Matteo Ruggeri and Roma: the transfer story still has no official confirmation, but Gasperini's trail once again raises the question of the future
Matteo Ruggeri has once again become one of the more interesting topics of the Italian and Spanish transfer window, although for now there is no official confirmation that he will leave Atlético Madrid. The Italian left-back, who is under contract with the Madrid club until June 30, 2030, is being linked with Roma primarily because of Gian Piero Gasperini, the coach who turned him at Atalanta into a regular player of a high level. According to available information from Italian media, Roma are monitoring the situation on the left side of the defense and Ruggeri fits the profile of a player Gasperini knows well. However, for now this is an unofficial transfer topic, not an agreed deal between the clubs. Neither Atlético Madrid nor Roma had, by June 29, 2026, published official confirmation of negotiations, an offer or a transfer, so all information must be interpreted within the framework of market assessments, media reports and reactions from the player's entourage.
The contract with Atlético remains the key fact
The strongest piece of information in the whole story is Ruggeri's contractual status. Atlético Madrid announced in an official statement on July 1, 2025, that they had reached an agreement with Atalanta on the transfer of the young Italian defender and that Ruggeri had signed a five-year contract, until June 30, 2030. The club then presented him as a left-back with a good cross and great stamina, with experience of playing in systems with four and five players in the back line. According to the official profile on the Madrid club's website, Ruggeri was born on July 11, 2002, in San Giovanni Bianco, is 187 centimeters tall and arrived at Atlético after a spell at Atalanta and a loan at Salernitana. That contract significantly determines the Spanish club's negotiating position because Atlético are under no pressure from an imminent expiry of the agreement. For that reason, a possible departure would depend on the club's assessment of the sporting plan, the size of the offer and the player's own willingness to change surroundings.
In such a context, it is not enough to speak only about Roma's interest. Even if the interest is real, the transfer would require coordination on several levels: Atlético's financial expectations, Roma's possibilities, Ruggeri's role in the new project and Diego Simeone's plans for the left side of the team. TUTTOmercatoWEB previously stated that Atlético value the player at around 30 million euros, while Roma, according to the same source, would try to lower the fee to an amount between 20 and 22 million euros plus bonuses. In a later report, the same Italian outlet reported that the market value of the operation is mentioned at around 25 million euros, with the note that Ruggeri's salary is a relevant factor for a possible agreement. Such figures have not been officially confirmed and should be treated as estimates from transfer reports, but they show why the deal would be more complex than a simple loan or a quick return to Serie A.
Why Roma are linked specifically with Ruggeri
The link between Ruggeri and Roma begins with Gasperini. AS Roma officially announced the appointment of Gian Piero Gasperini as head coach of the first team on June 6, 2025, highlighting his tactical approach, work culture and ability to develop players. Ruggeri grew precisely under Gasperini at Atalanta from a club academy player into a footballer capable of covering the entire left side, and Atlético, in the official announcement of his arrival, recalled that he had established himself as an important part of the Atalanta team after returning from Salernitana. In the 2023/24 season, he played 48 matches in all competitions for the club from Bergamo, and Atlético also stated that he had been selected in the UEFA Europa League team of the season, a competition Atalanta won at the time. Such a biography explains why his name naturally appears in conversations about Roma's left side, especially if Gasperini wants a player who understands his demands without a long adaptation period.
Italian media have written in recent weeks that Ruggeri's arrival would allow Roma a clearer distribution of roles on the flanks. According to TUTTOmercatoWEB, Ruggeri's potential arrival would allow Wesley a more stable return to the right side, while Angeliño's status would be assessed during preparations. La Gazzetta dello Sport, in a report from June 26, 2026, states that Gasperini increased his interest in Ruggeri after developments around the left flank at Atlético and that the player would work again in Rome with the coach who significantly influenced his career. The same newspaper writes that Ruggeri could receive a clearer role as first choice on the left side in Roma's system than he would have in Madrid if Atlético bring in additional competition. For now, that is a media construction, but it has sporting logic because Ruggeri belongs to the type of player who can play high along the touchline, attack space aggressively and cover long stretches of the pitch.
An Instagram reaction is not the same as an official statement
Additional attention was given to the story by a reaction on Instagram, although that too does not represent a formal statement on the player's future. LaRoma24 reported on June 9, 2026, that Ruggeri commented below a post about a possible return to Serie A with a series of laughing emojis, which the Italian outlet interpreted as a kind of downplaying or ironic rejection of claims about leaving Atlético. A similar context was also mentioned by TUTTOmercatoWEB, stating that the player had ironically commented on social media about news of a possible separation from the Madrid club. Such a reaction may suggest that the early rumors were exaggerated, but it cannot close the market story. In the transfer window, situations change quickly, especially when clubs are simultaneously assessing several players for the same position.
For that reason, it is important to distinguish three levels of information. The first are official club announcements, and they currently confirm only Ruggeri's contract with Atlético and Gasperini's role at Roma. The second are reliable media reports, which describe interest, approximate prices and possible tactical reasons for the transfer. The third are reactions from social media, which may be interesting to fans but rarely carry the same weight as a statement from the club, an agent or the player himself in a formal interview. Ruggeri's emojis can therefore be part of the story, but they should not be presented as a definitive decision to stay or leave. According to the available information, his future still depends on market developments, not on a single Instagram post.
