Rome Transfer Market: Atlético Madrid Takes a Double Step Back
Although he was supposed to report to Atlético Madrid’s training center for a medical exam after his well-deserved post-World Cup vacation, the Spanish club granted Nahuel Molina permission to skip the session, as the Argentine player is very close to finalizing his move to Rome, where he is expected to arrive as early as Monday evening.
The same treatment was extended to Matteo Ruggeri, who watched the World Cup—held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States—from afar: the former Atalanta player is set to join Aston Villa.
Meanwhile, Roma is stepping up its efforts at the most critical moment of the summer, following a disappointing preseason that has set off more than a few alarm bells and prompted Gian Piero Gasperini to request an immediate reinforcement for the offense. The name that has emerged is Rodrigo Mora, a talented 2007-born player from Porto, who came up in recent discussions between the coach and Giallorossi sporting director Tony D’Amico.
According to Sportmediaset, Roma has already submitted an initial offer of 25 million euros for the young attacking utility player. It’s a concrete move, but in all likelihood not yet sufficient: Porto, backed by a contract set to expire in 2030 and previous negotiations with clubs like Galatasaray, continues to set its asking price at 50 million. The Giallorossi from the capital are awaiting a response from Portugal, aware that they’ll need to up their bid to truly enter the critical phase of negotiations.
The current situation isn’t helping, given that Roma have been underwhelming in their friendlies: their only win was a 4-1 victory over Newport, a club in England’s fourth division, preceded by a 3-3 draw against Cannes (in which they squandered a three-goal lead) and a 4-1 loss to Cardiff, another Welsh side competing in England, this time in the second division. Then, on Saturday, the Giallorossi were soundly defeated again by Brighton, losing 3-0: a trend that has highlighted structural limitations and a squad that is still incomplete.
Porto, for its part, is in no hurry: Mora is locked into a long-term contract and is one of the most prized gems to come out of the youth academy. For this reason, the Dragões do not intend to drop too far below their initial asking price. Roma, on the other hand, knows it must get ahead of the competition and put a convincing offer on the table for both the club and the player.
The strategy is clear: start with a lower base offer, wait for Porto’s reaction, and then consider a carefully calibrated counteroffer. This approach takes into account the budget, but also the need to give Gasperini a reinforcement who can transform the offense, with just two weeks remaining before the start of the season.
