Gasperini signals need for striker as Roma prepare for Lecce; Balerdi officially joins

Leonardo Balerdi has given his first interview as a Roma player, describing his arrival from Marseille as a move to convince Gasperini and climb the defensive hierarchy. The Argentine former Marseille captain spoke to the club's official channels about his childhood, Gasperini's interest dating back to his Atalanta years, and his experiences elsewhere. "I am truly happy and very calm," Balerdi said. "From the moment I arrived here in Rome they welcomed me with incredible affection and warmth." Bareldi is included in Roma's squad for the trip to Lecce on 31 August at 18:30 for the second Serie A round. Roma come into the fixture on the back of a 4–0 home win against Fiorentina and aim to maintain that momentum. However, Devyne Rensch remains unavailable and will return to Gasperini's disposal on Tuesday; Lorenzo Pellegrini is also sidelined. Jan Ziółkowski and Robinio Vaz are absent due to transfer matters. Gasperini has already moved to strengthen the squad, completing the arrival of Marten De Roon from Atalanta within 24–48 hours. De Roon, who boasts over 60 international caps, was released by Atalanta after many years at the club and was not in their plans. Gasperini explained the reasoning behind the De Roon move at his pre-match press conference: "De Roon came about quickly in the space of 24–48 hours. He had a situation at Atalanta after many years and did not fit their plans. There was this opportunity and I made contact with Percassi. They made the decision very quickly and left him free to decide. So El Aynaoui has the chance of a new experience. From an economic perspective it is important because it gives us the chance to move on another role. De Roon is intact even if he is an advanced age; he will enter a strong group that wants to be protagonists. Two captains have arrived and I believe we give this squad a strong physical turning point that it needs, as well as personality. Marten is Dutch like Malen and balances out the Argentines. I am certainly happy and I think from this aspect we come out solid." With three days remaining in the summer transfer window, Roma continue to pursue reinforcements for Gasperini, particularly a left-winger with a right foot. The club is now pushing hard for Luiz Henrique, a Brazilian winger born in 2001 at Zenit. According to Fabrizio Romano, talks are ongoing between Roma and Zenit over Henrique, who has signalled openness to the move and made Roma his priority. The two clubs must now reach final agreement.

Leonardo Balerdi has made his first official statements as a Roma player, striking a measured tone in his approach to the club's fierce local rivalry. Speaking about his European pedigree and first impressions of the Stadio Olimpico, the Argentine centre-back recalled his previous appearance there as an opposing player with a knowing smile: "I've played in very hot atmospheres like Boca, Dortmund and Marseille. I've already been at the Olimpico as an away player but I played against the other team. I can't wait to feel all the warmth of the giallorosso fans on my side." The comment deftly avoided naming Lazio while making clear reference to the Derby della Capitale. Balerdi's remarks reveal a player already attuned to the sensitivities of Roman football. The 1999-born defender arrives from Marseille and brings significant experience of high-pressure environments across European football. His background—from Boca Juniors' Bombonera through Dortmund's Bundesliga and Marseille's Vélodrome—equips him with the tactical maturity and mental resilience required to integrate quickly into Gian Piero Gasperini's defensive unit. Such qualities are essential for managing the intensity and tactical demands of Roma's backline. Balerdi's comments reflect a natural and direct communication style suited to navigating the complexities of Roman football culture without resorting to empty declarations. His track record demonstrates an ability to perform under sustained pressure—a characteristic essential for rapid integration into Roma's defensive structures.

Leonardo Balerdi has been confirmed as available for Gian Piero Gasperini and is included in the squad for the fixture against Lecce. In his first interview, the Argentine defender signalled his focus on the Derby della Capitale, sidelining Lazio without naming them directly. When asked about playing at the Stadio Olimpico, Balerdi said: "I've been here before and we played against another team. I want to know it from this side." The remark delighted Roma supporters. Bareldi has already demonstrated proficiency in Italian, surprising observers during the interview. His fluency stems from his girlfriend, who was born in Milan, and his mother, an Italian language teacher in Argentina. The combination of derby awareness and linguistic ease has made an immediate impression on the fanbase as the club prepares for the opening fixture.

