Malen and Mancini named in Opta's Serie A Team of the Season

Alberto Aquilani, the former Roma midfielder, is reportedly close to an agreement to become Sassuolo's head coach. According to reports, Aquilani met with Sassuolo's management again recently, with a deal appearing imminent. The 47-year-old, who played for Roma from 2002 to 2009 and later spent time at Sassuolo in 2017, would make the leap to management after managing Catanzaro. Sassuolo views him as the ideal fit to work alongside Fabio Grosso. If the transfer materializes, Aquilani would become the fifth former Roma player or manager Roma will face next season. The others are Eusebio Di Francesco (Lecce, matchday 2), Cristian Chivu (Inter, 20 September), Daniele De Rossi (Genoa, 18 October), and Luciano Spalletti (Juventus, 20 December). Aquilani would face his former club on 8 November at the Stadio Olimpico in what would be his first return as an opposing manager. The fixture list presents an unusual situation for Roma, with the club set to encounter a notable series of familiar faces throughout the 2025–26 campaign. Each match carries potential narrative weight given the connections between these coaches and the Giallorossi.

Fabio Capello has assessed AS Roma's fixture list for the upcoming season in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. Capello expects Roma to start the new campaign with the same certainty and quality they showed at the end of the previous season, given that Gasperini is the new head coach. However, he warns that the early schedule presents significant challenges. Capello highlighted that Roma will not face any newly promoted teams in their opening ten fixtures—an unusual circumstance that leaves them vulnerable to a demanding run of matches. The Giallorossi will encounter Inter, Napoli, Como, Atalanta, and Fiorentina during this period, alongside difficult away trips to Torino and Udinese. Roma's opening match will be against Fiorentina, while their season concludes with an away fixture at Cagliari. Capello stated: "Knowing Gasperini, I expect a Roma that in August restarts from the certainties and the brilliance with which it ended this season. The schedule is not, however, very straightforward: the Giallorossi will not face any newly promoted sides in the first ten matches, but instead they will come up against Inter, Napoli, Como, Atalanta, Fiorentina… plus complicated away trips like those with Torino and Udinese."

Roma announced Gian Piero Gasperini as head coach on 6 June 2025, marking the start of his first season in charge. The club achieved Champions League qualification, with El Shaarawy among the goal scorers during the campaign. Gasperini's appointment came following the departure of Claudio Ranieri, who had managed the club in the 2024–25 season. The 'condottiero' (commander) has guided Roma towards European football's elite competition in his inaugural year, fulfilling a key objective for the Friedkin Group ownership.

Maurizio Setti, former Verona president, has praised Tony D'Amico—recently appointed to Roma's sporting structure alongside head coach Gian Piero Gasperini—as a capable director with strong player-selection instincts and two decades of football experience. Setti highlighted D'Amico's understated approach and his ability to work harmoniously between ownership and the pitch, noting that D'Amico performed this role effectively at Atalanta, where he acted as a filter between the club's management and technical operations. Setti cautioned that Roma faces a unique challenge in Italian football, stating: "The only spectre he will have to be careful about is Romanità; it is extremely difficult to do football in Rome because there are positive or negative influences." He suggested the club's primary weakness is not strategic incompetence but rather a lack of people driven by genuine passion for results. "Roma is missing not presidents like me, but people who wake up in the morning and would kill to achieve results," Setti said. He also noted that Roma has historically suffered from too many decision-makers without a single daily commander on the pitch to enforce the ownership's vision. Regarding next season, Setti believes Roma could become a serious title contender if the transfer market is handled well, particularly in attack—an area Gasperini will reportedly prioritize. He expressed confidence in D'Amico's recruitment abilities, citing his success bringing players like Donyell Malen to the club.

The Netherlands has named three Serie A players in their squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Donyell Malen among them following his permanent transfer to Roma. Malen, 27, joined the Giallorossi from Aston Villa on loan in January and impressed immediately, scoring 14 goals in 18 league matches during the second half of the season. Roma paid €25 million to make his move permanent, a fee already viewed as excellent value given his impact in helping the club secure their first top-four Serie A finish since 2017–18. The other two Dutch representatives in Serie A are Denzel Dumfries of Inter and Marten de Roon of Atalanta. Malen heads into the tournament in high spirits after his successful spell in Rome, though he faces fierce competition for places in the Netherlands' attacking lineup. With 51 international caps to his name, the 27-year-old will be eager to maintain the form that made him such a vital addition to Roma's squad down the stretch. His performances have reinforced confidence that Roma made a shrewd investment in securing a permanent deal rather than returning him to Aston Villa after the loan expired.

