Soulé left out of Argentina's World Cup squad by Scaloni

Marash Kumbulla has left AS Roma on loan to Spanish club Rayo Vallecano, with the agreement structured as a loan with a right of redemption. The Albanian centre-back departs after collecting 68 appearances in the giallorossi shirt, during which he scored 4 goals and was part of the squad that won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022. Kumbulla's exit continues a pattern of movement for the defender, who has now departed Roma on loan. The club issued an official statement confirming the arrangement and wished him well for the future.

Marash Kumbulla has left Roma on loan with a buy option to join Rayo Vallecano, marking his third spell in Spanish football after previous stints at Mallorca and Espanyol. The central defender will compete in La Liga, a division he knows well from his earlier experiences in the country. Kumbulla expressed his enthusiasm upon joining the Madrid club. "I am happy and excited to wear the Rayo shirt and begin this new adventure," he said. "It is a club with one of the most historic names in La Liga, a competition I now know very well thanks to my past experiences. The team demonstrated last year how, through hard work, important objectives can be achieved. I want to thank the president and coach for their confidence, and I cannot wait to start." The loan deal includes a clause allowing Rayo Vallecano to make the transfer permanent at a future date.

Marash Kumbulla has joined Rayo Vallecano on loan with a right of redemption, completing a move away from AS Roma. The defender, who spent last season on loan at Mallorca, returns to Spain after being deemed surplus to requirements under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Kumbulla did not feature in Roma's pre-season preparations in Wales and his path to the first team was further diminished following the arrival of Koulierakis. During his time at Roma, Kumbulla made 68 appearances in the giallorossi shirt, scoring 4 goals and playing a part in the club's UEFA Europa Conference League victory in 2022. The former Verona defender has now departed alongside Angeliño as Gasperini reshapes his defensive options. The Spain-based move reunites Kumbulla with a league he knows well from previous experience. Kumbulla said in a statement: "I am happy and enthusiastic to wear the Rayo shirt and begin this new adventure. It is a team that last year showed how, through hard work, important goals can be reached. Moreover, we are talking about one of the most historic clubs in La Liga, a league that I now know very well thanks to past experiences. I want to thank the president and coach for their confidence. I can't wait to get started."

Roma will face Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August 2026 at 16:00 Italian time. The match comes after Roma's training camp in Wales and friendlies against Cardiff and Newport County. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to field a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, midfielders Devyne Rensch, Neil El Aynaoui, Bryan Cristante, and Wesley, with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attacking roles behind striker Donyell Malen. Tickets for the fixture are available through Brighton's official website. The friendly will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text coverage available on ilromanista.eu and radio commentary from Radio Romanista providing real-time updates from the stadium.

Roma are continuing their pre-season preparations in the United Kingdom with a focus on getting Donyell Malen back to his best. The Dutch winger arrived at camp below match fitness after playing through the final five months of last season without rest, accumulating fatigue from both club and international commitments. He was reduced to 25 minutes in the Cardiff friendly and missed the Newport match due to fever. Head coach Gasperini has implemented a tailored recovery programme: Malen trained separately on Wednesday following a one-to-one consultation with the coach, completing ball work, shooting drills, and extensive running to close the fitness gap with his teammates ahead of the league opener on 24 August. El Aynaoui, also returning from international duty, is following a modified training schedule, while Evan N'Dicka, who did not feature in Copa America matches, requires no such adjustment. Loyal captain Lorenzo Pellegrini will rejoin the squad soon after missing pre-season through injury and rejecting offers from Juventus and Besiktas. He has agreed to accept a one-year contract at a reduced salary—dropping from €6 million to €2.5 million annually—in the hope of negotiating a two-year extension next summer. His initial demand for a three-year deal shifted to this more flexible arrangement, positioning Roma's rebuild around his leadership. On the transfer front, Molina is en route to the club, whilst the pursuit of Nusa remains on hold despite his public denial of requesting a move from Leipzig. Fofana of Lyon stands as an alternative. Right-back targets include Endrick of Real Madrid. Roma conclude their Welsh camp tomorrow before heading to Brighton for a friendly at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

Jan Ziółkowski has opened up about his development at Roma during the club's summer training camp in Wales, highlighting the influence of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and Polish football legend Zibi Boniek in his growth. Speaking to SiamolaRoma.it, the defender reflected on a difficult early moment when he was substituted after 30 minutes on his starting debut against Viktoria Plzen in late October, calling it a valuable lesson: "Chiaramente è stata una sensazione molto brutta. Era il mio esordio e forse stavo cercando di strafare. Il mister cerca sempre di fare il meglio per la squadra e di vincere le partite e ha deciso di sostituirmi. Ma io l'ho accettato e l'ho messo alle spalle." Ziółkowski credited experienced defenders Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini and Evan N'Dicka with helping him settle and improve. He also praised goalkeeper Mile Svilar's reliability: "È una bella sensazione. È rassicurante sapere di avere alle spalle uno come Mile. Per me è un portiere di classe mondiale e rende anche il mio compito più facile." On Roma's return to the Champions League this season, Ziółkowski expressed excitement: "Sarà un'emozione unica giocare la competizione migliore al mondo, dove dovremo fare del nostro meglio. Ce la siamo conquistata meritatamente la scorsa stagione." He also discussed his ongoing communication with Boniek, saying the veteran "mi dice sempre di essere me stesso" and offers honest feedback when required.