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 head to Lecce for their second match of the season with Gasperini able to call on most of his squad. Leonardo Balerdi makes his competitive debut after his official confirmation this morning, while fellow new arrivals Koulierakis, Mora, Castro and Molina are all available. Lorenzo Pellegrini and Devyne Rensch remain sidelined but will return to training next week. De Roon, who arrived in the capital today, is not yet officially registered and therefore unavailable. Neil El Aynaoui is also absent from the squad list. Robinio Vaz has been left out as he prepares to join Hull City pending Roma's approval and the arrival of another striker. The full squad includes goalkeepers Svilar, De Marzi and Gollini; defenders Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi; midfielders Cristante, Koné, Pisilli and Mora; and forwards Castro, Malen, Soulé and Dybala.

Roma travel to Lecce for a Monday Night fixture in Serie A's second matchday, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini still seeking two more signings as the transfer window enters its final 48 hours. The Giallorossi are expected to field a similar setup to the side that defeated Fiorentina a week ago, though defensive and attacking decisions remain fluid ahead of kickoff. Emanuele Lulli holds the edge over Nahuel Molina on the flank, with the Argentine still regaining full fitness after his improvement in recent training. In attack, the main competition centres on Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé to complete the forward line alongside Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala. The match is one of three Serie A games in co-exclusive coverage this weekend. Lecce–Roma will be broadcast on DAZN, Sky and NOW. Viewers can watch via the DAZN website and app, or on Sky Sport Calcio (channel 202) and Sky Sport (channel 252) through Sky, Sky Go and NOW. The match can also be accessed on Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and TIM VISION Box. Live updates will be available through Forzaroma.info and on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Gian Piero Gasperini defended Roma's transfer approach at his pre-match press conference on 22 August, two days before the Serie A opener against Fiorentina at the Olimpico. The coach confirmed that UEFA financial regulations have forced a strategic shift in the market, compounding constraints that stem from years of previous spending. "The profile is only that of UEFA; there are no other possibilities," Gasperini said. "There are situations that UEFA imposes and from which our ownership, even wanting to, cannot escape. I thought that after six months or with arrival in the Champions League the situation would be resolved, but it is not so." Gasperini emphasised that Roma remain the only Italian club currently under UEFA supervision. "Roma has already had two deferrals and probably cannot have any more," he noted. "Now the reckoning has arrived, but we will do well anyway." Despite those constraints, he expressed satisfaction with arrivals in the window. Álex Molina replaced Zeki Çelik after winning the World Cup two months earlier; Christos Koulierakis joined as a defensive profile the squad lacked; and Rodrigo Mora arrived as a young long-term investment. Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson departed, replaced by Mateo Castro. El Shaarawy, Bryan Zaragoza, Angeliño and Kostas Tsimikas also left. Gasperini stated: "All the players who arrived have strongly wanted to come to Roma. They have also reduced their salaries—and under this aspect I believe very positive work has been done. There are still ten days of the market left and we hope to complete everything." On the left wing position that Roma had pursued, Gasperini offered flexibility: "Only if he can be added value, otherwise I am not going to load myself with players just for the sake of it." Numerically, two squad slots remain available from a full complement of 23. He praised Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante for accepting significant wage cuts. On Dybala's fitness prospects, Gasperini said: "I am certain, because I see him not only determined as he was last year but also particularly strong. He completed a pre-season perhaps for the first time without injuries." Dybala suffered two serious injuries last season—one requiring meniscus surgery that sidelined him for three and a half months. Gasperini stated that further squad exits may follow only if they represent tactical switches rather than pure departures. "If there are other exits it is only for changes, to switch," he said. "In this moment there is nothing certain." The window closes in ten days. Roma finished last season on 73 points and third place in Serie A, but Gasperini stressed the slate resets: "Every year you start from zero. What was done was very positive and satisfactory for all, but when the season starts everyone begins at 0 points and the 73 points from last year must be played again."

