Balerdi: Roma was my destiny, and I want to stay for a long time

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.

Roma train today ahead of Saturday's match against Inter, with the squad staying overnight at Trigoria to maintain focus on the fixture. Gian Piero Gasperini has all players available, including Mario Hermoso, who has recovered from a minor ankle injury and will start. The Spanish defender will line up alongside Evan N'Dicka and Gianluca Mancini in defence, though Leonardo Balerdi remains a consideration. Gasperini's main tactical uncertainty centres on Roma's full-back positions. Wesley will feature, but the coach has not yet settled on which flank to deploy him. The Brazilian has been tested on the right in recent training sessions—a clear attempt to counter the threat posed by Inter's Dimarco. If Wesley is positioned on the right, Nahuel Molina will occupy the left flank, with Emanuele Lulli omitted from that scenario. Alternatively, Gasperini could use the young full-back on the right, a position where he has featured in all league matches this season and has outperformed Molina in recent fitness tests. Gasperini has the final hours to decide on his approach, knowing the stakes are high for what promises to be a decisive encounter. The coach is aware that victory will require a flawless performance from his side.

Mile Svilar has dismissed speculation over a move to Juventus, insisting he has had no contact with the Serie A rivals. The Roma goalkeeper spoke ahead of the club's fixture against Inter, describing it as a significant test against the strongest team in the championship. When asked whether Roma's strong form signals the start of a title race, Svilar urged caution: "In this city you play 2–3 good matches and you get praised, then you lose and it's a drama. We must be balanced, stable. We know where we've come from and where we want to go." Svilar acknowledged that last season Roma did not begin with third place in mind, but after 20–25 matches "we understood that Champions League qualification was possible." He said the club would know later in the campaign whether they genuinely harbour title ambitions. On the Juventus offer of 40 million euros, Svilar was emphatic: "I haven't even had a conversation about this. I'm not someone who signs a renewal until 2030 and then denies the choice the year after." Asked about Inter's attacking threat, Svilar said he studies opposition forwards extensively during the week and on match days. He identified Donyell Malen as a constant scorer, even in training, and rated Lautaro as "extremely difficult to decipher," while praising Thuram's pace. When the subject turned to former manager Daniele De Rossi, Svilar said: "He changed my life. Perhaps I wouldn't be at Roma today without him."

Roma train today ahead of Saturday's match against Inter, with the squad staying overnight at Trigoria to maintain focus on the fixture. Gian Piero Gasperini has all players available, including Mario Hermoso, who has recovered from a minor ankle injury and will start. The Spanish defender will line up alongside Evan N'Dicka and Gianluca Mancini in defence, though Leonardo Balerdi remains a consideration. Gasperini's main tactical uncertainty centres on Roma's full-back positions. Wesley will feature, but the coach has not yet settled on which flank to deploy him. The Brazilian has been tested on the right in recent training sessions—a clear attempt to counter the threat posed by Inter's Dimarco. If Wesley is positioned on the right, Nahuel Molina will occupy the left flank, with Emanuele Lulli omitted from that scenario. Alternatively, Gasperini could use the young full-back on the right, a position where he has featured in all league matches this season and has outperformed Molina in recent fitness tests. Gasperini has the final hours to decide on his approach, knowing the stakes are high for what promises to be a decisive encounter. The coach is aware that victory will require a flawless performance from his side.

Leonardo Balerdi arrived at Roma from Marseille on a paid loan this summer, with a complex redemption structure tied to his playing time rather than a simple buyout clause. The Argentine defender joined on a €1 million loan deal, but the permanent transfer hinges on tiered costs: Roma can purchase him for €14 million at the end of the season, though conditions attached to his usage will determine whether that option becomes mandatory and at what price. The mechanism works on appearance thresholds across all competitions. If Balerdi plays at least 45 minutes in 55 per cent of Roma's matches, the €14 million redemption becomes automatic. Should his involvement fall between 40 and 55 per cent of fixtures, the obligation still triggers but at a reduced figure of €11 million. A third safeguard protects Marseille: if Balerdi features in fewer than 40 per cent of matches in the first half of the season, he need only appear in 20 per cent of games in the second half to activate a €9 million compulsory purchase. This structure ties the final cost directly to his actual playing time and prevents Roma from artificially limiting his appearances late in the campaign to secure better financial terms. Bareldi has made an immediate impression under Gasperini, earning regular rotation in the defence and convincing the head coach within his opening weeks. The deal itself was initiated a year earlier but completed only in the final hours of the summer transfer window. If his form continues, the redemption clause may evolve quickly from contractual mechanism to a natural consequence of his performances.

