AS Roma have completed the permanent signing of Nahuel Molina from Atletico Madrid, the club announced on Wednesday. The Argentina right-back arrives in a deal worth €13m plus up to €4m in performance-related add-ons and has put pen to paper on a contract running until June 2030.
Molina, 28, returns to Serie A after four years in Spain. He first made his name in Italy with Udinese between 2020 and 2022, before Atletico triggered a €20m move, and he now becomes the latest addition to Roma's summer rebuild under coach Gian Piero Gasperini, where he is expected to operate as a right wing-back.
"Both the coach and club strongly wanted me to come to Roma, so I want to thank them," Molina told the club's official website. "I chose Roma because I think it's a huge club, with such passionate fans. The team is strong and has done good things in recent years, so all this took me here."
The 28-year-old brings serious pedigree to the Stadio Olimpico: 65 caps for Argentina, a World Cup winner's medal from Qatar 2022 and two Copa America titles, in 2021 and 2024. In European club football he has racked up 249 appearances and 19 goals across his spells with Udinese and Atletico.
Molina will also find familiar faces in Rome. Argentina internationals Paulo Dybala and Santiago Castro are already at the club, and Molina revealed he had spoken to his new teammates before completing the move. "I already spoke to some of my teammates and they are among the reasons that took me to choose Roma, because I know them well," he said. "I think that will help me settle in quickly."
He will wear the No. 20 shirt, a number he has never used before, embracing the move as a fresh chapter. "I wanted something new, a new beginning, a new challenge. I think a change can help motivate you," he added.
There is a pleasing symmetry to the transfer: Molina's Serie A debut came against Roma while at Udinese, a 1-1 draw in which he scored. Now he will line up for the club he once faced. "Italian football is always very difficult, so I expect tough games and very physical ones too," he said. "I never hold back, I always try to give 100 per cent on the field."
Sources
