Summer closes with Castro and Mora as key arrivals; Çelik and El Shaarawy depart

Roma's summer transfer window closed at 20:00 on 1 September after one of the longest and most active market periods in recent years. Sporting director Tony D'Amico oversaw a substantial squad rebuild across every department to meet the demands of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The club secured permanent deals for Donyell Malen and Daniele Ghilardi, and brought in Santiago Castro, Nahuel Molina, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Rodrigo Mora, Leonardo Balerdi and Marten de Roon. The signings added experience, physicality and talent to the squad, though the hunt for an attacking winger remained unresolved until the final hours. Roma's overhaul was equally significant in departures. Artem Dovbyk, Zeki Çelik, Angeliño, Neil El Aynaoui, Robinio Vaz, Matteo Baldanzi and Jan Ziółkowski left the club, alongside several young players and others outside Gasperini's plans. D'Amico remained active on business until the closing deadline, orchestrating a comprehensive transformation of the playing squad. The question now centres on whether Roma emerged strengthened from the window and whether Gasperini received a group capable of meeting his tactical requirements. The club invited supporters to vote in a survey assessing their satisfaction with the summer's work across incomings and outgoings combined.

Roma's summer transfer window has shut with a sense of missed opportunity, despite significant investment and a refusal by ownership to sell any key players. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has gone without the attacking winger he identified as his primary objective from the moment of his arrival—a player capable of operating from the left, beating opponents one-on-one, attacking space and destabilising defences. That position remains vacant after two transfer windows and an entire summer of pursuit, leaving the club's offensive department with an evident structural limitation. Despite clear improvement across the squad, the absence feels particularly acute because it was never a last-minute target or a late opportunity. Gasperini made the request for a left-sided winger his top technical priority. Financial constraints imposed by UEFA's settlement agreement complicated the sporting director Tony D'Amico's work, often forcing Roma to pursue unconventional formulas and abandon deals when demands proved unsustainable. Ownership did maintain the core: Mile Svilar, Evan N'Dicka, Wesley, Donyell Malen and other central project players remained. The squad's overall quality has grown—new players arrived, alternatives were added, and experience, physicality and talent were introduced. Rodrigo Mora, in particular, appears to be a shrewd acquisition: he possesses technique, imagination and the capacity to ignite a match with invention. Yet Mora is a trequartista, a creative force, not the external winger profile Gasperini sought. A true winger was needed—a player of pace and power, quick and capable of dribbling and attacking depth; someone to alternate with Mora rather than perform the same functions as the Portuguese midfielder. Roma faces a long season across the league, Champions League and Coppa Italia. Proceeding without that solution leaves Gasperini with a clear constraint in building the attacking unit. Uncertainty remains elsewhere too: Paulo Dybala transforms the team's level when fit, yet expecting him to complete an entire season without physical problems would be unrealistic. Lorenzo Pellegrini has returned as a first alternative in the left attack zone but is not a pure attacking winger and has endured complicated months from a physical standpoint. A player with completely different characteristics would have been not merely useful but necessary. The position of vice-Wesley—a left-back offering an alternative solution on that flank—also went unfilled. Roma gives the sensation of being very close to achieving a genuine quality leap. Early season displays have already hinted at this: the squad is stronger, more solid, more physical and possesses greater quality than before. The Friedkins invested, D'Amico changed much and Gasperini has a squad capable of competing at a high level. But when only the final puzzle piece seemed to be missing, that piece never arrived. The overall quality of the squad has grown and the market cannot be dismissed as negative; yet the most obvious shortfall cannot be hidden. The winger Gasperini awaited has not arrived. After an entire summer pursuing him, Roma closes the market with the unavoidable sense that this team could be even better.

Roma's summer transfer window has closed with six new arrivals for Gian Piero Gasperini: Balerdi, Koulierakis, Molina, de Roon, Rodrigo Mora and Castro. The club also secured permanent deals for Ghilardi and Malen, and renewed contracts for Pellegrini and Dybala. However, Gasperini was unable to add a left-back or left winger, with moves for Cabal, Leweling and Gittens falling through on the final day of the market. Between 1 July and 1 September, Roma allowed 14 players to depart: Zelezny, Kumbulla, Ziolkowski, Angelino, Mannini, Reale, Sangare, Saud, El Aynaoui, Pagano, Romano, Cherubini, Dovbyk and Vaz. Celik and El Shaarawy departed at the end of their contracts, while Tsimikas and Ferguson's loans from last season concluded. The club retained key assets Soulé and Koné, avoiding any major sales.