Roma's head coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed the squad ahead of the Serie A season opener against Fiorentina in two days at the Stadio Olimpico. The club has registered four new arrivals and still has two squad slots available for the 23 permitted by UEFA. Gasperini outlined the summer changes: Molina, the World Cup winner who reached the final two months ago, has come in as a replacement for the departed Evan Ferguson; Dovbyk and Ferguson have left while Castro has arrived; Koulierakis joined to fill a gap in defence; and Mora completed the signings. El Shaarawy, Venturino and Zaragoza have also departed since May. Angeliño and Kostas Tsimikas have left, with Gasperini hoping replacements arrive. The coach stressed that wage costs have been reduced by necessity and said he remains hopeful of further progress in the remaining ten days of the window. "Ridurremo dunque sicuramente la rosa, cercando di renderla però più competitiva," he said, adding that all new signings wanted the club strongly. On the prospect of promoting youth, Gasperini highlighted Mora as particularly significant: "Mora è un ragazzo giovanissimo che ha già raggiunto numeri importanti. Due anni fa al Porto ha raggiunto dieci gol." The coach described the young forward as an important investment for the future with the characteristics to emerge and perform well.

Gian Piero Gasperini held a press conference on 22 August 2026, the day before Roma's Serie A opener against Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday evening. The head coach expressed satisfaction with the club's summer business but acknowledged gaps remain. "Numerically we have the possibility to have 23 players in the squad and at this moment we still have 2 empty slots," Gasperini said. "Four players have arrived. Molina is an important player, a mature and solid world champion. Dovbyk and Ferguson departed and Castro has arrived, a boy certainly of value. Then Koulierakis arrived, a player we didn't have in defence with these characteristics. Now Mora has arrived, but El Shaarawy, Venturino and Zaragoza left. One has arrived, I hope for another. Then Angeliño and Tsimikas departed, and I hope we can replace them too." Gasperini noted Roma faced constraints absent from most Italian rivals. "There is FFP that is limiting—perhaps Roma is the only club in Italy that must pay for this situation," he said, adding the restrictions stemmed from the club's history rather than recent decisions. He praised players who reduced their contracts, including Dybala, Pellegrini and Cristante. The coach emphasized the squad's competitive ambition despite the financial framework: "We are used to looking ahead. In relation to our possibilities we are satisfied. We will be even more so in ten days, I hope the ownership will be too." On recent recruitment strategy, Gasperini explained Roma originally pursued higher-profile names but adapted. "We started with very high profiles and that is not new," he said. "We had to confront the need to keep the wage bill within a certain limit and we were not able to take established players with those characteristics. The society made investments in other profiles; I believe we have good variety." He detailed the departures and arrivals: Çelik was swapped for Molina, while Ferguson and Dovbyk exiting made room for Castro. Koulierakis and Mora were also brought in. Gasperini described the transfer approach as "creative but very positive." On Dybala's prospects, Gasperini said: "I am certain of it, because I see him not only determined as he was also last year but also particularly strong. He completed a preparation that perhaps for a long time he was unable to complete, without injuries." The coach noted Dybala was 32 years old and in his peak technical and physical maturity. Gasperini left open the possibility of further signings if market conditions permitted, but stressed only players who represented genuine value would arrive. Roma remain in the Serie A title race after finishing third with 73 points last season.

Neil El Aynaoui is in concrete danger of leaving Roma, with Crystal Palace having made an official opening bid structured as a loan with a right of purchase that could become mandatory on certain conditions. The offer does not satisfy Roma's valuation of €30–35 million, which demands either an outright sale or a guaranteed obligation to buy. Bayer Leverkusen has also registered interest, while Saudi Arabian clubs approached the player in recent days. The significance of a potential departure extends far beyond a single transaction: it would mark the near-complete dismantling of the squad assembled by sporting director Frederic Massara just one year ago. El Aynaoui was signed from Lens for €23 million plus €2 million in add-ons in summer 2025, representing one of Massara's principal investments alongside a lengthy pursuit of midfielder Richard Rios, who had been identified by coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Within twelve months the landscape has shifted entirely. El Aynaoui has not become a central figure in Gasperini's Roma, and a sale in the €30–35 million range would recover the original investment and generate a profit useful for UEFA financial compliance. Yet the sale would crystallise a broader pattern: the systematic removal of Massara's summer 2025 recruits—Wesley, Daniele Ghilardi, Evan Ferguson, Bailey, Jan Ziółkowski, and others—in favour of a squad more precisely aligned with Gasperini's demands. Of that original cohort, only Wesley and Donyell Malen (signed in January 2026) remain unchallenged, both having received Gasperini's direct endorsement. Bailey departed in January; Ferguson and Kostas Tsimikas returned to their parent clubs; Zaragoza, Venturino, and Zelezny have left; Ziółkowski is bound for Monza; Robinio Vaz has reached an agreement with Hull City on a paid loan with a right of purchase. The article frames the matter as a fundamental mismatch between Gasperini's precise tactical requirements—intensity, one-on-one strength, athleticism, aggression, defensive commitment in open play, and position-specific qualities—and Massara's recruitment trajectory. El Aynaoui, at 25 years old and in his prime with genuine international market interest from Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen, is scarcely a failed signing; a €35 million sale on a €25 million net spend is not a financial disaster. Yet the underlying tension is unavoidable: when a coach considers almost all his sporting director's signings from one year expendable within the next twelve months, something fundamental in the original construction has failed. A sale of El Aynaoui would convert a principal investment from the previous summer into capital to reinvest in a midfield and attacking flank now sought by Gasperini. The article poses a critical question as Roma seek to correct course: how much would it have cost to build a coherent squad aligned with Gasperini from the outset, rather than spending a year acquiring, waiting, selling, and repurchasing? Sporting director Tony D'Amico must construct a roster that is recognisable, coherent, and durable, because Roma has already consumed a year absorbing marketplace misalignment. Should El Aynaoui depart, Wesley and Malen will stand as the principal survivors—both chosen with Gasperini's strong approval.

