Roma shifts focus to Garnacho as Chelsea blocks loan move

Ajax have made a move for Artem Dovbyk after Roma began working on the striker's departure. Michel, the Ajax head coach who previously managed Dovbyk at Girona when the Ukrainian won the Pichicki award, has recommended the 29-year-old to the Dutch club. Roma have been seeking to offload the forward while monitoring alternatives for the role of back-up to Donyell Malen. A Spanish transfer option had been discussed, but Michel's intervention could redirect Dovbyk's future. Two significant obstacles may derail a deal: Ajax regard his wages as prohibitively high, and his age of 29 presents complications for any future resale value from the Dutch club's perspective. The structure of any agreement could prove flexible—Roma might facilitate the move by offering Dovbyk on loan while subsidising part of his salary.

Roma have made initial contact with Chelsea over Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, but a transfer remains complicated by the Blues' insistence on a permanent sale. Chelsea will not entertain a straight loan or loan with option to buy; the club is determined to secure a full fee from the 22-year-old's departure. Roma have valued Garnacho at approximately €40 million, with 10% of any transfer fee due to Manchester United under their original deal. Further talks between Roma and Chelsea are expected after the weekend. The pursuit reflects Roma's wider recruitment activity, though Garnacho has also attracted interest from Napoli and Como. Garnacho, a 2004-born player, spent time on holiday in the Italian capital and has expressed admiration for Roma's Paulo Dybala, adding a personal dimension to the club's interest.

Roma are accelerating their pursuit of Nicolò Tresoldi, the 2004-born Italian-German striker currently at Bruges, with the club identifying him as the ideal deputy to Donyell Malen. The move represents a strategic shift: Roma have decided to secure Tresoldi first rather than wait for Artem Dovbyk's departure, reversing their earlier plan to sell the Ukrainian forward before investing in attacking reinforcements. Bruges value Tresoldi at around 30 million euros, and Roma are moving decisively to outpace competition from Atlético Madrid. Tresoldi has impressed scouts with a combination of physicality and goalscoring instinct, earning recognition as one of Europe's most promising young talents. Dovbyk has endured a difficult season marked by injury problems and limited tactical compatibility with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, yet Roma now intend to manage his situation separately from their inbound transfer activity. The club's change in approach signals confidence in their ability to handle both the incoming move and Dovbyk's future in parallel.

Pierluigi Gollini reported to Roma's Trigoria training ground on Thursday morning, three days before the official start of pre-season scheduled for Monday, 13 July. The goalkeeper confirmed his early arrival via an Instagram story, joining Wesley in showing eagerness ahead of the 2026–27 campaign. Both players' enthusiasm underscores the squad's preparation for the new season. Gollini had recently appeared at El Shaarawy's wedding alongside teammates Mancini and Cristante, whose contracts expire in 2027, and Pellegrini, who is awaiting a contract renewal. The gathering reflected the close-knit atmosphere within the squad as players gear up for pre-season, with several key members keen to resolve outstanding contract matters. The official raduno at Trigoria will formally launch Roma's preparations for the campaign ahead.

Roma are working to finalize contract renewals with key players before the start of pre-season training on 13 July, with the club aiming to have all agreements settled by Monday to ensure squad stability. Zeki Çelik is close to completing a three-year extension worth approximately 3 million per season under the Growth Decree, though he will miss the opening days of pre-season due to international commitments. Paulo Dybala has also agreed to fresh terms, expected to arrive in Rome within the next day or two to sign a new one-year deal with an option for a second season, extending his fifth year at the club. Lorenzo Pellegrini's situation remains the most complicated. Despite mutual willingness from both the player and the club to continue their partnership, agreement on contract length and wages has not yet been reached. The club is pushing to accelerate negotiations and find common ground in the coming days, with the priority of ensuring Pellegrini arrives at the Monday training camp with his contractual position settled and the wider environment operating without uncertainty.

Roma's search for wide players has widened beyond Dan Ndoye of Nottingham Forest, with director Tony D'Amico now also scouting Can Uzun of Eintracht Frankfurt. The 20-year-old Turkish attacking midfielder is viewed as an emerging international talent and appeals to head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. D'Amico has initiated contact with Frankfurt and Uzun's representatives to explore a deal; the player carries a valuation of approximately €45 million, though room for negotiation exists. Roma had previously dismissed suggestions of chasing Mason Greenwood, instead prioritising established players at realistic fees. Any acceleration in these pursuits will follow the official renewal of contracts for Paulo Dybala, Zeki Çelik, and Lorenzo Pellegrini, as well as extensions for Gianluca Mancini (through 2030) and Bryan Cristante (through 2029). Ndoye, an experienced operator in Italian football from his time at Bologna, contrasts with Uzun, a fresh prospect attracting interest from multiple clubs. Uzun, represented by the same agents as fellow Roma target Nicolò Tresoldi, has played two World Cup appearances for Turkey—60 minutes against Paraguay and 6 minutes against the United States. In the Bundesliga, he has emerged as one of the league's finest young talents over the past two seasons. D'Amico will continue dialogue with the German club regarding improved terms.

