AS Roma 2026 season preview: New signings, Gasperini’s tactics and squad update

AS Roma 2026 season preview: New signings, Gasperini’s tactics and squad update AS Roma wrapped up a tough summer pre-season, which started in the Fulvio Bernardini Sports Center in Trigoria and continued in France, Wales, England and Germany. Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini used the program to condition, test combinations and integrate a reshaped team, which he had to do before returning to competitive football, and the biggest test came in the August 15 draw at Borussia Dortmund. The results painted different pictures, but the bigger picture was more evident as the weeks went by. Roma were changing tack from a high-pressing style to being slow to get back on form defensively, with a few World Cup participants getting back. Those tactical hints are important for fans looking ahead to the new Serie A season , as Gasperini’s team has proved its quick-fire performance-making system, which is often built around an aggressive structure. Summer recap: Gasperini’s pre-season tests The AS Roma pre-season 2026 camp started at Trigoria before the Serie A’s top team faced Cannes in France on July 26. The match ended 3-3, but was an honest affair that was a testament to the dangers and rewards of Gasperini’s high-octane style. From there Roma went to Wales for the main preseason. The Giallorossi were beaten 4-1 in Cardiff on 1 August, but they changed fortunes three days later when they came out 4-1 winners over Newport County. The UK tour concluded at Brighton on August 8 with Roma losing 3-0 to Premier League opposition. Those scorelines, before the final in Dortmund, saw one victory, one draw and two defeats, but pre-season results never counted. Gasperini focused on the physical exertion, the pushing of distances, the rapid attacks from the midfield and on the wings and the synchrony between the attacking midfielders and wing-backs. Some players like Donyell Malen, Evan Ndicka or Manu Koné returned to the World Cup at different times, with Molina joining in later after featuring for Argentina in the World Cup final, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain that was followed by a post-match brawl, for which Molina was later hit with a seven-match international suspension and a $90,000 fine by FIFA. The last friendly provided a better test. Roma faced Borussia Dortmund in a tough game at the Signal Iduna Park, with goals from Paulo Dybala and Bryan Cristante forcing a 2-2 draw. The Giallorossi appeared more unified than at times on the UK tour against a higher level of opposition. Squad updates: key signings and contract renewals The Roma summer squad overhaul has been focused on building athletic, technical and tactical flexibility. Of the arrivals, Nahuel Molina was the most interesting, joining permanently from Atlético Madrid on August 12 for a fee in the region of €13 million (plus add-ons), bringing in an experienced option at wing-back. His pace, movement and attacking ability are perfect for a system that demands wide players to be constantly in and out of the game both in attack and defence. There were also a number of areas where Roma made improvements. Santiago Castro came from Bologna, Konstantinos Koulierakis joined from Wolfsburg and Rodrigo Mora came from Porto. The additions give Gasperini more choices as he works on assembling a team that can play in various competitions. Donyell Malen cannot be regarded as a new summer signing as Roma had actually signed him on a permanent contract earlier. But his relevance is still there. The forward has now scored 17 goals in just 19 Serie A appearances for Roma, including his hat trick against Fiorentina, a remarkable strike rate of roughly a goal a game that makes him one of the club’s biggest attacking threats. Matías Soulé is another important figure. Not a new arrival, but his development and understanding of the system will be key as Gasperini’s attacking system relies on players who can operate between the lines and find themselves on the break in advanced areas. Roma have also kept the experienced leader of the team, Lorenzo Pellegrini. Tactical takeaways: shaping the 3-4-2-1 Gasperini’s favoured system is the 3-4-2-1, which is based on a high first phase of the attack, rapid possession change and constant movement amongst the attackers. Koulierakis is a younger option with left-footed abilities at the back, with Roma having the option of using a three-man defence with Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka and Mario Hermoso. The wing-backs are some of the most critical positions in the system. They need to be able to add width in attack, pressure opposition on the ball and re-engage defensively in transition. Molina is a match on the right as competition for positions should be an advantage for Roma. The attacking structure is based on creativity and mobility. Dybala continues to be the primary source of creativity, able to read between the lines and create opportunities for teammates. There are techy options on the right like Soulé who have been able to find a solution to counter attack, and younger players like Rodrigo Mora who bring attacking variety. Malen provides Roma with a direct attacking threat in terms of his speed, ability to run behind defenders and his finishing. This is a different profile with Castro, who gives Roma a better safety net when they need more on the field. The biggest challenge for Gasperini will be maintaining balance. His teams are usually quite intense, but if the pressing moves aren’t coordinated properly, then there’s always room to get away from his defence. In the pre-season there were signs of improvement but this is something that will be tested by stronger opposition. Serie A opening statement Roma took the opening kick of Serie A with an emphatic 4-0 win against Fiorentina on August 24. Malen recorded a hat trick, Dybala provided three assists, including the fourth goal by Niccolò Pisilli, who opened his scoring account for the new campaign. The result gave early signs of Gasperini’s attacking ideas being picked up fast. Dybala’s creativity, Malen’s finishing and the new attacking synergy among Roma’s players, made for a deadly man-machine. But if one good performance does not wash the questions away from the pre-season. Roma are going to have to establish if their attacking arsenal can be sustained against higher level teams and when they are unexpectedly hindered by back-to-back matches. The beginning of the season is promising: Roma have plenty of attacking personnel and a tactical system that seems to work well for many of their players, and they clearly have a sense of identity. It will now be up to them to prove that this approach is effective over a challenging Serie A campaign and European schedule.