Soulé, Dybala and Castro: Roma's Argentine trio in Wales, but Matías' future remains uncertain

Donyell Malen has settled quickly at Roma and dreams of celebrating a Serie A title at the Circo Massimo, recalling footage of the club's 2001 Scudetto celebrations there. The Dutch forward credits head coach Gasperini with giving him clear direction and confidence. "The trust he has placed in me, the clarity with which he expresses himself," Malen said. "It's hard not to understand what he asks. He knows my qualities and puts me in the best conditions to finish the team's work." Malen reflected on his journey through the Netherlands, Germany, England, and now Italy, noting that Roma's path to Champions League qualification after seven years was more significant than individual goal tallies. He acknowledged Gasperini's recent suggestion that he and Santiago Castro may rarely start together, accepting the coach's tactical decisions. On Paulo Dybala, he said simply: "A magician." Malen spoke warmly of his wife Delisha, whom he has known since adolescence, and their recent addition—daughter Shiloh, now six months old, joining three older sons. His mother, who worked night shifts as a taxi driver to support the family during the day, earned particular gratitude. Growing up in a rural area with farms and animals, Malen earned the childhood nickname "the farmer with clogs" after copying his grandfather's footwear.

Roma are closing in on a deal for Feyenoord winger Read but have not yet reached agreement with the Dutch club. Head coach Gasperini is awaiting his third summer signing and has requested four additional reinforcements beyond that. Sporting director D'Amico is working to meet those demands, with Read identified as a concrete target. The player has already committed to the Roma project, but Feyenoord remain a significant obstacle. The club are standing firm on a €30 million valuation, while Roma have tabled an offer of €28 million. Negotiations continue over performance bonuses and a resale percentage, leaving a gap to be bridged between the two clubs. Read's willingness to join is not in question; the impasse is purely between Roma and Feyenoord over financial terms. Gasperini must wait for further progress as talks proceed on the outstanding issues.

Roma have reignited their interest in Torino winger Cacciamani, a 2007-born player tracked closely at Trigoria. The club's first approach, an offer of €7 million, was rejected by Torino owner Cairo, who values the player at approximately €15 million and initially resisted any sale. However, the pursuit has heated up in recent days, with sporting director D'Amico preparing to make a fresh bid. The coming hours could prove decisive. Gasperini remains short of squad depth on both flanks — he is still seeking a left-sided winger, a right-back starter and a left-back option. So far this summer, D'Amico has completed only two signings: Castro and Koulierakis, which the club believes is insufficient to complete the roster. Cacciamani represents one of several targets being tracked, though Read is also among Roma's priorities. The continued lack of concrete progress has prompted the club to accelerate their efforts. With Gasperini awaiting reinforcements, D'Amico is stepping up activity in the transfer market. The prospect of further bids for Cacciamani reflects Roma's determination to strengthen their attacking and defensive options before the window closes.

Donyell Malen has settled quickly at Roma and dreams of celebrating a Serie A title at the Circo Massimo, recalling footage of the club's 2001 Scudetto celebrations there. The Dutch forward credits head coach Gasperini with giving him clear direction and confidence. "The trust he has placed in me, the clarity with which he expresses himself," Malen said. "It's hard not to understand what he asks. He knows my qualities and puts me in the best conditions to finish the team's work." Malen reflected on his journey through the Netherlands, Germany, England, and now Italy, noting that Roma's path to Champions League qualification after seven years was more significant than individual goal tallies. He acknowledged Gasperini's recent suggestion that he and Santiago Castro may rarely start together, accepting the coach's tactical decisions. On Paulo Dybala, he said simply: "A magician." Malen spoke warmly of his wife Delisha, whom he has known since adolescence, and their recent addition—daughter Shiloh, now six months old, joining three older sons. His mother, who worked night shifts as a taxi driver to support the family during the day, earned particular gratitude. Growing up in a rural area with farms and animals, Malen earned the childhood nickname "the farmer with clogs" after copying his grandfather's footwear.

Devyne Rensch has spoken of his emotional arrival at Roma, telling Romanews.eu from the club's Cardiff training camp: "It is a feeling difficult to explain. These are sensations you don't experience often but only in very special moments. When I signed for Roma it was a special moment for me and so the emotions came out. My mother was crying too and that is one of the reasons why that moment was so special." Midfielder Muhammed Bah suffered a serious setback during the same training spell, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee after 26 minutes of the friendly against Cardiff City. The 2007-born player will undergo surgery in Switzerland with Dr Georg Ahlbäumer, with recovery estimated at approximately nine months. Bah had suffered the same injury once before in 2024. Elsewhere, Roma are accelerating their pursuit of right-back Givairo Read from Feyenoord as their primary target for the flank. The club has tabled an offer of €25 million and an agreement in principle has been reached with the player; further contact with Feyenoord is expected in the coming days to advance the deal. Winger Wesley withdrew from training after just ten minutes but Roma's medical staff reported no serious alarm, describing it as a minor issue to manage in the coming days. His early exit had been pre-arranged with the coaching team. Paulo Dybala was singled out as one of the few Roma players performing well in the Cardiff friendly loss.

Roma face Newport County in their second pre-season friendly in Wales on 4 August at 20:00 at the Rodney Parade. The match follows an earlier fixture against Cardiff City during the summer preparation period under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Gasperini is expected to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mile Svilar in goal; Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Koulierakis across the back; Devyne Rensch and Wesley as wing-backs; Neil El Aynaoui and Bryan Cristante in midfield; Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in the attacking midfield line; and Donyell Malen leading the attack. Tickets are available through Newport County's official website. The friendly will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text coverage available on ilromanista.eu.

