Pellegrini contract renewal talks advance at Roma

Leonardo Balerdi was the standout performer on Saturday 24 October, when he scored twice in Roma's clash with Napoli at the Maradona and also secured a decisive point for the Giallorossi. His teammates left plenty of praise under his post on social media, but the most heartfelt message came from his partner, Giulia Ciancio, who wrote: "Vederti felice è la mia gioia. Vamos siempre amore." Balerdi's situation at the club is also in focus. His purchase option, or riscatto, is not in question at present. The deal is structured so that the obligation to buy becomes mandatory if the defender, born in 1999, plays at least 55% of the season's matches across all competitions, with at least 45 minutes on the pitch in each. The obligation would then be set at the same figure as the option. A variable mechanism has also been agreed. If Balerdi plays between 40% and 55% of the matches, the obligation is fixed at €11 million. A final clause protects Marseille from any attempt to keep the player out of the team to secure a discount: just 20% of matches played in the second half of the season would trigger the obligation at €9 million.

Roma have stepped up their interest in Olympiacos centre-back Lorenzo Pirola, sending scouts to Greece to assess the Italian defender up close, according to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur. Roma representatives reportedly attended several Olympiacos matches at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, including the derby on 11 October against Panathinaikos, which Olympiacos won 1-0 and in which Pirola played the entire match. The Giallorossi are said to be following the 24-year-old's development with the next transfer windows in mind. Pirola is a left-sided centre-back who came through the Inter youth sector and has already featured in Serie A for Salernitana. He moved to Olympiacos in the summer of 2024 and has since extended his contract until June 2028. Described as a young player with solid international experience, he could, given his technical qualities, be an interesting option for the defence of Gian Piero Gasperini. The interest is not new. Konur first reported Roma's interest in Pirola in December 2025, when he said the Greek club were then asking more than 15 million euros to open negotiations. The latest update suggests the monitoring has not stopped, although no official offers or negotiations have been reported so far. Source: Ekrem Konur (X).

Roma have a concrete chance of signing Real Madrid forward Endrick in January, according to transfer journalist Matteo Moretto, who spoke on Radio MARCA. Moretto said: "Roma and Milan are very interested. Above all Roma, it is a real possibility for January." The key issue is the playing time José Mourinho will give Endrick in the coming weeks. Despite the Portuguese coach's stated wish to keep him, the striker's future at Madrid is far from guaranteed. The Brazilian continues to find little space in the side and, if nothing changes, a loan move in the winter window could become a concrete option. Roma had already tried to bring Endrick to the capital during the summer and had reopened contacts for the player in recent weeks. Milan remain a significant rival, but Moretto believes the Giallorossi represent a particularly concrete lead. Much will depend on Mourinho's choices and on how much space the 20-year-old can carve out for himself between now and January.

Gian Piero Gasperini will face the media on Tuesday at 13.30 ahead of Roma's home match against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico. The head coach is returning to press conferences after missing the one held on the eve of the trip to Maradona, where Roma drew with Napoli. Roma are back in action straight after that draw with Napoli, and the Cagliari fixture comes quickly. Paulo Dybala is in good spirits after training partially with the group today. Manu Koné, Mile Svilar and Lorenzo Pellegrini are ruled out. Rodrigo Mora could be handed a place in the starting line-up, expected to play behind Donyell Malen in a partnership with Matías Soulé.