Roma's final weeks of the summer transfer window will see not only the completion of Gian Piero Gasperini's squad but also a profound transformation of the group built in previous sessions—a wholesale dismantling of the roster assembled under former sporting director Florent Ghisolfi and Ricky Massara. Defender Jan Ziółkowski is poised to leave. The Polish centre-back has opened talks over a move to Monza, who are ready to pay approximately €1.2 million for a paid loan. Details of the buyout clause remain to be finalised, though one proposal links the cost of the loan to Ziółkowski's appearances—the more he plays, the lower the fee for Monza. Roma will not greenlight his departure until a replacement arrives. The primary target is Morato, a Brazilian centre-back at Nottingham Forest, with negotiations centred on a loan formula, though no agreement has yet been reached between the clubs. Thilo Kehrer of Monaco has also been evaluated as an alternative, as has Nayef Aguerd, the 1996-born Moroccan defender at Marseille, in a potential loan deal. More delicate is the situation of Neil El Aynaoui. The Moroccan midfielder has failed to build the tactical understanding with Gasperini required to become a cornerstone of the project, and Roma are ready to let him go after just one season if the right offer arrives. However, proposals from Germany so far have been structured only as loans with buyout clauses, while Trigoria prefers an outright sale. El Aynaoui's departure would force Roma to return to the market. Gasperini had identified Franck Kessié as his target, but the Ivorian is now close to joining Juventus, leaving Roma to find an alternative quickly. Ziółkowski and El Aynaoui could join a lengthy list of players who arrived under Ghisolfi and Massara but have since exited the project: Bailey, Ferguson, Tsimikas, Venturino and Zaragoza are cited, while Robinio Vaz is close to Hull City, with an agreement between the clubs pending the player's approval. The transformation reflects Gasperini's tactical preferences and the new sporting direction's priorities.

Roma are preparing two formal departures—Robinio Vaz and Jan Ziółkowski—with Neil El Aynaoui a surprise third name potentially heading out if an offer meets the club's valuation. The Moroccan midfielder has fallen down Gasperini's midfield hierarchy and lacks rapport with the coach, making his exit increasingly likely. Vaz has attracted interest from Hull City on a loan deal worth 2 million euros with a 30 million euro purchase option; the next move rests with the player. Ziółkowski, the Polish academy graduate, has already signalled interest from Monza, who are prepared to pay 1.2 million euros for a loan. El Aynaoui has been placed on the market and Roma want a permanent exit. Should he depart, Gasperini had identified Frank Kessié as a replacement, though Kessié is increasingly close to joining Juventus. These departures follow the exits of Bailey (January 2025), Ferguson, Tsimikas, Venturino and Zaragoza from earlier recruitment. Among the signings of Massara's tenure, Ghilardi, Malen and Wesley are set to remain. The article notes that a number of players from recent market windows are being cleared out, with the club pursuing permanent deals where possible to address squad depth and create space for tactical adjustments.