Lorenzo Pellegrini remains unsigned but appears increasingly likely to remain at Roma after breakthrough progress in contract renewal negotiations. The midfielder has been without a club since 30 June and is awaiting final approval from ownership to complete the deal. An agreement in principle has been reached, but the Friedkin Group's definitive sign-off is still needed to finalise terms. Pellegrini, Roma's number 7, is training independently while the squad conducts its preseason camp in Wales. He is eager to rejoin the group at the earliest opportunity. In a telling sign of his commitment, his athletic trainer Dario Maggesi posted a social media image showing Pellegrini working out in Roma's yellow-and-red training shorts—a detail that underscores his desire to stay with the club. The renewal represents the final piece of Roma's summer business after retaining Paulo Dybala, who elected to extend his stay, while midfielder Zeki Çelik departed for Juventus.

Niccolò Pisilli has dismissed speculation about leaving AS Roma, stating he has never considered a move away from the club. Speaking in an exclusive interview from Roma's pre-season camp in Wales, the 21-year-old midfielder said: "Que yo sepa questa estate non è arrivato nulla. Non ho mai avuto in testa altre cose che non siano la Roma. Non ho mai avuto questo pensiero" — meaning he has had no thoughts of leaving despite transfer rumours in January and during the current window. Pisilli, currently sidelined by injury and awaiting further scans ahead of an expected return next week, reflected on last season as formative. He played sparingly early in the campaign before earning more minutes, and is targeting a breakthrough year. "My objective, as I've always said, is to work and improve myself every day," he explained. "I'm 21 years old and have my whole career ahead, so this is the moment to work, improve, and learn as much as possible to become a more complete and mature player." On Lorenzo Pellegrini's contract situation, Pisilli expressed hope the captain renews with Roma. "Lorenzo is a very strong player, we all know that. We hope he renews and we're waiting for him with open arms," he said. Pisilli also stressed the responsibility of wearing the Roma shirt, saying the 70,000 fans at the Olimpico demand the same commitment from every player regardless of background.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has been a free agent for 33 days and missed the second part of Gian Piero Gasperini's pre-season retreat, with no contract signature yet in place. An agreement has been reached in principle for a two-year deal with an option for a third year at 2.5 million euros annually, but final ratification requires approval from the Friedkin Group, which has not yet arrived. The ownership wanted to grant Pellegrini another season on similar terms to Paulo Dybala, but the Roma captain's demands differed from the initial offer. The Friedkin Group's hold-up centres on the contract structure rather than willingness to keep him. Pellegrini is currently training alone after a recurrence of a right rectus femoris tendon injury, which prompted a check-up visit in Finland. He is ready to rejoin the main squad and hopes to do so upon Roma's return from Wales. Head coach Gasperini is also waiting for the deal to be finalised. Juventus and Besiktas had previously courted Pellegrini, but Roma remain his likely destination once the Friedkin Group gives the green light.

Roma continued their pre-season retreat in Wales on 3 August with an intensive day of preparation under Gasperini ahead of their opening Serie A fixture against Fiorentina. Wesley did not train and will miss the friendly against Newport on 4 August, Roma's second warm-up match following their defeat to Cardiff. The squad faced a demanding schedule: breakfast at 9.00, training at 10.30 focusing on running, drills and pitch work, lunch at 13.00, a three-hour break granted by Gasperini, then a light snack at 16.15 before departure. The team bus left Vale Resort at 17.10 for the Rodney Parade, with kick-off set for 20.00 Italian time (19.00 local). The return journey was scheduled for 21.35, followed by dinner. Gasperini continues to push the squad hard during the Welsh camp, where cooler temperatures and better conditions than Rome allow for focused work. After the Cardiff loss, Roma are seeking a response and a confidence-building performance. Newport represents the next test as the Giallorossi build towards the competitive season.

Devyne Rensch has spoken of his emotional arrival at Roma, telling Romanews.eu from the club's Cardiff training camp: "It is a feeling difficult to explain. These are sensations you don't experience often but only in very special moments. When I signed for Roma it was a special moment for me and so the emotions came out. My mother was crying too and that is one of the reasons why that moment was so special." Midfielder Muhammed Bah suffered a serious setback during the same training spell, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee after 26 minutes of the friendly against Cardiff City. The 2007-born player will undergo surgery in Switzerland with Dr Georg Ahlbäumer, with recovery estimated at approximately nine months. Bah had suffered the same injury once before in 2024. Elsewhere, Roma are accelerating their pursuit of right-back Givairo Read from Feyenoord as their primary target for the flank. The club has tabled an offer of €25 million and an agreement in principle has been reached with the player; further contact with Feyenoord is expected in the coming days to advance the deal. Winger Wesley withdrew from training after just ten minutes but Roma's medical staff reported no serious alarm, describing it as a minor issue to manage in the coming days. His early exit had been pre-arranged with the coaching team. Paulo Dybala was singled out as one of the few Roma players performing well in the Cardiff friendly loss.

Roma face Newport County in their second pre-season friendly in Wales on 4 August at 20:00 at the Rodney Parade. The match follows an earlier fixture against Cardiff City during the summer preparation period under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Gasperini is expected to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mile Svilar in goal; Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Koulierakis across the back; Devyne Rensch and Wesley as wing-backs; Neil El Aynaoui and Bryan Cristante in midfield; Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in the attacking midfield line; and Donyell Malen leading the attack. Tickets are available through Newport County's official website. The friendly will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text coverage available on ilromanista.eu.