Roma secured a draw at Napoli's Stadio Diego Armando, the Maradona, thanks to a comeback driven by their Argentine players. All three of Roma's goals came from Argentines: Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi, who scored a brilliant brace. Gasperini has had little success against Allegri, and the head-to-head record offered little hope before kick-off, with the two most experienced coaches in Serie A facing each other. Gasperini avoided defeat through his substitutions, the team's response and the fierce determination of the Argentines. Roma remain unbeaten in Serie A. Balerdi came on in the second half alongside Castro and Molina to add fresh impetus. Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini were both injured and missing. Roma struggled early on to press with their usual aggression in midfield, and in the first half a magnificent bicycle kick from Anguissa upset the coach's tactical plans. At the start of the second half, the familiar dip in intensity allowed Napoli to double their lead quickly, and Roma also showed too many errors in build-up play. Without Dybala, Pellegrini, Koné and Svilar, the side lacked dynamism and creativity. Soulé was the only one regularly looking for Malen, who was often far from the area and struggled through the tight lines of the Napoli defence. Guido D'Ubaldo noted that this squad needs a few more players and a longer bench to provide constant alternatives, particularly in attack. Despite the difficulties, and a Napoli side that were struggling in the league but remained tough opponents, the response after the break was that of a great team. Roma scored two goals in four minutes, and then Balerdi struck the decisive goal two minutes from time. The draw, coming after results against Inter and Como, keeps Roma firmly close to the top of the table. It shows that, with the anger and quality of the Argentines, the path the club has taken is the right one.

Gian Piero Gasperini has spoken to Dazn ahead of Roma's match against Napoli, praising Bryan Cristante's return as an important boost for the squad. Roma have lost Lorenzo Pellegrini, but Gasperini says Cristante's value to the team is significant. Gasperini described the fixture as a match between sides of quality, adding: "Napoli-Roma is a match between teams of quality. They are two of the best in the league, it is an important game." Cristante is a key return, and the coach explained the reasoning behind his impact on the side. Gasperini said: "Yes, because in that area we have often played with the same men. His value is important. It makes the team more versatile, we can play him in the deeper midfield role. It gives us the chance to have variations." Asked how much the match could shape the season, he said: "It is difficult to say now, but if we win today it is a further step in awareness. It would be a great boost."

Matías Soulé was the standout performer as Roma beat Napoli at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium, scoring his third Serie A goal of the season. The Argentine forward carried the side on his shoulders, and the strike is considered one of the finest he has scored since joining the club. Soulé scored the same number of league goals at this stage last season, but this season he looks like a different player: more of a leader, and not missing Paulo Dybala's absence. Sofascore's data underline his all-round display: four key passes, an 88% pass completion rate, eight duels won, four successful dribbles and the same number of ball recoveries. He was valuable both in attack and in defensive work. This summer Soulé came close to leaving the club. Arab clubs knocked on the door, but he never wanted to leave Roma and chose to stay in football's biggest arena. It is an understandable decision for a 23-year-old. Next up is Tuesday's match against Cagliari, where he is again expected to lead the line. Dybala is improving and will be called up, but he is expected to return from the first minute against Udinese. Soulé is ready to lead the attack alongside Donyell Malen. The groin problem (pubalgia) that held him back last year is no longer an issue, and he has also earned a place in the Argentina national team.

Paulo Dybala trained partially with the squad at Trigoria this morning, a strong sign that he is close to full recovery from the calf muscle injury that kept him out of the matches against Genoa, Slovan Bratislava and Napoli. Gian Piero Gasperini will be pleased with the test, and Dybala is aiming to be available at least on the bench for Tuesday evening's clash with Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico. There was also positive news on Mile Svilar, who could be back in time for Roma's Champions League trip to Manchester United on 3 November. The double boost comes as Roma look to strengthen their squad ahead of a busy stretch of fixtures. Dybala's return would give Gasperini an important attacking option for the home game against Cagliari, while Svilar's availability for the trip to Old Trafford would be a welcome boost in goal for the Champions League fixture.

Gian Piero Gasperini will hold his usual eve-of-match press conference tomorrow at 13:30 ahead of Roma's Serie A ninth-round clash with Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday evening. The coach is expected to address the team's condition, the threats posed by the opponents and the recovery progress of injured players Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala, with Dybala potentially back in the matchday squad. The build-up follows a dramatic 3-3 draw away at Napoli, in which Roma twice rescued a point after falling behind. Having drawn level twice, the Giallorossi now turn their attention straight to the home fixture against Cagliari, a game that carries significant weight as the team looks to build on that resilient display. Gasperini's briefing will give supporters a first official update on the squad's fitness ahead of the midweek fixture. Dybala's possible return would be a boost for Roma's attack, while the availability of Svilar and Koné will also be closely watched as the coach finalises his selection for the match at the Olimpico.

