Wesley proves vital as Roma hunts for dual-flank backup

Roma's transfer priorities have shifted following the completion of Rodrigo Mora's signing. The club is now concentrating efforts on the left-back position and has deprioritised other targets, according to reports from Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto. Interest in Malick Fofana has cooled considerably. Roma had an agreement in place with the Belgian winger but has not given Lyon the go-ahead to negotiate further. A proposed deal worth €35 million plus add-ons was deemed excessive by the club. After restructuring the terms to bring Mora to the capital, the Fofana operation has been sidelined. Similarly, pressure on Alessio Cacciamani has been relaxed as Roma refocus their efforts elsewhere. Luis Henrique has become the priority target, with Roma now pressing hard on that front. The challenge now is to find agreement on the financial terms between player and club.

Manchester City have added Roma midfielder Manu Koné to their list of midfield targets, according to reports confirmed on 20 August by journalist Ben Jacobs. City, following Rodri's departure, are seeking two midfielders and have already advanced contact with Bouaddi and prepared a fresh offer for Chelsea's Enzo Fernández. Koné is among the profiles under consideration, with updates expected in the coming days. Koné's future remains uncertain despite recent reassurances over his Roma future. The French midfielder had been flagged as a likely departure this summer, but only Atlético Madrid's offer—deemed unsatisfactory—materialised on Roma's desk early in the transfer window. Manchester United had also shown interest previously. Roma are keen to avoid losing one of their key midfield players and will likely resist any bid. No official approach from City has been confirmed beyond the scouting interest. Developments are expected soon as City accelerate their search to fill the void left in their engine room.

Roma have less than two weeks left in the transfer window and must balance incoming reinforcements with outgoings. While it remains difficult to move Koné on, both Soulé and Ziółkowski are on the market. Ziółkowski arrived in the capital a year ago but has not convinced head coach Gasperini and may now generate useful revenue for the club's balance sheet. Roma's sporting director awaits offers, but the club is already preparing a defensive contingency plan. Koulierakis has arrived and will serve as Mario Hermoso's backup in theory, but should Ziółkowski leave, the club intends to plug the gap by signing an experienced centre-back on loan rather than permanently. In recent days, Oosterwolde of Fenerbahce was offered to Roma. The approach reflects the club's preference to maintain financial flexibility while addressing defensive depth before the window closes.

Rodrigo Mora impressed in his first training session and now has four days to convince Gasperini he deserves the starting role in Roma's match against Fiorentina on Monday. The Portuguese forward will compete with Matías Soulé for the trequartista position in a 3-4-1-2 formation that Roma trialled on 19 August. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are set to start as the two strikers, with Mora eyeing an opportunity to stake his claim in the role that suits him best. Soulé's availability for the match remains uncertain as AC Milan continues to press for his signature, alongside English club Sunderland. The competition for places elsewhere in the team appears settled: Molina is ready to make his debut, Wesley will start at left-back, Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné will operate in midfield, and the defensive line in front of Mile Svilar will comprise Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. Gasperini's early feedback on Mora has been positive, giving the forward genuine scope to earn a starting berth.

Roma are in the final stages of their summer transfer business ahead of Monday's Serie A opener against Fiorentina, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini overseeing moves for defensive and attacking reinforcements. The club's attacking setup will centre on Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, supported by Rodrigo Mora, who recently arrived at the club. Gasperini has requested a more physical midfielder, with Malick Fofana of Lyon emerging as the top target. An agreement in principle worth approximately €35 million plus bonuses has been reached, though Lyon wish to retain Fofana until 26 August for their Champions League preliminary round against Fenerbahce. The final decision now rests with the Friedkin Group. Parallel to the Fofana pursuit, Roma are exploring left-back options, with Alessio Cacciamani of Torino identified as the hottest lead. Torino's recent closure of defender Fortini in the same position may prompt owner Cairo to soften his initial demands. Alternative targets Udogie and Luis Henrique are considered more complicated, with formulae and costs regarded as prohibitively high. Roma's incoming activity is contingent on outgoings: the club must resolve the situations of Salah-Eddine, Ziolkowski, and Robinio Vaz, while Matías Soulé, valued at approximately €40 million and attracting Milan's interest, remains under monitoring. Gasperini has Niccolò Pisilli available for selection and is assessing Wesley's fitness ahead of Monday's match. The likely starting XI is expected to mirror last season's shape, with Molina on the flank and the Dybala–Soulé pairing behind Malen, while Mora is poised for a substitute appearance.

