How Roma could line up in attack with Malen, Castro, Dybala and Soulé in 2026-27
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Speculative tactical piece exploring AS Roma's potential attacking lineup for the 2026-27 season featuring Malen, Castro, Dybala and Soulé.
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Attributed to original sourceIt was another afternoon to forget for Roma in their pre-season friendly against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon, but there were some clues as to how Gian Piero Gasperini might line up in attack this coming season with Paulo Dybala, Matias Soule, Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro at his disposal.
Football Italia was among the accredited media at the pre-season friendly between Brighton and Roma at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
How Roma could line up in attack in 2026-27 Roma have finished their trip to the UK with defeats against Brighton and Cardiff City and a 4-1 victory over fourth-tier Newport County. They have one pre-season friendly remaining against Borussia Dortmund next weekend before kicking off their Serie A season against Fiorentina on August 24.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 08: Wesley of AS Roma is challenged for the ball by Georginio Rutter of Brighton & Hove Albion during the pre-season friendly match between Brighton & Hove Albion and AS Roma at American Express Stadium on August 08, 2026 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) There was an opportunity to see how last season’s top goalscorer, Malen, and €35m summer signing, Castro, play alongside each other at The Amex on Saturday.
Initially, Gasperini had lined up in a 3-4-2-1 with Paulo Dybala and Matias Soule playing in the trequartista roles behind Malen in attack.
However, Gasp decided to take his Argentine attackers off midway through the second half, introducing Castro in the process. At that point, Roma swapped from a 3-4-2-1 to a 3-4-1-2 with Malen playing on the right of the attack, Castro to his left and substitute Luigi Cherubini playing as the sole trequartista.
Roma spent €35m including bonuses to sign Castro from Bologna earlier this transfer window, but Gasperini has made it clear on several occasions this summer that he is not fully satisfied with the business that has been done.
NEWPORT, WALES – AUGUST 04: Gian Piero Gasperini, Head Coach of AS Roma, looks on before the pre-season friendly match between Newport County and AS Roma at Rodney Parade on August 04, 2026 in Newport, Wales. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) The Giallorossi head coach still wants several new additions, particularly in attack as well as one new defender before the window slams shut in a few weeks’ time,
“Compared to last term, I asked for a defender, a winger, and two strikers,” Gasperini told the press after Roma’s 4-1 defeat against Cardiff City last weekend.
“Of course, if a player leaves, then he has to be replaced too. This was my objective, it doesn’t seem so difficult or insurmountable to me.
“We are also clearly trying to get quality players, like Castro.”
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What happened
Football Italia analyses how AS Roma could deploy their attacking options in the 2026-27 campaign, featuring a hypothetical front line including Donyell Malen, Santiago Castro, Paulo Dybala, and Matías Soulé. The article examines potential formations, role assignments, and how these players could complement each other in Gasperini's system. It is a speculative preview piece based on potential squad composition rather than confirmed transfers or official announcements.
Chance analysis
This is a speculative tactical projection rather than confirmed news, as it references the 2026-27 season. It reflects Roma's reported ambition to build a star-studded attack around Dybala and Soulé with additional firepower. For prediction systems, this is low-impact background information until transfers are confirmed, but it signals Roma's intent to compete at a higher level in Serie A.
No immediate impact on current matches; purely forward-looking speculation about Roma's future attacking structure.
Treat as background intelligence on Roma's long-term squad planning; do not weight current-season predictions based on unconfirmed 2026-27 lineup speculation.