Leonardo Balerdi scored a brace last night, becoming Roma's 12th different goalscorer of the season in just 11 matches across Serie A and the Champions League. In Europe, with the same number of games played, only Brighton, Brentford and Real Sociedad have scored more. Roma's attacking threat, which was missing throughout 2025, now looks almost limitless and allows them to turn around even awkward evenings like last night's. The article draws a comparison between Gian Piero Gasperini's football and the "Total Football" of Rinus Michels, the Dutch coach who built Ajax and the Netherlands side of Cruyff in the 1970s and 1980s. Against Sassuolo-style defensive walls, Gasperini's side includes defenders in the build-up and in attack. At the moment of Wesley's cross for Roma's 3-3 equaliser, only Castro was in the box alongside the two centre-backs, Ghilardi and Balerdi. Goals from Hermoso, Mancini and N'Dicka are regularly part of this approach. Balerdi said after the match: "It is the first time I have scored a brace. The coach is teaching me to get forward like Mancini and Hermoso do, he gives me this freedom to push on and get closer to the opposition goal." The article admits Roma played a first half below their standard, conceding space, quick counterattacks and showing widespread tiredness in midfield, where they usually win many duels. Yet the team showed courage, changes that lifted the level, and a coach in Gasperini who had been criticised only a little over a week earlier for substitutions compared to those of Mourinho, when Bernardo Silva, Endrick and Arda Guler were left out of the starting line-up. A comeback draw away at Napoli is now seen as a missed opportunity, the article argues, a sign of how Gasperini has changed the club's mentality and built total symbiosis with the environment and the fans.

Gianluca Mancini mocked Massimiliano Allegri from the Roma bench during the Napoli-Roma match, and a clip of the moment is now spreading rapidly on social media. The video, published by DAZN, shows the reactions of both benches after Balerdi's goal made it 3-3. Allegri lost his temper in the closing stages at the Maradona. After Balerdi's equaliser, the Napoli coach protested angrily with the fourth official, was sent off, and took off his jacket in rage. The DAZN footage shows Mancini copying Allegri's gestures and taking him off after his outburst, a moment that has not gone unnoticed by fans. The scenes add another chapter to a tense finish at the Maradona, which was also marked by Allegri's comments aimed at Roma. Near the press room, the coach let slip a remark about last season's Champions League, claiming the Giallorossi had "put it in their pocket". The words caused irritation inside the Roman club. DAZN posted the clip on social media with the caption: "All of Max Allegri's rage seen from the touchline", alongside the hashtags #Allegri, #NapoliRoma, #SerieAEnilive and #DAZN.

Balerdi scored the first brace of his career as Roma fought back to take a point at the Maradona, with the Argentine defender turning into an extra forward once he came on around the hour mark in an attempt to avoid defeat. Balerdi arrived in the final days of the transfer window on loan for €1 million, and he has made an immediate impression with his pace, sense of anticipation and two goals. The performance has been one of the standout moments of Roma's start to the season, and it came at a delicate time for the club. The Argentine is quick to credit the coaching staff for the freedom he has been given. He has been working on timing his runs into the box in the way that Mancini and Hermoso do, and he said he had settled in quickly at the club. Gasperini has also been pleased with the defender's influence, and he said that Balerdi and De Roon had not needed long to fit in, with their contribution being extraordinary. For Roma, the outcome has added depth and attacking options from the back line at a crucial point in the campaign. Balerdi, the former Marseille defender, told DAZN: "The coach is teaching me to get into the box like Mancini and Hermoso do. He gives me the freedom to go forward and get close to the opposition goal. We wanted to win, but at least we're bringing a point home." On his goals, he said: "It's the first time I've scored a brace. I feel really good in this team. They welcomed me in the best way from the first day. It feels like I've been here two or three years, and that has given me the strength to play the way I am." Gasperini said: "He and De Roon didn't take long to settle in, and their contribution has been extraordinary. Balerdi knows football, and he has crazy energy. He's a great reinforcement for us." Balerdi, in the words of the coach's praise, looks like the summer's standout signing so far, an extra starter who has made an immediate difference.