Roma will face Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August 2026 at 16:00 Italian time. The match comes after Roma's training camp in Wales and friendlies against Cardiff and Newport County. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to field a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, midfielders Devyne Rensch, Neil El Aynaoui, Bryan Cristante, and Wesley, with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attacking roles behind striker Donyell Malen. Tickets for the fixture are available through Brighton's official website. The friendly will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text coverage available on ilromanista.eu and radio commentary from Radio Romanista providing real-time updates from the stadium.

Roma radio pundits offered contrasting assessments of the club's transfer approach and squad strength ahead of the new season. Roberto Pruzzo said: "In these summer friendlies the same squad as last year has been on show. If a player capable of shifting the balance and adding quality doesn't really arrive, then it remains a repetitive squad. Roma has several certainties but the creativity is what it is. To try to raise the level of the attacking department you need that type of player who reshuffles the cards." Alexandro Vocalelli rated Neil El Aynaoui as useful but noted a significant gap between him and Manu Koné, calling Koné arguably Roma's most irreplaceable player. Ugo Trani dismissed Rafa Leão as impractical, citing salary demands and consistency concerns, and suggested that Arsenal's pursuit of Nusa made a move unlikely, though the Leipzig forward would not object to joining Roma. Trani also mentioned that Gasperini had made a personal commitment to a broadcast without a formal Sky contract agreement, and that an interview could take place in the coming days. Stefano Agresti suggested Gasperini might not be greatly troubled by Koné's departure if El Aynaoui develops further. Francesco Balzani reported that a market summit with Friedkin had been planned but lacked positive outcome, while Francesco Balzani and Antonio Felici highlighted the difficulty of securing attacking reinforcements on Roma's budget constraints.

Neil El Aynaoui has dismissed interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona to focus entirely on Roma and the new season ahead. Speaking on Radio Radio, the Morocco international reflected on his first year in Italian football as a foundation for growth. "It was the first time I was leaving France and facing a new championship. This experience has made me grow and today I feel I have much more experience," he said. El Aynaoui praised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's demanding methods and clear vision. "He is a very demanding coach and knows exactly what he wants. We work hard and I think that, thanks to him, we are making great progress," he explained. The 22-year-old also reflected on his Serie A debut against Bologna, where the atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico left a strong impression: "The first match against Bologna was special. It was the first time I really saw the stadium full: the atmosphere impressed me." Looking ahead to Roma's Champions League campaign, El Aynaoui expressed his eagerness to compete at European football's highest level. "When I arrived, everyone told me the objective was to qualify for the Champions League. Today I am very happy to be able to play it. It is a dream for every footballer and I cannot wait to start," he said. Roma face Fiorentina in their next fixture.

Roma will face Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August 2026 at 16:00 Italian time. The match comes after Roma's training camp in Wales and friendlies against Cardiff and Newport County. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to field a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, midfielders Devyne Rensch, Neil El Aynaoui, Bryan Cristante, and Wesley, with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attacking roles behind striker Donyell Malen. Tickets for the fixture are available through Brighton's official website. The friendly will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text coverage available on ilromanista.eu and radio commentary from Radio Romanista providing real-time updates from the stadium.

Roma are poised to complete the signing of Nahuel Molina from Atlético Madrid as their third summer acquisition, following Castro and Koulierakis. The Argentine right-back's arrival will close the gap left by Zeki Çelik's departure to Juventus and pair him with Wesley on the left flank as Gasperini builds an attacking wide setup centred on dribbling and goalscoring from the wings. Molina represents a significant offensive upgrade on Çelik. The 2022 World Cup winner produced 9 goals and 16 assists across his final four La Liga seasons and posted a 55.6% successful dribbling rate and 41.7% long-ball completion rate in his last campaign. This contrasts sharply with Çelik's output of 1 goal, 2 assists and 0.4 crosses per 90 minutes, along with a 22% dribbling success rate last season. Wesley, meanwhile, has established himself as the undisputed left-back, contributing 5 goals and 0 assists (though expected assists data reads 3.73) with numerous driblings and won duels. Devyne Rensch currently serves as the only backup option across both flanks. Gasperini is pursuing additional depth—reportedly Torino's Cacciamani, a 2007-born prospect and one of Italian football's most promising young talents, or another external alternative. Torino president Cairo has expressed reluctance to sell Cacciamani, but the right financial offer could persuade him, particularly given Cacciamani's prior experience under Abate at Juve Stabia in Serie B.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has agreed a contract extension with Roma, with an annual renewal expected to be signed in the coming days. The midfielder rejected overtures from Juventus and Galatasaray in recent weeks, choosing to remain a giallorosso. Roma unveiled its away kit for the 2026–27 season this morning, featuring a warm white base crossed by a yellow and red band across the chest. The historic club crest, last widely used in 1946–47, is positioned at the centre of the band, with the adidas Trefoil logo in red above it. The reverse of the collar bears the inscription "Roma chiamò" ("Rome called"), a tribute to the Campo Testaccio anthem and the club's bond with supporters. ROM continues to reshape its left flank following Angeliño's departure. The club is pursuing Alessio Cacciamani from Torino as a left-winger to develop behind Wesley. Torino have raised their asking price to approximately €20 million across fixed fee and bonuses; Roma has offered €12–13 million and awaits movement from the Italian club. Separately, Antonio Nusa has forcefully dismissed market speculation linking him elsewhere, reaffirming his commitment to RB Leipzig: "I never asked to leave Leipzig. There are always rumours, they can write what they want. I was on holiday, now I'm here at Leipzig."