Mason Greenwood, Marseille's forward, is Roma's primary transfer target this summer. Head coach Gasperini has personally reached out to Greenwood's representatives to test his availability. The club plans to structure the deal by completing a sale first, then making a significant investment to bring the English attacker to the Stadio Olimpico. Gasperini views Greenwood as a top-tier offensive winger whose pace, goal-scoring ability, and technical quality would provide the finishing touch Roma needs alongside Donyell Malen on the wing. Roma has rejected other candidates, including Alajbegovic, deemed too expensive relative to the squad's requirements for an immediately available player. Summerville of West Ham remains on a shortlist of alternatives, though no other names are publicly detailed. The club's strategy prioritizes securing two elite attacking partners for Malen rather than addressing backup options immediately. Any secondary recruitment can wait until primary objectives are achieved. The transfer operation hinges on Roma's ability to offload players and generate funds for what would represent a substantial outlay in the current market.

Amantino Mancini, a former Roma winger, has praised Wesley's first season at the club during an interview on Radio Romanista. Mancini highlighted Wesley's intensity, work rate, and offensive capabilities as a left-sided player, noting that the Brazilian has settled well into Roman football. Mancini said: "Wesley me is always liked, I like his characteristics, how he moves on the pitch. I said when Roma was acquiring him that it would be very useful, because he is of great intensity, never stops. He has the characteristics of all Brazilian full-backs who are very offensive. Maybe he leaves something to be desired defensively because even I when I arrived at Roma played as a full-back and improved thanks to Capello. Wesley has fitted in very well at Roma, many Brazilians at Roma settled immediately because the climate and the support are very similar to those in Brazil. Wesley took advantage of this period and had a wonderful season." Mancini drew parallels with his own career transition, recalling how moving from right to left-back under Spalletti transformed his game. He predicted Wesley will continue on the left flank next season but warned that opponents have now studied him closely. Mancini also expressed confidence in head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's ability to guide Roma's next phase, emphasizing the need for experienced signings to strengthen the squad for Champions League football. He suggested Roma should make two or three strategic acquisitions to elevate the team's competitive level in European competition.

AS Roma are close to agreeing a contract renewal with defender Gianluca Mancini. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and Mancini have reportedly developed an understanding quickly since Gasperini's appointment. The renewal is expected to be finalized soon, with specific terms under negotiation. Mancini remains a key defensive figure for Roma, and the club's priority is securing his long-term future at the Stadio Olimpico. The agreement reflects Roma's confidence in the defender's continued importance to their project.

Manu Koné is among AS Roma's list of players who could be sold before the 30 June deadline, as the club needs to generate approximately €50 million in capital gains. The French midfielder has attracted initial enquiries from Premier League clubs, while Inter Milan has withdrawn from the race. Inter had previously attempted to sign Koné last summer with an offer reported around €45 million, but Roma rejected it. The Milan club is not prioritizing him now, with manager Chivu preferring Liverpool's Jones instead. Koné's potential departure reflects Roma's financial requirements heading into the transfer window. The midfielder, currently on international duty at the World Cup, is among the squad's most valuable assets. Inter is also not expected to pursue a deal for Gianluca Mancini, who is close to renewing his contract with Roma. Once new sporting director D'Amico is officially announced, the market activity is expected to accelerate. Details remain unclear on the timeline for his appointment or the scale of Roma's transfer activity beyond the financial targets.

Mile Svilar has established himself as a crucial figure for AS Roma, with statistics placing him among the continent's top goalkeepers. The analysis benchmarks his performance against leading European shot-stoppers, reflecting his rise as a reliable custodian for the Giallorossi. Svilar's numbers demonstrate his consistency and shot-stopping ability at the highest level, confirming Roma's confidence in him as a long-term solution in goal. His emergence as a genuine contender among Europe's best represents a significant asset for the club as they compete domestically and in continental competition.

AS Roma has turned down a substantial offer from Chelsea for goalkeeper Mile Svilar, signalling the club's determination to retain the Serbian shot-stopper despite financial pressures. The club considers Svilar a non-negotiable asset, unwilling to sell even when facing budgetary challenges and the appeal of a lucrative Premier League move. Svilar has established himself as a key figure in Roma's squad, and the rejection underscores the Friedkin Group's commitment to building a competitive team around established players rather than pursuing short-term financial gains.

Mile Svilar has delivered a series of outstanding performances in goal for AS Roma this season, with a recent save against Verona representing the latest in a string of crucial interventions. The goalkeeper has established himself as a key defensive asset, building what the report describes as a metaphorical 'Great Wall' around Roma's goal. His shot-stopping ability has been instrumental in several matches, demonstrating consistency and quality at a high level throughout the campaign. Svilar's performances have underscored his importance to Roma's defensive organization under the current tactical setup.