Balerdi on joining Roma: 'I wanted to leave Marseille and play for this historic club'

Leonardo Balerdi's loan deal from Marseille contains a complex purchase structure tied directly to his match appearances. If the Argentine defender plays in at least 55% of Roma's fixtures across all competitions for a minimum of 45 minutes, the buyout becomes mandatory at €14 million. Should his appearance rate fall between 40 and 55%, the obligation drops to €11 million. Marseille has secured a protection clause requiring Roma to pay a minimum €9 million if Balerdi accumulates just 20% of minutes played in the second half of the season. Balerdi will earn €1.5 million annually under the loan agreement—a significantly reduced figure relative to his market value—with a salary increase guaranteed if Roma exercise the permanent transfer option from next season onwards.

Inter have tracked several Roma players across multiple transfer windows, with some coming closer to a move than others. Mile Svilar was a target in summer 2025 before he renewed his contract with Roma, while contacts were made with Gianluca Mancini's representatives in early July when his deal was set to expire in 2027. Nahuel Molina was examined as a possible replacement for Dumfries, and in spring Inter president Marotta considered Lorenzo Pellegrini as an option. The most serious pursuit came in summer 2025 when director Ausilio agreed a deal with Roma's then sporting director Massara for Manu Koné on 15 August—reportedly worth 40 million euros plus bonuses—but Roma's ownership halted the transfer following supporter unrest. Paulo Dybala represents perhaps the most intriguing near-miss. In June 2022, fresh from leaving Juventus, his agent secured an agreement with Inter for a contract worth 6 million euros. The move collapsed when Inter owner Zhang hesitated, head coach Simone Inzaghi harboured doubts about the fit, and the club could not offload Alexis Correa elsewhere. Inter ultimately pivoted to bringing Romelu Lukaku back on loan instead. The article, published by Federico Masini in Tuttosport, frames these overlapping negotiations as a series of alternate paths in the transfer market. It traces how each of these Roma players—Svilar, Mancini, Pellegrini, Molina, Koné and Dybala—has at different times occupied Inter's thinking, whether as established targets or passing considerations.

Ahead of the big match between Roma and Inter, the transfer market reveals a thread connecting the two clubs over recent years: failed negotiations, hidden probes and shared targets that have intertwined their strategies from goalkeeper to attack. Inter considered Mile Svilar before his 2025 renewal, and came close to signing Mario Hermoso in 2024 before Oaktree's green-line policy on free transfers halted the move. The Nerazzurri also evaluated Evan N'Dicka and Gianluca Mancini, though the latter never wavered in his commitment to Roma despite Inter's interest. The clubs also conducted scouting missions for Nahuel Molina and Lorenzo Pellegrini on the flanks and in midfield. The biggest near-miss involved Manu Koné: in summer 2025, Inter reached an agreement worth 40 million euros, but Roma's ownership blocked the deal after a strong reaction from the supporters. The greatest regret for Inter remains Paulo Dybala, who came very close to joining the Nerazzurri in 2022. Zhang began to waver, Inzaghi was not entirely convinced, and Inter ultimately chose to pursue Lukaku's return on loan instead. That decision effectively cleared the path for Dybala's historic move to Roma.

Roma and Inter meet in the final match before the international break, with both sides unbeaten and level on points at the top of Serie A. Gasperini has confirmed all his players are available but is monitoring the fitness of Wesley and N'Dicka, suggesting Leonardo Balerdi could start. Inter will be without Calhanoglu and Stones, with Akanji and Zielinski set to replace them. Both teams will pay tribute before kick-off to Sandro Mazzola, the Inter legend and Italy international who died at the age of 83 overnight.

Gian Piero Gasperini has downplayed Sunday's meeting with Inter at the Olimpico as a scudetto decider, calling it instead a significant fixture between two in-form teams but one that arrives too early in the season to carry championship weight. In a wide-ranging interview, the Roma head coach reflected on the club's strong start to 2026-27, the recovery from last season's intense campaign, and the squad's growing cohesion. Gasperini acknowledged Inter's standing as the benchmark in Italian football. "Inter is ahead of everyone, they prove it with the results they are making and those they have made in recent years. They remain a reference point for all the other teams trying to climb and get closer," he said. He stressed that Roma cannot fix their deficiencies in five matches and that meaningful objectives can only be set after around twenty games. Roma's qualification for the UEFA Champions League this season was not guaranteed last year, he noted, and he sees the competition as an opportunity to grow by testing themselves against Europe's elite. On Paulo Dybala, Gasperini said: "It is a great aspect, perhaps for some years he was not able to have this continuity of performance and condition, not only of quality. He is a champion recovered to our football." He praised Dybala and Donyell Malen as complementary forwards, describing Dybala's ability to spot Malen's runs and serve him with precision, combined with Malen's capacity to convert straightforward chances into goals. On young defender Emanuele Lulli, Gasperini sidestepped comparisons to legendary defenders, saying he compares players only with the world's strongest to judge merit fairly and that he introduces young players because they deserve it, not for convenience. He also backed Leonardo Balerdi, saying the defender made a strong impact despite having done only partial pre-season preparation with Roma, evidence of his professionalism. Gasperini identified the club's greatest strength as "a great unity between environment, squad, fans and society. This is something that helps you work well and gives you confidence to achieve the best results." He expressed satisfaction with the new league format this season and noted that Roma fans are content. The squad combines youth and experienced players, each contributing—younger members bringing freshness and established players setting an example through their dedication. Roma face Como before the Real Madrid fixture in the Champions League.

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke to DAZN on the eve of Roma's match against Inter at the Olimpico on 19 September, reflecting on the club's strong start to the season and addressing key themes around the squad's growth, individual performances, and the competitive challenges ahead. Gasperini stressed that while Inter remain the benchmark for Italian football, Roma have emerged with genuine momentum after their 5–2 defeat to Inter last season. He described the recovery as a "grandissima reazione" (very strong reaction) and emphasised that the team has maintained consistency since then. On the new campaign, he noted that Roma benefit from having worked together for a full year: "Rispetto allo scorso anno partivamo avvantaggiati, avendo avuto un anno insieme" (Compared to last year we started with an advantage, having had a year together). He praised the unity binding environment, squad, tifosi and society as the club's greatest strength, and said the new regulations have enhanced the quality of Serie A football, with fans the most satisfied. On individual players, Gasperini said of Paulo Dybala: "È un campione recuperato al nostro calcio" (He is a champion recovered for Italian football), noting the Argentine has finally achieved the consistency of form he lacked in recent years. He stressed that Emanuele Lulli plays because he merits it, rejecting any suggestion of giving opportunities for short-term fixes—"Non lancio giovani per fare sconti o per abbreviare la carriera a qualcuno, lo faccio perché è merito loro" (I don't throw young players in to make shortcuts or cut anyone else's career short; I do it because they deserve it). On Leonardo Balerdi's early impact, Gasperini said the defender "si è presentato preparato al di là che non abbia fatto gran parte della preparazione con noi" (presented himself prepared despite not having done much of the pre-season preparation with us). He praised the partnership between Dybala and Donyell Malen, highlighting Dybala's ability to spot Malen's runs and the winger's capacity to turn straightforward chances into goals. Gasperini cautioned against premature title talk five matches in, instead emphasising realistic objectives: "Si può parlare di obiettivi solo dopo una ventina di partite" (You can only talk about objectives after about twenty matches). Roma's next fixtures are Como, Inter, and Real Madrid in the Champions League.