Summerville and Garnacho slip away as Roma faces attacking shortage

Roma and Bologna have agreed terms for the transfer of Argentine forward Santiago Castro to the Stadio Olimpico in a deal worth around €30 million. The 21-year-old is expected to join the Giallorossi in the coming days, ending a summer window that has seen Roma miss out on other targets. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini had watched Mason Greenwood's move from Marseille hijacked by Fenerbahçe and Crysencio Summerville stolen by Al-Hilal, but the club moved swiftly to secure Castro before a similar situation could develop. Castro operates primarily as a centre-forward, a position currently held by Donyell Malen, meaning the Argentine is likely to serve as backup unless Gasperini alters his tactical system. The 21-year-old's numbers last season were modest—11 goals in 51 matches across all competitions—but his work ethic and pressing style align with Gasperini's high-intensity demands. With Roma preparing for Champions League football, his addition offers valuable depth and potential for development under a coach renowned for improving young talent.

With less than a month until the new Serie A season begins, roughly 100 players across the Italian top division remain sidelined from their clubs' plans, weighing heavily on balance sheets rather than contributing on the pitch. Napoli, Juventus and Inter face the most complex situations. Inter must manage Frattesi's declining market value as he seeks regular starting football without success, alongside problems with Asllani and Pavard. Napoli's squad is oversized and needs significant departures; Lukaku's substantial wage at 33 remains an obstacle, as does Lucca. Juventus carries aging contracts and new signings outside their plans, including Arthur, Openda, Douglas Luiz and Nico Gonzalez, who is reportedly unwilling to return to Turin and is also being tracked by Roma. Roma is working to move several players out. Artem Dovbyk's situation appeared complicated due to injury and a high valuation, but the club has found a potential solution in recent days: following Castro's arrival, the Ukrainian could leave on loan to Bologna, pending only his approval. Kumbulla's future also remains to be resolved. Milan faces more contained issues but still needs to find homes for Musah and Loftus-Cheek, while Rafael Leao's future hangs in the balance. Across the rest of Serie A, Atalanta, Bologna and Fiorentina face lighter departures, while Sassuolo and Lazio are among clubs needing to trim their squads before the transfer window closes.

Summerville has completed a transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal after coming close to joining AS Roma. The Dutch winger was one of Roma's headline transfer pursuits this window, but ultimately chose the Saudi Pro League side after Al Hilal's offer of 20 million euros per year swayed the decision. The move marks the end of a protracted saga in the Roma transfer market. Like previous windows that saw pursuits of Sancho and Rios, this season brought similar high-profile chase stories involving Greenwood and Summerville. Summerville's departure represents a significant loss for Roma's attacking options as the club continues its squad-building efforts under Gian Piero Gasperini. Following his official unveiling, Summerville outlined his reasons for the switch. "I watched Al Hilal's matches during the Club World Cup and saw the level of this squad. They were capable of playing against the best teams in the world. It really surprised me," he said. "I heard it's the best team in the Saudi Pro League, so the choice was easy."