Mbaye to Aston Villa, not Roma: deal worth €55m agreed with PSG

Roma are close to securing Leonardo Balerdi from Olympique Marseille, with the club planning the Argentine defender's travel and medical examinations for 29 August ahead of his contract signing. The deal, accelerated in recent hours, involves Balerdi joining on loan with an obligation to buy dependent on specified conditions. According to Nicolò Schira, intermediary Gabriele Giuffrida has played a key role in moving the transfer forward, with only final details on the buyout clause's triggering conditions left to resolve. The proposed contract structure offers Balerdi a one-year deal plus four further years, potentially keeping him at Roma until 2031. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is awaiting the arrival of the 1999-born centre-back to strengthen the defence with international experience and aggressive, possession-based qualities suited to Roma's tactical approach. The move came after the collapse of an attempt to sign Jayden Oosterwolde, which fell through following medical concerns. Sporting director Tony D'Amico moved quickly to find an alternative reinforcement for the back line.

Hull City have entered the race for Lyon winger Malick Fofana with a €35 million offer for the Belgian, threatening to derail Roma's long-standing interest in the player. The English club have already held direct talks with Fofana to outline their project, and are now awaiting his response before moving to finalise the deal. Hull City are simultaneously pursuing a loan move with a purchase option for Roma's Robinio Vaz on the same Lyon-Roma axis. Roma had reached personal terms with Fofana in recent weeks and the player had expressed his willingness to join the club. However, the Giallorossi have failed to follow up their interest with a concrete offer to Lyon in recent days, leaving the door open for competitors. Gian Piero Gasperini has requested an attacking winger, and sporting director Tony D'Amico is evaluating alternative options as well. The central issue is the transfer structure: Lyon require a permanent sale and are unwilling to let Fofana leave on loan, a formula that would have allowed Roma to operate more flexibly within their tight end-of-window budget. Hull City, by contrast, have tabled a bid for an outright purchase. Roma face mounting pressure to decide whether to return with a serious assault on the deal or concede ground to their competitors as the transfer deadline approaches.

The race for Roma forward Robinio Vaz has intensified as multiple European clubs enter the hunt, putting the Hull City deal on hold. Hull remain the frontrunners after agreeing advanced terms with Roma for a loan with a €2 million fee and a €30 million buyout clause, but Vaz has not yet given his final approval to the move. According to FootMercato's exclusive reporting via journalist Sébastien Denis, fresh enquiries have arrived from Ligue 1, with Lorient already seeking information, from the Bundesliga, and from the Netherlands, where PSV Eindhoven are said to be particularly interested. The critical development concerns Vaz's own stance. The young attacker has signalled openness to leaving on loan but wants to assess all available options before committing, placing significant weight on the sporting project and the chance to secure regular playing time. Roma are willing to let him depart temporarily while maintaining a valuation that would allow them to recoup their investment should he be sold permanently in future.