Roma target Obrador after his return to Benfica

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.

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 will spend the second phase of their pre-season at the WRU National Centre of Excellence in Hensol, Wales, roughly 20 kilometres from Cardiff. The squad arrives tomorrow at 18:35 (local time) and will train there until 7 August at the facility, which opened in 1992 and underwent a €4 million upgrade in 2009. The centre is the country's most important sports complex, featuring seven football and rugby pitches plus two 18-hole golf courses, set within extensive grounds. Players will stay at Vale Resort, a 4-star hotel with 143 bedrooms offering table tennis, spa, pools and a gym. The historic Hensol Castle nearby houses weddings and one of the country's oldest distilleries with gin and rum schools. This is Roma's third consecutive pre-season trip to the United Kingdom. Three friendly matches are scheduled: Cardiff (1 August) and Newport (4 August) in Wales, then Brighton (8 August) in England. Training resumes the day after the Cardiff match with recovery work in the gym followed by field sessions. Double sessions run Monday and Thursday; the squad will also train on the morning of the Newport fixture. The squad departs for Brighton on 7 August afternoon. New arrival Castro, who has chosen the number 9 shirt, will be present; fellow new signing Koulierakis, a Greek defender, is expected to arrive tomorrow for medical tests and contract signing. Angeliño and Salah-Eddine will not attend: the Spaniard completes his final training today before moving to Deportivo la Coruña, while the Moroccan heads to Olympiacos.

Roma have completed the signing of Konstantinos Koulierakis from Wolfsburg on a deal worth €15M plus add-ons. The Greek centre-back, who joined Wolfsburg from PAOK in 2024, has made 66 appearances for the German club, recording 4 goals and 3 assists. He has earned 22 caps for Greece and arrives to provide competition for Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in Roma's defensive ranks. The club have moved swiftly to bolster their backline and are now pursuing Givairo Read of Feyenoord as a primary target on the right flank, with Ivan Fresneda listed as an alternative. Roma are prepared to table a €25M offer for Read, who has scored 5 goals and provided 11 assists in 54 appearances for Feyenoord. Nottingham Forest have already submitted two proposals for the Dutchman, both of which were rejected by the Dutch club. Read has also attracted interest from Inter throughout the summer window. In squad movements, Angeliño is departing on loan to Deportivo La Coruna with a €2.5M option to buy. Centre-back recruitment was not considered a pressing need, though Roma continue to assess their options including Jan Ziółkowski and Daniele Ghilardi. The club remain active in pursuit of wing talent but have faced competition from rival suitors in the market.

Roma have a long history of recruiting Greek players, particularly in defence. The first was Lampros Choutos, an attacker from Roma's youth academy between 1995 and 2000 with only 4 appearances, followed by defender Traianos Dellas (2002–2005, 67 presences, 4 goals, 3 assists). Dimitrios Eleutheropoulos served as third-choice goalkeeper in 2005–06 without playing. Between 2012 and 2019, four Greek players represented Roma: the standout centre-back Kostas Manolas (206 presences between 2014 and 2019, 8 goals, 6 assists), plus full-backs Vasilis Torosidis (77 appearances with 7 goals and 5 assists from 2013 to 2016) and José Cholevas (34 presences with 1 goal and 1 assist in 2014–15), alongside midfielder Panagiotis Tachtsidis (23 appearances with 1 goal and 2 assists in 2012–13). Torosidis publicly backed the signing of Koulierakis. More recently, centre-back Dimitrios Keramitsis (born 2004), a cornerstone of Roma's youth setup, earned only one first-team appearance between 2022 and 2024. Full-back Kostas Tsimikas featured 25 times with 1 assist in the last disappointing campaign before returning to Liverpool.

Kostas Tsimikas has been named Liverpool captain for the first time, a striking turnaround after his disappointing spell at AS Roma. The left-back arrived in Rome last summer to bring experience from his years at Liverpool, but failed to establish himself on the flank despite Angeliño's absence. His time at the Stadio Olimpico was marked by poor performances, including a memorable poor free-kick attempt against Como and being substituted for Bryan Zaragoza. Roma supporters view the development with bitter irony—what promised to be a valuable acquisition under Gasperini became a complete failure. Tsimikas has now returned to Liverpool, where he has been warmly received by the club's supporters. Manager Arne Slot, who took over from predecessor Jurgen Slot, has confirmed the Greek defender in the squad for next season and appears committed to building around him. The contrast between Tsimikas's struggles in Serie A and his embrace at Anfield illustrates how drastically circumstances can differ for the same player at different clubs. His captaincy represents a significant show of faith from Liverpool's new management.

Roma played a pre-season friendly against Cannes, with Paulo Dybala scoring twice and assisting Donyell Malen in the first half to put the Giallorossi 3–0 ahead. Wesley was sent off in the 45th minute for a second yellow card, leaving Roma with ten men for the second half. Cannes staged a comeback with a brace from Lopez and a penalty goal from Oggad, which was caused by Artem Dovbyk. Dybala's strong display underscores his recent contract renewal and his commitment to Roma; his left foot proved decisive throughout the match. Malen responded well to a poor start to pre-season, finishing the chance created by Dybala without hesitation. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini used the fixture to give younger squad members valuable minutes. Gianluca Mancini, another recent renewal, required medical attention after falling in the 30th minute but returned without issue. Kostas Tsimikas (listed as Ndicka in the ratings) maintained his defensive positioning effectively. The squad will depart for Wales next as part of their pre-season schedule ahead of the competitive campaign. The match provided encouraging signs in terms of Dybala's form and Malen's return to previous standard, though defensive vulnerabilities against a second-half onslaught highlight areas for tactical refinement.