Roma have announced the appointment of Tony D’Amico as their new sporting director, though he will not officially begin his role until July 1st, 2026, signing a two-year contract. Until then, Maurizio Lombardo will serve as interim sporting director. The appointment reunites D’Amico with Gian Piero Gasperini, the recently appointed Roma manager, with the pair having previously worked together successfully at Atalanta, where they won the Europa League.
D’Amico’s immediate priorities will be contract renewals and generating player sales to meet UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations, which Roma are currently under scrutiny for. The club needs to achieve a significant amount of player sales – estimated between 50-60 million euros – by June 30th to avoid potential sanctions. This will be a crucial task alongside strengthening the squad with players Gasperini deems necessary for Champions League competition.
Roma are currently in advanced talks to retain key players whose contracts expire on June 30th, including Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, and Mehmet Celik. While the club is keen to keep all three, they are attempting to reduce the overall wage bill. Discussions with Dybala are particularly intense, with the player reportedly willing to accept a reduced salary of 2-2.5 million euros including bonuses, down from his current 6 million euro annual wage. Similar negotiations are underway with Pellegrini, while the ownership is seeking further concessions from Celik.
To facilitate squad improvements and comply with FFP, Roma are considering the sale of Evan Ndicka, Moussa Koné, and Fabio Soule. Selling Soule, who is attracting interest from Borussia Dortmund, could allow Roma to retain both Koné and Ndicka. These sales would provide financial relief and enable D’Amico to work with Gasperini on incoming transfers, with the manager hoping to secure at least two new signings before the start of the pre-season training camp on July 13th. Gasperini is particularly keen on a backup to Donyell Malen and potentially a replacement for Dybala should he depart.
Greenwood and Christian Pulisic have been mentioned as potential attacking targets, but these moves may take more time to materialize. Roma also expect to receive funds from the sale of Riccardo Calafiori to Basel (approximately 6 million euros) and an insurance payout of 16 million euros related to Filippo Bove, further aiding their efforts to meet the required player sales target. The Champions League qualification must not distract from the financial realities facing the club, as avoiding UEFA sanctions remains paramount.