Roma are working to finalize contract renewals with key players before the start of pre-season training on 13 July, with the club aiming to have all agreements settled by Monday to ensure squad stability. Zeki Çelik is close to completing a three-year extension worth approximately 3 million per season under the Growth Decree, though he will miss the opening days of pre-season due to international commitments. Paulo Dybala has also agreed to fresh terms, expected to arrive in Rome within the next day or two to sign a new one-year deal with an option for a second season, extending his fifth year at the club. Lorenzo Pellegrini's situation remains the most complicated. Despite mutual willingness from both the player and the club to continue their partnership, agreement on contract length and wages has not yet been reached. The club is pushing to accelerate negotiations and find common ground in the coming days, with the priority of ensuring Pellegrini arrives at the Monday training camp with his contractual position settled and the wider environment operating without uncertainty.

Roma's search for wide players has widened beyond Dan Ndoye of Nottingham Forest, with director Tony D'Amico now also scouting Can Uzun of Eintracht Frankfurt. The 20-year-old Turkish attacking midfielder is viewed as an emerging international talent and appeals to head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. D'Amico has initiated contact with Frankfurt and Uzun's representatives to explore a deal; the player carries a valuation of approximately €45 million, though room for negotiation exists. Roma had previously dismissed suggestions of chasing Mason Greenwood, instead prioritising established players at realistic fees. Any acceleration in these pursuits will follow the official renewal of contracts for Paulo Dybala, Zeki Çelik, and Lorenzo Pellegrini, as well as extensions for Gianluca Mancini (through 2030) and Bryan Cristante (through 2029). Ndoye, an experienced operator in Italian football from his time at Bologna, contrasts with Uzun, a fresh prospect attracting interest from multiple clubs. Uzun, represented by the same agents as fellow Roma target Nicolò Tresoldi, has played two World Cup appearances for Turkey—60 minutes against Paraguay and 6 minutes against the United States. In the Bundesliga, he has emerged as one of the league's finest young talents over the past two seasons. D'Amico will continue dialogue with the German club regarding improved terms.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is set to sign a contract renewal with Roma, with the final details nearly resolved between the club and the captain's agent. The 1996-born midfielder will attend Monday morning's pre-season gathering at Trigoria under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who has pushed strongly for his retention. New sporting director Tony D'Amico has spent days finalising the remaining terms following a face-to-face meeting last week, with the gap between the club's offer and the player's demands now minimal. A deal is expected to be completed by the weekend. Pellegrini's renewal represents a significant moment in Roma's planning. The captain began his journey at the club in the youth academy in 2005, making this contract signature a historic one for the giallorossi. His deal is the final outstanding negotiation among three players whose contracts expired on 30 June: Paulo Dybala and Zeki Çelik have already agreed terms with the club, pending only official announcements. Head coach Gasperini's specific requests for player confirmations will form the foundation of Roma's transfer strategy as the club awaits the arrival of new signings.

Roma have made initial contact with Chelsea over Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, but a transfer remains complicated by the Blues' insistence on a permanent sale. Chelsea will not entertain a straight loan or loan with option to buy; the club is determined to secure a full fee from the 22-year-old's departure. Roma have valued Garnacho at approximately €40 million, with 10% of any transfer fee due to Manchester United under their original deal. Further talks between Roma and Chelsea are expected after the weekend. The pursuit reflects Roma's wider recruitment activity, though Garnacho has also attracted interest from Napoli and Como. Garnacho, a 2004-born player, spent time on holiday in the Italian capital and has expressed admiration for Roma's Paulo Dybala, adding a personal dimension to the club's interest.

Roma are working to finalize contract renewals with key players before the start of pre-season training on 13 July, with the club aiming to have all agreements settled by Monday to ensure squad stability. Zeki Çelik is close to completing a three-year extension worth approximately 3 million per season under the Growth Decree, though he will miss the opening days of pre-season due to international commitments. Paulo Dybala has also agreed to fresh terms, expected to arrive in Rome within the next day or two to sign a new one-year deal with an option for a second season, extending his fifth year at the club. Lorenzo Pellegrini's situation remains the most complicated. Despite mutual willingness from both the player and the club to continue their partnership, agreement on contract length and wages has not yet been reached. The club is pushing to accelerate negotiations and find common ground in the coming days, with the priority of ensuring Pellegrini arrives at the Monday training camp with his contractual position settled and the wider environment operating without uncertainty.

Paulo Dybala's 2025–26 campaign at AS Roma was defined by injury, uncertainty, and an unlikely climax. The Argentine winger suffered a left hamstring tear on 16 March 2025, requiring surgery in spring, and remained unavailable under Claudio Ranieri. Under new head coach Gian Piero Gasperini—who had managed Dybala at Palermo—he returned quickly. After appearing in the first three matches, Dybala went down again on 21 September, then returned for Roma's October fixture against Fiorentina, which left the champions at the top of the table. He marked a personal milestone with his 200th career goal in a home defeat to Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League, but suffered a setback when he missed a penalty in Roma's 1–0 loss to Milan on an early November visit to the San Siro. A more severe blow came on 25 January during the return clash with Milan; what appeared a minor injury became a long ordeal, leading to a second surgery on 6 March and minimal hope of playing before the season ended. Renewal talks stalled as Roma's form collapsed, falling out of the cups and away from Champions League contention by April. Public discontent mounted among supporters, some turning on the player himself. Yet Roma won six of their final seven league matches. Dybala returned for the last four games and, partnered with Donyell Malen, shouldered the attack. With victory at Parma, he signalled his willingness to renew. A 2-0 Champions League qualification confirmed, and on the final day against Verona, he provided an assist for Malen—his contract now expired and renewal imminent.