Wesley injury concern clouds Brazil's World Cup plans

Roma's pre-season camp begins Monday 13 July at Trigoria under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Paulo Dybala will be present after signing a one-year contract with an option until 2028, with the deal's official confirmation expected in the coming days. Zeki Çelik and Lorenzo Pellegrini will be absent, both currently free agents in negotiations to renew with the club. While Çelik's deal is nearly finalised, talks with Pellegrini continue with a €500,000 gap between the club's offer and his demand, though optimism is filtering through. The pair's absences extend beyond contract matters. Çelik, recovering from Turkey's early elimination from the World Cup, receives standard additional rest alongside other international players. Pellegrini, however, will not train regardless of negotiations—a recurring injury sustained in May's derby, which cost him the end of last season, continues to trouble him. The squad will train at Trigoria before the second phase of pre-season begins on 31 July in Wales, running until 8 August, with further friendlies scheduled thereafter.

Roma's training ground at Trigoria reopens officially tomorrow as the club begins pre-season under Gian Piero Gasperini. The squad will not arrive at full strength, with captain Lorenzo Pellegrini among notable absentees. Pellegrini is sidelined by a recurrence of an injury suffered in May that requires continued caution, though contract renewal talks are progressing in parallel. The midfielder and the club have already agreed on a two-year deal with an option for a third season, leaving only a minor financial gap of approximately €500,000 to bridge. The negotiations are expected to conclude soon with what is being termed a 'white smoke' moment of agreement. Defender Zeki Çelik is also absent, extending his post-tournament rest following international commitments, though he is close to signing a contract extension. Meanwhile, Paulo Dybala's recent contract renewal has been confirmed, and he will participate fully in pre-season as Roma look to build momentum for the campaign ahead.

Roma will reconvene at their Trigoria training ground tomorrow with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, though no new signings will be available. Paulo Dybala will be present after renewing his contract for another year, with the club to decide whether to activate an extension through 2028. Absent from the squad will be Lorenzo Pellegrini and Zeki Çelik, both still unsigned. Çelik is close to agreeing fresh terms and will take a break following World Cup duty, while Pellegrini awaits resolution on his deal. Negotiations around Pellegrini's contract remain ongoing, with optimism filtering through despite a gap of approximately 500,000 euros between the club's offer and his demands. The two sides have moved past disagreements over contract length, now settling on a two-year deal with an option for a third. Pellegrini would not have trained tomorrow regardless: a recurrence of an injury sustained during training before May's derby continues to trouble him.

Roma are pursuing Diego Moreira, a 21-year-old Belgian winger from Strasbourg, as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini seeks to bolster the flanks. Strasbourg are demanding €40 million for the Liège-born player, while Roma have offered up to €35 million plus bonuses and a sell-on percentage. The club's new sporting director D'Amico previously attempted to sign Moreira for Atalanta last summer without success and is keen to complete the deal in the capital. Gasperini has approved the potential acquisition and views Moreira as a tactical fit alongside Wesley, the Brazilian winger already on Roma's roster. Both players can operate across either flank, though Moreira has demonstrated particular versatility this season, playing as an external midfielder in a 3-4-2-1 formation and as a left winger in a 4-2-3-1 setup. At Strasbourg, Moreira earns €800,000 annually and could treble his salary at Roma. The statistical profiles are strikingly similar: Moreira has completed 10.4 kilometres per match compared to Wesley's 9.8 kilometres, and both average 23 sprints per game. However, Moreira boasts a superior dribbling success rate of 42 per cent versus Wesley's 23 per cent, while Wesley edges him marginally in top speed (36.4 km/h to 34.7 km/h). This season Moreira has contributed 4 goals and 6 assists in Ligue 1, whilst Wesley has scored 5 Serie A goals without providing an assist.

Roma's summer transfer strategy is being shaped by the tension between head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's technical ambitions and the club's commitment to financial discipline. Director Tony D'Amico is navigating this balance, evaluating each move carefully to avoid repeating past budget mismanagement. Diego Moreira is central to Roma's plans, with Gasperini keen on the midfielder's tactical versatility to bolster the flanks alongside Wesley. However, Strasbourg's asking price is deemed too high, and if negotiations don't yield flexibility, Roma may pursue less expensive targets. Elsewhere, Alejandro Garnacho remains under monitoring despite Chelsea's economic demands appearing beyond reach for Roma's proposed loan-with-option-to-buy formula. Nicolò Tresoldi is a concrete attacking target, with Roma attempting to lower Club Brugge's valuation to pair him with Donyell Malen. On the contract front, renewals for Paulo Dybala and Zeki Çelik are settled. Lorenzo Pellegrini's extension talks are progressing, though both parties must bridge a modest wage gap while Pellegrini recovers fully from recent injury before resuming full training.

Roma have shown sustained interest in Diego Moreira for over a month, with head coach Gasperini viewing the Strasbourg winger as a valuable option to pair with Wesley on the flanks. Moreira's versatility—capable of playing in four different roles including attacking positions—appeals to the club, but Strasbourg's elevated asking price for the 2004-born player presents a significant obstacle to any transfer. The club's primary focus remains strengthening the attack, and if Strasbourg do not lower their valuation, sporting director D'Amico will redirect attention to more affordable targets. Alejandro Garnacho has emerged as an alternative, though Chelsea's €50 million asking price is considered excessive by Roma, who have already explored the possibility of a loan with an option to buy or a conditional obligation. Roma are also working to sign Tresoldi from Bruges for €25 million. On the contract front, renewals for Zeki Çelik and Paulo Dybala are complete, while Lorenzo Pellegrini's situation remains unresolved. Pellegrini has not yet recovered fully from injury recurrence and was unable to train with the squad during the first session of the new season.