Fofana Profile: Pure Talent and Endless Running Power

Alessandro Romano, a Roma academy graduate who departed for Cagliari a few weeks ago, has impressed his new club sufficiently to earn a call-up to the Italy national team at the behest of coach Mancini. Cagliari manager Pisacane highlighted Romano's development after his side's victory over Udinese, drawing a comparison to a former Roma midfielder. Pisacane told Sky: "Romano? I don't think he even knows how strong he is himself. He's a complete player—if I have to give an example, he's a player like Strootman but with more physical impact. Perhaps Strootman had a more educated left foot, but he's a player who understands the game, has sacrifice, has dedication, knows how to play football. He's a complete player. He needs to play a lot, even if he makes mistakes: he surprised me—compared to Palestra, who made two or three mistakes at Udinese, he seems a player much more mature than his age would suggest."

Leonardo Balerdi has explained his departure from Olympique Marseille after six years and his desire to play for Roma. Speaking to DAZN France, the defender reflected on his move to Serie A and what drew him to the Giallorossi. Bareldi said of leaving Marseille: "It was a difficult moment to leave the OM. But I take everything that came with it: the beautiful things and the bad things." He acknowledged the mixed reception from supporters but used that experience as motivation. "I didn't remember being booed in the last match — sometimes people loved me, sometimes they didn't. I took the love they gave me as energy. I felt it was time to go. Six years at a club is a lot. But six years at Olympique de Marseille is something few players do. It was time to discover another league. I wanted to prove my value, try to do something different. I was very happy to leave." Bareldi joined Roma this summer as part of the club's defensive reinforcements for the 2026-27 season.

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.