Balerdi: 'I had a connection with this shirt since childhood. I will give all my heart for Roma'

Roma's attacking reinforcements remain active in the final days of the transfer window, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini seeking two additions: a left-back and an attacking winger. The most significant development concerns Luiz Henrique, the Brazilian forward. According to Fabrizio Romano's latest update, negotiations with Zenit Saint Petersburg are well advanced and crucially, Henrique has made Roma his priority, fully committing to the move. The player wants the transfer to Rome, marking a major step towards a potential completion. The remaining obstacle is now between the clubs themselves. Roma and Zenit must reach final agreement on the structure of the deal, which remains the last genuine hurdle to clear. Henrique's willingness poses no further problem: he has given his total approval to the Roma project. Simultaneously, Jamie Leweling remains on Roma's radar. Stuttgart rejected Roma's opening proposal but have not ruled out a sale, though they are seeking economically satisfactory terms and a structure they consider acceptable. Roma have not abandoned the pursuit and could return with an improved offer in the coming hours, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. Matías Soulé's future also carries weight in Roma's planning. The Argentine continues to attract Premier League interest, and Roma have reportedly set his valuation at around €40 million combined across loan and purchase. Should an offer deemed adequate arrive, his departure would significantly reshape Roma's offensive strategy. If Soulé leaves, Roma could pursue two attacking signings rather than one—covering both the right and left flanks. The club is currently managing multiple negotiations simultaneously, and with the right sequence of deals, both additions could potentially be completed.

Leonardo Balerdi has given his first interview since completing his transfer from Olympique Marseille to Roma. The Argentine defender spoke to the club's official channels about his early impressions in the capital, his reasons for choosing Roma and his relationship with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Balerdi brings experience from Bundesliga football with Borussia Dortmund, Ligue 1 with Marseille and Argentine domestic football with Boca Juniors, along with 11 caps for the Argentina national team. He has played in the Conference League, Europa League and Champions League. His arrival adds defensive depth to Gasperini's squad for the 2026–27 campaign. On his decision to join Roma, Balerdi said: "Many things pushed me, but I think I had something with this shirt. When I was small I saw this shirt and said: 'It's beautiful.' I really liked it and that's why I wanted to play here. I got to know the club and the fans, I saw their passion and I wanted to be here." He revealed his mother was an Italian-language teacher in Argentina and his girlfriend is Italian, explaining his fluent Italian. Asked about Argentine players in Roma's history, he named Paulo, Leandro, Gabriel, Walter Samuel and Gabriel Batistuta. When discussing his idols, he singled out Fernando Gago, who played for Roma: "When I was small I wanted to play as a midfielder and Fernando Gago was my idol. He played here. He was one of my childhood idols. I had saved many photos of Gago in this shirt. Incredible." Regarding Gasperini, Balerdi acknowledged limited direct contact so far: "We've had some contact, but not directly. I also know he looked for me when he was at Atalanta." To the Roma fans, he said: "I want to play, I want to wear this shirt right away and I want to give all my heart, all my strength, to take Roma as high as possible. Thank you for everything. Let's go Roma."

Leonardi Balerdi has been officially confirmed as a Roma player and is already available for selection, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini having named him in the squad for the away trip to Lecce. The Argentine defender, arriving from Marseille, gave his first interview to the club's official channels, discussing his childhood ambitions and excitement at joining the Giallorossi. Bareldi cited Juan Sebastián Verón, Lionel Messi and Juan Manuel Riquelme as his boyhood idols, explaining: "When I was small I wanted to play in midfield and one of my references was Gago. He was one of my idols along with Messi and Riquelme because I'm a Boca fan, I wanted to play like Gago and I have lots of photos of him in this shirt." The defender has previously faced Roma in Italian football, noting that he had played against the club on an earlier visit and was keen to experience the rivalry from the other perspective. On his relationship with Gasperini, Balerdi revealed they had not spoken directly but acknowledged the coach's earlier interest: "I didn't speak with Gasperini, but I know he looked for me when he was at Atalanta and now I'm happy to work with him. People have spoken very well of him to me." Addressing Roma's supporters, Balerdi said: "Thank you to everyone, I want to play and wear this shirt straight away and give all my heart and strength to take Roma to the top. Thank you for everything."