Grimaldo, competition and market dynamics in Madrid
One of the reasons why Ruggeri's name has been reopened in the Italian media is the wider context of Atlético's search for a left-back. Cadena SER reported on June 25, 2026, that Alejandro Grimaldo, the Bayer Leverkusen player and Spanish international, admitted talks with Atlético but stressed that at that moment “there was nothing official”. According to the same Spanish source, the clubs had a basic agreement on the transfer, but Grimaldo himself publicly left room for caution. La Gazzetta dello Sport was meanwhile writing that Atlético had practically secured Grimaldo and that such a development opened space for Roma in Ruggeri's case. Since official confirmation from Atlético was not available at the time of writing, it is most precise to speak of advanced talks and a media-reported agreement, not a definitively completed transfer.
If competition on Atlético's left side really increases, Ruggeri's playing time could become an open question. According to TUTTOmercatoWEB and Gazzetta, Ruggeri made 47 appearances in all competitions in his first season in Spain, which shows that he was not a marginal player. Atlético's official profile for the 2025/26 season in the LaLiga section lists 26 league appearances, 1775 minutes and 20 starts. Such output confirms that he had a real role in Simeone's team, but the market is not driven only by the previous season. Clubs often react to player availability, system changes, injuries, financial needs and plans for multiple competitions. That is precisely why the possible arrival of Grimaldo or another left-back would not automatically mean Ruggeri's departure, but it could change his sporting perspective.
Ruggeri's profile suits Gasperini's football
Ruggeri is, in terms of profile, close to the players Gasperini traditionally uses in wide positions. In an interview for Atlético's official channels after arriving in Madrid, he said that he had mostly played as a wing-back in a system with five players in the back line, but also that he can play as a left-back in a back four or as a left-sided center-back in a line of three. He described himself as an aggressive player with a fighting mentality, inclined to work forward and cover a large amount of space. These are precisely the qualities that matter in Gasperini's model of play, in which wide players often have to simultaneously stretch the attack, press the opponent high and close the space behind them. For Roma, such a player would represent a less risky tactical adjustment than a reinforcement who still has to learn the coach's specific automatisms.
Ruggeri's connection with Atalanta further explains why the transfer story is not based only on market availability. Atlético stated in the official announcement of his arrival that he entered Atalanta's academy at the age of nine, and that he made his first-team debut on November 3, 2020, in a Champions League match against Liverpool. The loan to Salernitana in the 2021/22 season was a developmental stage, after which he returned to Bergamo and gradually took a significant place in the team. TUTTOmercatoWEB states that he made 109 appearances for Atalanta's first team and scored two goals, both in the 2023/24 Europa League. Such a path from the academy to a European trophy makes him a player with experience, but also with enough room for further development because he will turn 24 only on July 11, 2026.
What the transfer would mean for Roma, and what for Atlético
For Roma, the potential arrival of Ruggeri would be a signal that Gasperini wants to accelerate the shaping of the team according to familiar tactical principles. The club from Rome has entered a new era with a coach who demands specific roles, and wide positions in such a system are often as important as midfield or attack. However, the transfer would have to be aligned with financial possibilities and registration rules, as well as with possible departures from the existing squad. TUTTOmercatoWEB states that negotiations could depend on the difference between Atlético's valuation and Roma's desire to reduce the fixed amount of the fee. This means that any possible agreement would probably include bonuses, a payment structure or other elements that are common in deals for young players with long contracts.
For Atlético, the decision would be of a different nature. The Madrid club do not have to sell a player with a contract until 2030, but they could consider an offer if they assess that they can redirect the money into other parts of the team or if they obtain a profile on the left side that Simeone considers a priority. Ruggeri, according to Italian reports, had significant playing time in all competitions in his first Madrid season, which means that his departure would have to be replaced from a sporting point of view. At the same time, if competition increased, the club could avoid stockpiling players in the same position and make use of the market value of a full-back who has a good reputation in Italy. Such calculations are not unusual in top-level football, but for now there is no official confirmation that Atlético have made a decision to sell.
The story remains open, but without a confirmed agreement
The most accurate description of the situation on June 29, 2026, is that Ruggeri is an Atlético player, under a long-term contract, with media-reported interest from Roma and a clear sporting link with Gasperini. Italian sources write that Roma would like to bring him back to Serie A, Spanish sources describe the parallel development of the story around Grimaldo, and social media have added an element of uncertainty through Ruggeri's ironic reaction to the rumors. All of that makes the transfer topic relevant, but not confirmed. Until the clubs publish official information or until direct statements from the actors in the negotiations appear, the story should be treated as an open possibility of the transfer window. Because of his age, profile and connection with Gasperini, Ruggeri logically fits Roma's needs, but at the same time he remains a player Atlético can keep if they assess that they need him in the 2026/27 season.
Sources:
- Atlético Madrid – official announcement of Matteo Ruggeri's arrival and contract until June 30, 2030 (link)
- Atlético Madrid – official profile of Matteo Ruggeri for the 2025/26 season and basic information about the player (link)
- Atlético Madrid – interview with Ruggeri after his arrival at the club and description of his playing profile (link)
- AS Roma – official announcement of the appointment of Gian Piero Gasperini as head coach (link)
- La Gazzetta dello Sport – report on Roma's interest, Gasperini's role and the context of Grimaldo's possible arrival at Atlético (link)
- TUTTOmercatoWEB – report on Roma's interest, the estimated price and a possible framework for negotiations with Atlético (link)
- TUTTOmercatoWEB – report from June 26, 2026, on Gasperini's interest, market value and Ruggeri's season in Madrid (link)
- LaRoma24 – report on Ruggeri's Instagram reaction to rumors about leaving Atlético (link)
- Cadena SER – report on Grimaldo's talks with Atlético and his statement that at that moment there was nothing official (link)