This was not a week for reflection. It was a week for watching the walls of a Champions League-qualified squad tremble under the weight of financial reality. Roma finished in the top four, yet the summer's defining question is not who arrives but who must leave.
The Greenwood chase
Mason Greenwood is the name dominating every conversation in Trigoria. The Marseille winger has given his approval to the move (4), and Roma are pushing hard to close a deal valued around €55 million (2). PSG's interest in Mile Svilar could be the key that turns the lock, providing Roma the liquidity to afford Greenwood without gutting the squad entirely (7). Greenwood for Svilar plus cash starts to look like a chain worth pulling.
The ambition is real. Roma are not window-shopping, they are targeting a statement attacker. Whether they can execute without first sacrificing a major asset is the uncomfortable subplot.
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The Dybala dilemma
Paulo Dybala's contract expires at the end of June. One report suggests a renewal is close (10). Dybala himself paints a different picture. "I have not yet decided," he said this week. "Everything is possible, in football you never know" (3). He even floated Instituto, his first club, as an option, which reads less like a genuine destination and more like a man reminding Roma that his commitment is not unconditional.
For a player of Dybala's quality to approach July unsigned is negligent squad management. The renewal should have been resolved months ago. Now Roma are exposed, and the silence from the club suggests they may be prepared to move on rather than meet his terms.
Selling to survive
Here is the grim truth behind the headlines: Roma need to sell before 30 June to satisfy UEFA settlement requirements (5) (6). Arsenal have made fresh contact over Manu Kone, valued at €40 million (5). Matías Soulé could depart with bids around €40 million on the table (15). Atlético Madrid have lodged an offer for Artem Dovbyk, though it was described as low (13).
This is the cost of Champions League qualification, the kind of compromises no fan wants to read about in June. The midfield enforcer who drove much of last season's success, the Ukrainian striker who delivered goals, the Argentine winger signed with fanfare, all could be sacrificed so Roma can comply with financial rules and then rebuild.
Eyes on the horizon
The incoming list is extensive. Beyond Greenwood, Ermedin Alajbegovic of Bayer Leverkusen is targeted at €25 million (2). A Champions League-level signing worth €35 million is being planned (17). Donyell Malen is actively recruiting Netherlands teammate Crysencio Summerville (9), and Jayden Oosterwolde of Fenerbahçe is a defensive option (12). Julian Brandt, available on a free, has been proposed but appears to have cooled (2).
What to watch
The 30 June deadline is everything. Roma will not make a major signing before they sell. Watch Kone, Soulé, and Svilar, those three names will determine whether the Greenwood deal accelerates or collapses. Dybala's contract silence must break one way or the other. This is the most consequential fortnight of Roma's summer, and the club's ambition for the Champions League campaign hinges on decisions made now, not in August.