Leonardo Balerdi has completed his move to Roma from Marseille and given his first interview as a giallorosso player. The Argentine defender, formerly captain at Marseille, said he is "truly happy and very serene" after arriving in Rome and praised the warmth of his reception. "Since I was a child I have always felt a special fascination for this shirt," he said. "The enthusiasm of the fans and the passion of the stadium were fundamental to my choice. I thank the club for their trust and the fans for the beautiful welcome I received at the airport." Bareldi brings substantial European experience across Bundesliga, Ligue 1, continental competitions and Argentina's national team. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini tracked him during his time at Atalanta, though Balerdi noted: "There has not yet been recent direct contact with the manager, but I know he was following me since the Atalanta days. I have very positive opinions of him and I have so many incentives to start working on the pitch straightaway." The 24-year-old is fluent in Spanish, French, English and Italian. He learned Italian from his mother, an Italian language teacher in Argentina, as well as from his Italian partner and from various Italian teammates and coaches he has worked with. Reflecting on Roma's historic connection with Argentine players, he said: "Roma has a very strong history with Argentines: I think immediately of Dybala, Paredes, Heinze, Samuel and Batistuta." His childhood idols included Fernando Gago—who played for Roma—as well as Messi and Riquelme, citing his support for Boca Juniors. Bareldi has played in intense atmospheres at Boca, Dortmund and Marseille. "I have already been to the Olimpico as an opponent but played for the other side," he said. "I cannot wait to feel all the warmth of the giallorosso crowd on my side." Closing his interview, he promised: "I thank you all for your affection. I promise maximum effort and dedication for this shirt to help the squad reach the highest targets. Daje Roma daje!"

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's Serie A matchday 2 fixture against Lecce. Neil El Aynaoui and Robinio Vaz are absent from the squad list, both players close to departing the club. Devyne Rensch and Lorenzo Pellegrini are also unavailable through injury. The 24-man squad features goalkeepers Svilar, De Marzi and Gollini. In defence, Gasperini has included Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. Midfield options are Cristante, Koné, Pisilli and Mora, while attack is covered by Castro, Malen, Soulé and Dybala.

Roma travel to Lecce for a Serie A fixture at a ground Gian Piero Gasperini described as insidious, with a passionate home crowd and a stadium at full capacity. Lecce began their season with a win at Venezia, and manager Di Francesco acknowledged the challenge ahead while preparing his own tactical response. Di Francesco addressed Roma's early-season form, noting that Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick and Paulo Dybala is performing at an exceptional level. "In the league Roma have shown they are immediately sharp," Di Francesco said. "If we look at the values, Roma is an important squad, but they will find a Lecce that wants to do well in front of its wonderful public." He praised Gasperini's methods: "I know the coach very well—he gives a very strong identity to his teams. We have to be good at containing their qualities and try to hurt them in the chances that come to us." On Lecce's own preparations, Di Francesco outlined midfield options brought into the squad. "Ilic can play anywhere in midfield and raises the quality of our engine room," he explained. "I will also call up Berisha, who I think from next week will work fully with the squad. We have raised the quality in midfield but must not lose the ability to defend together. Ilic has not trained with the team for a month, but I saw him alert—I believe he has a few minutes to help us. Fatah comes from a long lay-off, he was stopped since April, but he has some tricks; tomorrow I will assess based on how the match unfolds." On transfers, Di Francesco added: "We coaches on the market sometimes don't count as much as we would like—in this case Ilic was a request of mine. I wanted an extra player in midfield." Gallo is in doubt for the fixture after suffering problems during the week, though Di Francesco confirmed ongoing dialogue with both him and goalkeeper Falcone, emphasizing the importance of commitment regardless of squad tenure.