Roma target Sporting's Fresneda for right-back role as Çelik departs

Roma are actively searching for a replacement on the right flank following Zeki Çelik's departure to Juventus on a free transfer. The leading target is Ivan Fresneda, the Spanish defender born in 2004 at Sporting CP. Director of sport D'Amico has identified Fresneda as a priority and is currently assessing the feasibility and costs of a deal. Sporting have set an initial valuation of €25 million, and while Roma are considering their options, the club may attempt a move in the coming days. Gasperini is pushing to accelerate business in the transfer market ahead of the pre-season training camp in Wales. The coach has flagged that the current squad lacks depth across multiple positions and cannot rely solely on recent signing Castro to address all the gaps. Roma's recruitment team is working across multiple departments to strengthen the squad ahead of the new season.

Roma have completed the Santiago Castro signing for €35M including add-ons and will resume their search for a fast attacker, but Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford remain unrealistic targets. Both players earn around €11M gross annually, significantly more than Roma's top earners—a wage gap that also prevented Mason Greenwood from moving to the Italian capital. Artem Dovbyk is departing on loan to Bologna with a €17M option to buy, where he will work with coach Giovanni Tedesco to revive his career. Antonio Nusa currently leads Roma's shortlist as an alternative, though RB Leipzig are in advanced talks to sell Yan Diomande to Real Madrid, which could complicate the pursuit. Rashford's name emerged during discussions with Manchester United over Manu Koné, but the club have not aggressively pursued the Frenchman despite his impressive Barcelona loan spell—14 goals and 14 assists in 49 appearances. Roma's investment in a centre-forward after a summer spent hunting for a winger appears strategic; Castro and Donyell Malen can both operate as mobile forwards. Matías Soulé remains at the club, and Roma may yet explore another attacking addition depending on tactical requirements.

Matías Soulé has been proposed to AC Milan through intermediaries as Roma explore summer departures on the attacking midfield front. The Argentine playmaker, born in 2003, has long been viewed as expendable at Trigoria amid the club's reshaping of the offensive department. The offer, revealed by journalist Matteo Moretto, emerges at a crucial stage of the transfer window as the Giallorossi seek to generate funds and unlock incoming signings demanded by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Soulé's precarious position at Roma reflects the club's broader strategy to trim the squad and raise revenue. The 2003-born midfielder represents a profile of flair and potential that could appeal to Milan's hierarchy, offering attacking dynamism and creative vision on the right flank. His departure would create room for Gasperini's preferred recruits while allowing Roma to balance their finances during what shapes as an active summer window. The proposal underscores the interconnected nature of the Italian transfer market's upper tier, with multiple agents and clubs evaluating options across Serie A's top sides.

Roma are actively searching for a replacement on the right flank following Zeki Çelik's departure to Juventus on a free transfer. The leading target is Ivan Fresneda, the Spanish defender born in 2004 at Sporting CP. Director of sport D'Amico has identified Fresneda as a priority and is currently assessing the feasibility and costs of a deal. Sporting have set an initial valuation of €25 million, and while Roma are considering their options, the club may attempt a move in the coming days. Gasperini is pushing to accelerate business in the transfer market ahead of the pre-season training camp in Wales. The coach has flagged that the current squad lacks depth across multiple positions and cannot rely solely on recent signing Castro to address all the gaps. Roma's recruitment team is working across multiple departments to strengthen the squad ahead of the new season.

Roma are overhauling their full-back options as head coach Gasperini reshapes the squad. Salah-Eddine is poised to leave, with PSV Eindhoven positioned to conclude a deal following his loan spell there last season, though the defender had preferred a Premier League move. Angeliño, the Spanish left-back, has not convinced Gasperini during pre-season and Roma are looking to sell him; Deportivo la Coruña have shown interest but no formal approach has arrived. On the right flank, Roma are targeting Sporting Lisbon's Fresneda at a cost of around €15 million, with the club working to reduce that valuation. Diego Moreira remains the dream signing for the left wing but Strasbourg's high demands are complicating that pursuit. Wesley remains the established starter with Devyne Rensch as cover, though Gasperini wants additional depth across the flank positions. Zeki Çelik, previously in that role, is no longer part of the plans. Roma are also monitoring Cacciamani of Torino, who has returned from his loan at Juve Stabia, though Belghali is also under consideration despite fitness concerns.

Roma are stepping up efforts to sign Ivan Fresneda, the right-back from Sporting Lisbon, following Zeki Çelik's departure to Juventus on a free transfer. Director of Football Tony D'Amico is hunting for a quality replacement on the right flank after the 21-year-old Spaniard emerged as a priority target. Fresneda, a Spain Under-21 international, fits the technical and athletic demands head coach Gian Piero Gasperini requires. He operates as a modern full-back capable of driving the length of the wing, strong in one-on-one dribbling, and defensively reliable. Last season he made 10 Champions League appearances and has been a regular in European competition since 2023, bringing significant experience despite his age. Sporting Lisbon value the player between €15 million and €18 million. Roma's negotiations are ongoing as the club seeks to lower the Portuguese side's asking price and reach an agreement on the financial terms of the deal.