Roma's pursuit of a left-wing midfielder has hit obstacles as the transfer window enters its final 11 days. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has received midfielder Mora and awaits moves to complete the squad, with a backup to Wesley at left-midfield the numerical priority. However, other positions may also be addressed before the deadline. Luis Henrique, the Brazilian leaving Inter, has become an increasingly unlikely target. Inter demands a conditional obligation to buy rather than a loan with purchase option, and values him at no less than €27 million—a fee Roma are unwilling to spend on a position already covered. The situation differs with Tottenham's Udogie, where the English club appears open to a simple loan with the right to buy late in the window; the Italian defender wants to return to Serie A and is keen on joining Gasperini's squad. Torino's Cacciamani remains an option, though a €5 million gap separates the clubs' valuations. Elsewhere, Roma harbour interest in Fofana, the Belgian attacker. His availability depends on Lyon's Champions League playoff return leg against Fenerbahce; the first leg ended 1–1, with Fofana playing the full 90 minutes.

Gianluca Mancini has reaffirmed his commitment to Roma, dismissing interest from Inter and pledging to remain central to the club's ambitions. Since joining in 2019, Mancini has become the team's captain and emotional leader. "The heart cannot be commanded," he told Sky Sport. "I have a special relationship with Roma, I feel it inside me from the first day I arrived and it has only grown over the years. I wanted strongly to stay with the manager, with my teammates, to continue being a protagonist in this new year that is coming and to do things in the best way possible, because we deserve it as players, the city deserves it, the fans deserve it, the club deserves it. When you are part of a family it is difficult to leave." Mancini praised head coach Gasperini's preparation of the squad and outlined Roma's ambitions for the 2026–27 season. The defender explained that "what the manager does with his staff is to put us in the right conditions to face the season in the best way possible. We as a group follow to the letter what he tells us to do." On the title race, he noted that Inter start as favourites but stressed Roma's own credentials: "We are among those who will give everything to fight a tough championship." The focus, he said, is clear: "Not to be satisfied with what was done last season and try to do even better." Mancini also welcomed new arrivals into the squad. Rodrigo Mora joined recently, and Mancini recalled playing against him when Mora was at Porto two years ago, describing the impression he made as "very beautiful." On integrating new players, Mancini noted that senior figures help ease the transition—with Kostas Tsimikas, for instance, discussions quickly turned to tactics, environment, housing, and personal life. The Friedkin Group ownership, he added, shares a clear vision: "Their dream is to see a strong Roma, competitive, at high levels, and they have always shown it."

Pierluigi Gollini has announced he is expecting a son. The Roma goalkeeper shared the news on social media, writing: "Life, at times, gives you what you've always dreamed of; we were very fortunate." He and his partner Ariel Serra, whom he married in May 2025, posted photos of Nike baby shoes they had already purchased for their child. The couple were expecting a boy. Gollini's teammates responded warmly to the announcement on social media, including messages from Niccolò Pisilli and Jan Ziółkowski. Former Roma player Kostas Tsimikas also commented, as did Chiara Nasti, wife of Mattia Zaccagni and formerly Gollini's sister-in-law.

Emanuele Lulli, the 18-year-old right-back, delivered a positive display for Roma in their final pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Stadium yesterday, starting and playing 76 minutes. Gasperini has regularly deployed the class of 2007 prospect in recent weeks, with Lulli appearing in progressive minutes across warm-up fixtures: 18 minutes against Cardiff, 20 against Newport, 12 against Brighton, and the full 76-minute outing against Dortmund. The teenager, who turns 19 tomorrow, demonstrated both defensive cover and attacking thrust—precisely what Gasperini demands from his fullbacks. Roma's recruitment focus remains on the offensive flank, though director D'Amico continues work on the fullback contingent. With Tsimikas, Çelik and Angeliño departed, the squad has lacked reinforcement on the wings; only Wesley and Devyne Rensch remain from last season, with Molina arriving yesterday on his Roma debut. Lulli's composed display offers genuine hope of a permanent pathway into first-team contention under Gasperini. Lulli recorded three defensive contributions, two interceptions and three recoveries in addition to one clearance across his 76 minutes, also winning one ground duel and one aerial duel. He registered 88% pass accuracy in the opposition half (7/8) and 82% in his own half (9/11), with 2 of 3 long passes reaching their target. His ball-carrying statistics stand out: 54.9 metres gained (compared to 23.3 for Rensch), including 37.4 metres towards the opposition goal (21.3 for Rensch). Roma continue pressing on Udogie, while moves for Cacciamani and Luis Henrique face complications.