Gian Piero Gasperini has almost his full squad available for Roma's clash with Inter, with Mario Hermoso back in training after an ankle contusion that forced him to miss Wednesday's session. The Spanish defender is now set to reclaim his place in the back line, though the team's defensive shape remains fluid with three significant selection dilemmas still unresolved. The primary doubt centres on the centre of defence, where Evan N'Dicka holds a slight edge over Leonardo Balerdi following the Argentine's strong performance in Turin. Balerdi's pace in covering and recovery could prove valuable against Inter's attackers in what Roma expect to be an open contest. With Gianluca Mancini likely on the right side of a back three, Hermoso completing the unit, and Mile Svilar in goal, the most probable defensive line is Mancini–N'Dicka–Hermoso, though Balerdi remains a serious challenger to the Ivorian until the final decision. On the right flank, Emanuele Lulli currently leads Nahuel Molina, with the choice complicated by the need to contain Dimarco, one of Inter's primary creative forces. Wesley should retain the left-back role. Midfield offers fewer surprises: Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné remain the leading candidates to start. The real tactical intrigue lies in the attacking third. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are untouchable; the third attacking role remains open. Matías Soulé is pressing for inclusion, Rodrigo Mora remains an alternative, but Niccolò Pisilli warrants particular attention. Deploying the midfielder in a more advanced position would allow Roma to shift defensively, recreating a three-man midfield line and matching Inter's numerical strength in that area—a solution with significant tactical weight against a team that has troubled Gasperini for years through rotations between fullbacks, wing-backs and centre-backs. Gasperini has termed the match a "bank of prova" (test). Three genuine doubts persist: N'Dicka versus Balerdi, Lulli versus Molina, and Soulé versus Pisilli versus Mora. Roma have not beaten Inter at the Olimpico in ten years, and the tactical detail could prove decisive.

Roma host Inter tomorrow in a fixture that will offer early clarity on both sides' title credentials. Paulo Dybala and Lautaro Martínez, who won the World Cup together in Qatar in 2022, will face off again on the same Olimpico pitch where they celebrated that triumph. The two Argentine forwards represent starkly different football personalities: Dybala, born in Laguna Larga in Córdoba province, embodies class and technical beauty, while Martínez, from the coastal city of Bahía Blanca, has evolved into a lethal centre-forward and Inter captain in the mould of Javier Zanetti. They could have played alongside each other at Milan, and briefly did for Argentina, establishing a friendship that extends beyond the pitch to their families. For Roma, Dybala remains the standard-bearer of the club's ambitions. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has stated he will only discuss the Scudetto "after the twentieth matchday", yet this clash represents a crucial crossroads to gauge how far the Giallorossi have come and whether they can genuinely challenge Inter's dominance. Among those who have worn a Roma shirt, Dybala is most comparable to Francesco Totti in his touch, passing ability, and shooting—qualities that echo the maestoso of the club's greatest figure, even without wearing the number 10. That shirt belongs now to Martínez, who has transformed himself into a champion striker bearing the captain's armband. The numbers underline their different paths. Martínez has scored 177 goals in 380 Inter appearances and exceeded 20 league goals in three consecutive seasons from 2021 to 2024. Dybala's last goal came on 18 January, an unusual drought for a player of his calibre that Gasperini attributes to injury and an unconscious fear of shooting that will fade through regular playing time. In his absence, Donyell Malen has become Roma's primary scorer, but Malen speaks openly of receiving a "blessing" from Dybala. The Argentine's passing quality was evident in the goal against Turin, where Dybala's threading ball led to Malen's effort even before the finish that the statistics recorded. Both Roma and Inter now favour formations that use two forwards in close proximity—whether paired with two wingers in a 4-3-3 or two attacking midfielders in a 4-2-3-1—a tactical return to fashion driven by Gasperini and Chivu in Serie A. Roma often deploy a 3-4-2-1 that permits Dybala to find his own position alongside or just behind the primary striker. Dybala chose Roma in the summer of 2022 after Inter pursued him, and the article suggests he has harboured no regrets despite winning fewer trophies at the Giallorossi.

