players are more competitive." That same summer, Roma pursued Fabio Silva and Jadon Sancho without success, settling on a loan move for Romain Bailey as a last-minute solution. By the end of 2025, Roma had assembled eight attacking options — Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson, Bailey, Soulé, Baldanzi, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Lorenzo Pellegrini — to fill three positions in Gasperini's preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. The winter transfer window swelled that number to ten through the departures of Bailey and Baldanzi and the arrivals of Malen, Vaz, Bryan Zaragoza, and Lorenzo Venturino. However, only Malen performed consistently. With just twenty days until the league campaign begins, Roma faces a critical shortage. The club is reportedly making another approach for Nusa and preparing a move for Fofana to bolster the depleted ranks.

Roma find themselves in unexpected stasis on the transfer market one month before their Serie A opener against Fiorentina, hampered by slow planning, a complex summer constrained by Settlement Agreement rules, and difficulty delivering the reinforcements Gian Piero Gasperini has requested. As of late July, Roma had completed zero signings and just one minor departure, leaving six players from last season's squad still to be replaced: El Shaarawy, Ferguson, Tsimikas, Celik, Venturino, and Zaragoza. The club also has several players ready to depart—Salah-Eddine, Kumbulla, and Dovbyk among them—while others including Soulé and Koné remain uncertain. Contract complications surround Dybala, and Pellegrini's position requires clarification. Delays stem from structural issues worsened by Tony D'Amico's late arrival as sporting director, who became operational only in the final ten days of June following a dispute with Atalanta, compounded by World Cup scheduling and Settlement Agreement restrictions. Gasperini intends to compete at the highest level while preserving the squad's core and adding only a few elite signings. Roma pursued Mason Greenwood and Luis Summerville at length, becoming committed to the Dutch player beyond their budgeted limits before the deal collapsed entirely.

AS Roma are closing in on Crysencio Summerville, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini expecting a resolution in the coming days. The club has raised their bid to €50 million to persuade West Ham to sell the Dutch international and fend off competition from Aston Villa. Gasperini will have final say once Roma and Summerville's agents reach an agreement on personal terms. Despite publicly casting doubt on the transfer during Saturday's press conference—a tactical move to maintain negotiating leverage—Gasperini is eager to bring the winger to Rome. The breakthrough hinges on agreeing contract details with Summerville's representatives, the final hurdle before the deal can be completed. Roma's willingness to climb to the €50 million mark signals their determination to secure one of their priority targets this window. The next 24 to 48 hours are viewed as critical to the outcome. Summerville, who would join a squad already including attackers such as Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, and Stephan El Shaarawy, represents a significant investment in Gasperini's vision for the team.