Roma's summer transfer window closed at 20:00 on 1 September after one of the longest and most active market periods in recent years. Sporting director Tony D'Amico oversaw a substantial squad rebuild across every department to meet the demands of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The club secured permanent deals for Donyell Malen and Daniele Ghilardi, and brought in Santiago Castro, Nahuel Molina, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Rodrigo Mora, Leonardo Balerdi and Marten de Roon. The signings added experience, physicality and talent to the squad, though the hunt for an attacking winger remained unresolved until the final hours. Roma's overhaul was equally significant in departures. Artem Dovbyk, Zeki Çelik, Angeliño, Neil El Aynaoui, Robinio Vaz, Matteo Baldanzi and Jan Ziółkowski left the club, alongside several young players and others outside Gasperini's plans. D'Amico remained active on business until the closing deadline, orchestrating a comprehensive transformation of the playing squad. The question now centres on whether Roma emerged strengthened from the window and whether Gasperini received a group capable of meeting his tactical requirements. The club invited supporters to vote in a survey assessing their satisfaction with the summer's work across incomings and outgoings combined.

Roma's summer transfer window has closed with six new arrivals for Gian Piero Gasperini: Balerdi, Koulierakis, Molina, de Roon, Rodrigo Mora and Castro. The club also secured permanent deals for Ghilardi and Malen, and renewed contracts for Pellegrini and Dybala. However, Gasperini was unable to add a left-back or left winger, with moves for Cabal, Leweling and Gittens falling through on the final day of the market. Between 1 July and 1 September, Roma allowed 14 players to depart: Zelezny, Kumbulla, Ziolkowski, Angelino, Mannini, Reale, Sangare, Saud, El Aynaoui, Pagano, Romano, Cherubini, Dovbyk and Vaz. Celik and El Shaarawy departed at the end of their contracts, while Tsimikas and Ferguson's loans from last season concluded. The club retained key assets Soulé and Koné, avoiding any major sales.

Roma demolished Lecce 4–0 at the Via del Mare, delivering a display of tactical and physical dominance that underlined Gian Piero Gasperini's team's excellent current form. The national press unanimously celebrated the performance, with particular praise for Donyell Malen's increasingly devastating form and for squad players who seized their starting opportunities with compelling showings. Malen earned the highest individual rating across the papers surveyed, with marks of 8 to 8.5, while Daniele Ghilardi emerged as a surprise standout, consistently rated between 6.5 and 7.5 in a defensive line that held firm. Bryan Cristante impressed in midfield with ratings of 6.5 to 8, and Paulo Dybala registered 6.5 to 7 before being replaced late in the match. Gasperini himself received widespread commendation, rated between 7.5 and 8 by the publications. The team lined up in a 3-4-1-2 formation. Mile Svilar was steady in goal, Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso anchored the defence alongside Ghilardi, and Manu Koné controlled the midfield before his substitution on 67 minutes. Matías Soulé appeared in an attacking role and was replaced on 60 minutes, as was Wesley. Santiago Castro and Niccolò Pisilli entered from the bench, while Marten de Roon came on in the closing stages.

Roma's summer transfer window closed at 20:00 on 1 September after one of the longest and most active market periods in recent years. Sporting director Tony D'Amico oversaw a substantial squad rebuild across every department to meet the demands of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The club secured permanent deals for Donyell Malen and Daniele Ghilardi, and brought in Santiago Castro, Nahuel Molina, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Rodrigo Mora, Leonardo Balerdi and Marten de Roon. The signings added experience, physicality and talent to the squad, though the hunt for an attacking winger remained unresolved until the final hours. Roma's overhaul was equally significant in departures. Artem Dovbyk, Zeki Çelik, Angeliño, Neil El Aynaoui, Robinio Vaz, Matteo Baldanzi and Jan Ziółkowski left the club, alongside several young players and others outside Gasperini's plans. D'Amico remained active on business until the closing deadline, orchestrating a comprehensive transformation of the playing squad. The question now centres on whether Roma emerged strengthened from the window and whether Gasperini received a group capable of meeting his tactical requirements. The club invited supporters to vote in a survey assessing their satisfaction with the summer's work across incomings and outgoings combined.