Marco Delvecchio, a former striker who has played for both Roma and Inter, has weighed in on the comparison between Donyell Malen and Lautaro Martínez ahead of the two clubs' upcoming meeting. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Delvecchio gave a detailed technical analysis of both players, ultimately favouring Malen in the decisive areas of the pitch. Delvecchio rated Malen superior in the final third, highlighting his speed of execution and decision-making. "In the last twenty metres, I see Malen a step above Lautaro today," he said. "The difference lies mainly in the speed with which he can turn a favourable situation into a real goalscoring chance. He has very short execution times, he reads immediately where the shot can come from and rarely gives the defender time to return to the play. If I have to stick my neck out on the numbers at the end of the season, I say 25 goals for Malen and 20 for Lautaro." Delvecchio acknowledged Martínez's superiority in the air, crediting his positioning, timing of his jump, and movement. However, he returned to Malen when assessing overall technical quality. "On the technical level I give something more to Malen, especially for the quality of his first touch," Delvecchio explained. "It's a characteristic that strikes me a lot: he rarely receives the ball in a neutral way. The first touch is almost always already oriented to escape the pressure, move the opponent or open up a different line of play. He manages to take the ball from one side or the other without breaking the rhythm of the action, and this, especially in the final metres, allows him to gain that time which often makes the difference."

Mile Svilar has dismissed speculation over a move to Juventus, insisting he has had no contact with the Serie A rivals. The Roma goalkeeper spoke ahead of the club's fixture against Inter, describing it as a significant test against the strongest team in the championship. When asked whether Roma's strong form signals the start of a title race, Svilar urged caution: "In this city you play 2–3 good matches and you get praised, then you lose and it's a drama. We must be balanced, stable. We know where we've come from and where we want to go." Svilar acknowledged that last season Roma did not begin with third place in mind, but after 20–25 matches "we understood that Champions League qualification was possible." He said the club would know later in the campaign whether they genuinely harbour title ambitions. On the Juventus offer of 40 million euros, Svilar was emphatic: "I haven't even had a conversation about this. I'm not someone who signs a renewal until 2030 and then denies the choice the year after." Asked about Inter's attacking threat, Svilar said he studies opposition forwards extensively during the week and on match days. He identified Donyell Malen as a constant scorer, even in training, and rated Lautaro as "extremely difficult to decipher," while praising Thuram's pace. When the subject turned to former manager Daniele De Rossi, Svilar said: "He changed my life. Perhaps I wouldn't be at Roma today without him."

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.

Roma host Inter tomorrow in a fixture that will offer early clarity on both sides' title credentials. Paulo Dybala and Lautaro Martínez, who won the World Cup together in Qatar in 2022, will face off again on the same Olimpico pitch where they celebrated that triumph. The two Argentine forwards represent starkly different football personalities: Dybala, born in Laguna Larga in Córdoba province, embodies class and technical beauty, while Martínez, from the coastal city of Bahía Blanca, has evolved into a lethal centre-forward and Inter captain in the mould of Javier Zanetti. They could have played alongside each other at Milan, and briefly did for Argentina, establishing a friendship that extends beyond the pitch to their families. For Roma, Dybala remains the standard-bearer of the club's ambitions. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has stated he will only discuss the Scudetto "after the twentieth matchday", yet this clash represents a crucial crossroads to gauge how far the Giallorossi have come and whether they can genuinely challenge Inter's dominance. Among those who have worn a Roma shirt, Dybala is most comparable to Francesco Totti in his touch, passing ability, and shooting—qualities that echo the maestoso of the club's greatest figure, even without wearing the number 10. That shirt belongs now to Martínez, who has transformed himself into a champion striker bearing the captain's armband. The numbers underline their different paths. Martínez has scored 177 goals in 380 Inter appearances and exceeded 20 league goals in three consecutive seasons from 2021 to 2024. Dybala's last goal came on 18 January, an unusual drought for a player of his calibre that Gasperini attributes to injury and an unconscious fear of shooting that will fade through regular playing time. In his absence, Donyell Malen has become Roma's primary scorer, but Malen speaks openly of receiving a "blessing" from Dybala. The Argentine's passing quality was evident in the goal against Turin, where Dybala's threading ball led to Malen's effort even before the finish that the statistics recorded. Both Roma and Inter now favour formations that use two forwards in close proximity—whether paired with two wingers in a 4-3-3 or two attacking midfielders in a 4-2-3-1—a tactical return to fashion driven by Gasperini and Chivu in Serie A. Roma often deploy a 3-4-2-1 that permits Dybala to find his own position alongside or just behind the primary striker. Dybala chose Roma in the summer of 2022 after Inter pursued him, and the article suggests he has harboured no regrets despite winning fewer trophies at the Giallorossi.

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.