Every summer the rumour mill spins up before the season has properly ended. This summer the Roma names being floated are predictable — every attacking midfielder in Serie A, two or three Premier League fringe players, and the obligatory South American forward we’re “interested in”. Most of it is paper-filling. The real conversations Roma should be having are narrower and less glamorous.

A look at what the summer 2026 window should actually deliver, not what the press will pretend it should deliver.

The defensive midfield problem

The single most consistent weakness in the 2025-26 Roma side has been the defensive midfield. We’ve cycled through combinations all season. None has been the clean answer.

The issue isn’t talent specifically — the players we’ve used are international-calibre — it’s the role definition and the partnership balance. We’ve asked players to do jobs they’re not suited for, and the resulting defensive transitions have been the source of more conceded goals than I’d want to count.

The summer needs to deliver one player specifically: an experienced screening defensive midfielder who can hold position, read play, and free the more creative midfielders to play higher up the pitch. Not exciting. Not headline-grabbing. Absolutely essential.

The names in the European market that fit this profile aren’t the names being mentioned in the Italian press. The good defensive midfielders in this category are typically being held by their current clubs because everyone knows their value. The realistic targets are likely players entering the last year of their contract, players in clubs experiencing financial pressure, or players who haven’t been used optimally and could be acquired at value.

Full-back depth

The other clear positional weakness has been right-back depth and left-back depth. We’ve gotten through the season but the injury and form variance has been telling. A long Champions League run, when we have one again, will require depth that the current squad doesn’t have.

The market for full-backs is deep. The right targets are typically players in the 23-27 age range — experienced enough to slot in, young enough to develop further and have resale value. Not the marquee names that get speculation; the second-tier names that pay back consistently.

The financial discipline question

Roma’s financial position has been a constant constraint on transfer activity through the current cycle. The Friedkin ownership has been disciplined in ways that the previous ownership wasn’t, and the squad we have reflects choices about what was financially possible rather than what would be ideal.

The Financial Fair Play and broader UEFA financial regulation framework continues to constrain options for clubs in our position. Summer 2026 looks likely to involve at least one significant outgoing transfer to fund any incoming purchases of consequence. The questions are which player goes, what fee can be commanded, and whether the resulting reinvestment delivers comparable or better contribution to the team.

This is the work that gets done behind the scenes through May and June. By the time the names start appearing in the press in July, the structural decisions are mostly already made.

The youth question

A bright spot in the current Roma squad has been the contribution of younger players developing through the academy and the Primavera ranks. The pathway to first-team minutes has been more credible than it was a few years ago, and several young players have established themselves as squad contributors.

The summer should involve at least one or two young players being given more substantial opportunities, either through being kept in the senior squad or through carefully-managed loan placements that build experience without losing the developmental thread.

The temptation to load up with established stars and push the youngsters back down the depth chart should be resisted. The financial discipline argument and the developmental argument both push in the same direction here.

The coaching context

Any transfer activity needs to align with the coaching tactical framework. The honest assessment of where the season has landed has implications for the coaching position itself, but assuming continuity, the transfer activity should be aligned with the playing system that’s been developed.

Bringing in players who don’t fit the tactical model, or who require the model to change to accommodate them, is the path to wasted transfer expenditure. The successful clubs in modern Serie A — and the successful clubs we should be benchmarking against — buy players who fit a system, not stars who require the system to be rebuilt.

What the rumour mill gets wrong

A few specific patterns in the summer rumour coverage that I’d ignore.

The “Roma interested in [marquee attacking midfielder]” story. We have enough creative options. We need defensive solidity and depth. Marquee attacking midfielders aren’t the priority and aren’t financially realistic.

The “Roma to sell [established starter] for €X million” story. The fee speculation is generally wide of the mark. The clubs that succeed in summer markets don’t telegraph their selling prices in the press.

The “Roma in talks with [South American teenager]” story. These rumours generate clicks but rarely produce significant first-team contribution in the immediate term. The development pathway is real but slow.

The “Roma close to deal for [Premier League fringe player]” story. The Premier League fringe market has been a mixed bag for Italian clubs. Some signings have been good value; many have struggled with the tactical and physical adjustment to Serie A.

What I’d be hoping for

If I had to draw up the realistic best-case summer window for Roma, it would look like:

One experienced defensive midfielder, brought in at a sensible fee, who establishes immediately as a starter.

One full-back, bought as depth at a manageable fee.

One outgoing transfer of a senior player whose minutes can be filled by squad and academy options, generating the funds to enable the incoming work.

Two or three academy or recently-acquired young players given clear first-team pathways.

A coaching staff that’s clear about the tactical model and the player profile being recruited.

A press cycle that doesn’t generate enough drama to be a distraction.

The summer window that delivers all of this is not the summer window that the rumour mill is building toward. Forza Roma — but with patience.