Roma's summer transfer window has shut with a sense of missed opportunity, despite significant investment and a refusal by ownership to sell any key players. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has gone without the attacking winger he identified as his primary objective from the moment of his arrival—a player capable of operating from the left, beating opponents one-on-one, attacking space and destabilising defences. That position remains vacant after two transfer windows and an entire summer of pursuit, leaving the club's offensive department with an evident structural limitation. Despite clear improvement across the squad, the absence feels particularly acute because it was never a last-minute target or a late opportunity. Gasperini made the request for a left-sided winger his top technical priority. Financial constraints imposed by UEFA's settlement agreement complicated the sporting director Tony D'Amico's work, often forcing Roma to pursue unconventional formulas and abandon deals when demands proved unsustainable. Ownership did maintain the core: Mile Svilar, Evan N'Dicka, Wesley, Donyell Malen and other central project players remained. The squad's overall quality has grown—new players arrived, alternatives were added, and experience, physicality and talent were introduced. Rodrigo Mora, in particular, appears to be a shrewd acquisition: he possesses technique, imagination and the capacity to ignite a match with invention. Yet Mora is a trequartista, a creative force, not the external winger profile Gasperini sought. A true winger was needed—a player of pace and power, quick and capable of dribbling and attacking depth; someone to alternate with Mora rather than perform the same functions as the Portuguese midfielder. Roma faces a long season across the league, Champions League and Coppa Italia. Proceeding without that solution leaves Gasperini with a clear constraint in building the attacking unit. Uncertainty remains elsewhere too: Paulo Dybala transforms the team's level when fit, yet expecting him to complete an entire season without physical problems would be unrealistic. Lorenzo Pellegrini has returned as a first alternative in the left attack zone but is not a pure attacking winger and has endured complicated months from a physical standpoint. A player with completely different characteristics would have been not merely useful but necessary. The position of vice-Wesley—a left-back offering an alternative solution on that flank—also went unfilled. Roma gives the sensation of being very close to achieving a genuine quality leap. Early season displays have already hinted at this: the squad is stronger, more solid, more physical and possesses greater quality than before. The Friedkins invested, D'Amico changed much and Gasperini has a squad capable of competing at a high level. But when only the final puzzle piece seemed to be missing, that piece never arrived. The overall quality of the squad has grown and the market cannot be dismissed as negative; yet the most obvious shortfall cannot be hidden. The winger Gasperini awaited has not arrived. After an entire summer pursuing him, Roma closes the market with the unavoidable sense that this team could be even better.

Roma's summer transfer window has closed with six new arrivals for Gian Piero Gasperini: Balerdi, Koulierakis, Molina, de Roon, Rodrigo Mora and Castro. The club also secured permanent deals for Ghilardi and Malen, and renewed contracts for Pellegrini and Dybala. However, Gasperini was unable to add a left-back or left winger, with moves for Cabal, Leweling and Gittens falling through on the final day of the market. Between 1 July and 1 September, Roma allowed 14 players to depart: Zelezny, Kumbulla, Ziolkowski, Angelino, Mannini, Reale, Sangare, Saud, El Aynaoui, Pagano, Romano, Cherubini, Dovbyk and Vaz. Celik and El Shaarawy departed at the end of their contracts, while Tsimikas and Ferguson's loans from last season concluded. The club retained key assets Soulé and Koné, avoiding any major sales.

Roma's summer transfer window closed at 20:00 on 1 September after one of the longest and most active market periods in recent years. Sporting director Tony D'Amico oversaw a substantial squad rebuild across every department to meet the demands of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The club secured permanent deals for Donyell Malen and Daniele Ghilardi, and brought in Santiago Castro, Nahuel Molina, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Rodrigo Mora, Leonardo Balerdi and Marten de Roon. The signings added experience, physicality and talent to the squad, though the hunt for an attacking winger remained unresolved until the final hours. Roma's overhaul was equally significant in departures. Artem Dovbyk, Zeki Çelik, Angeliño, Neil El Aynaoui, Robinio Vaz, Matteo Baldanzi and Jan Ziółkowski left the club, alongside several young players and others outside Gasperini's plans. D'Amico remained active on business until the closing deadline, orchestrating a comprehensive transformation of the playing squad. The question now centres on whether Roma emerged strengthened from the window and whether Gasperini received a group capable of meeting his tactical requirements. The club invited supporters to vote in a survey assessing their satisfaction with the summer's work across incomings and outgoings combined.

Roma's summer transfer window has closed with six new arrivals for Gian Piero Gasperini: Balerdi, Koulierakis, Molina, de Roon, Rodrigo Mora and Castro. The club also secured permanent deals for Ghilardi and Malen, and renewed contracts for Pellegrini and Dybala. However, Gasperini was unable to add a left-back or left winger, with moves for Cabal, Leweling and Gittens falling through on the final day of the market. Between 1 July and 1 September, Roma allowed 14 players to depart: Zelezny, Kumbulla, Ziolkowski, Angelino, Mannini, Reale, Sangare, Saud, El Aynaoui, Pagano, Romano, Cherubini, Dovbyk and Vaz. Celik and El Shaarawy departed at the end of their contracts, while Tsimikas and Ferguson's loans from last season concluded. The club retained key assets Soulé and Koné, avoiding any major sales.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has identified a striker and a left-back as the remaining pieces needed to complete the squad ahead of tomorrow's away fixture at Lecce. Gasperini said: "To complete the team we need a piece that closes that section. A left-back and a forward have remained. Lulli has filled in somewhat, I have always believed in him, he is giving important responses but we cannot load such large responsibilities on him. Last season we had Angeliño, Tsimikas, Çelik, Wesley and also Rensch." Gasperini has most of his squad available for the trip to Via del Mare, with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Devyne Rensch expected to return to group training next week. Leonardo Balerdi was officially confirmed as a new arrival this morning, joining fellow recent additions Konstantinos Koulierakis, Rodrigo Mora, Santiago Castro and Nahuel Molina among the squad.