Pellegrini set for renewal with significant wage cut

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.

Roma host Inter at the Olimpico in a top-of-the-table clash, both sides arriving unbeaten after four matches and seeking to reach the first international break in first place. Gasperini has a full squad available with no absences. In defence, the established trio of Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso is confirmed, with no surprise inclusion for Balerdi. Molina and Wesley operate on the flanks, Koné and Cristante patrol midfield, and Soulé lines up in the attacking three behind Malen, with Dybala in support. Roma field a 3-4-2-1 formation: Svilar in goal, Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso at the back, Molina and Wesley as wing-backs, Cristante and Koné in central midfield, Soulé and Dybala in the attacking midfield positions, and Malen as the lead forward. On the bench are Gollini, De Marzi, Ghilardi, Rensch, Koulierakis, Lulli, Pisilli, Pellegrini, de Roon, Castro and Mora. Inter deploy a 3-5-2 with Martinez, Bisseck, Akanji and Bastoni in defence, Diouf, Barella, Zielinski, Jones and Dimarco in midfield, and Lautaro Martinez and Thuram in attack.

Santiago Castro has praised the atmosphere at Roma ahead of tomorrow's match against Inter, saying the coach creates an environment where every player feels valued. Speaking to DAZN hours before kick-off, the 21-year-old Argentine highlighted the quality of his teammates and Gasperini's man-management approach. "With him you never feel like a reserve or a starter," Castro said. "You always have to be ready, always at your best, both in training and in matches. That's really important and I think it makes all the players feel good." Castro, who joined Roma from Bologna, drew a contrast between the two clubs' squads. "When you arrive at a team like Roma you find players in front of you like Dybala, Malen, Pellegrini, Soulé and now Rodrigo Mora has also arrived. We have many high-level players," he explained. "At Bologna I found many quality players too, like Bernardeschi, Orsolini, Rowe, Zirkzee and Ndoye. I'm happy because I can take something from every teammate and always learn." He singled out Dybala and Malen for special praise, describing them as players who impress fans every week but reveal far more in daily training. "Paulo has a left foot that few people have. I think he's one of the best left-footed players in Italy's history, even at world level," Castro said. "From Donyell you have to take that meanness to go and score goals, the cunning, the movements he has and then the shot, which is crazy." Gasperini's tactical demands on Castro focus on positioning and team play. "The main thing the manager asks me is to always keep my body facing the goal, not to always play with my back to goal because that way I'm not dangerous," Castro explained. "He asks me to always be in the match, to attack, to play for the team. For him it's important to score goals, but also to give an assist, because that's something that helps the team and gives a great hand to everyone." Castro also reflected on his debut at the Olimpico against Atalanta, calling it "a moment of great pride" and crediting the fans for their support during the match. On Inter's challenge, Castro acknowledged the quality of both squads. "It will always be difficult to face teams with this type of players, because they also, like us, have world-class players and big names," he said. "It will be a beautiful match to watch from outside: a hot stadium, two teams that arrive well, with the same points, many goals scored and few conceded. It will definitely be nice to see." Roma and Inter sit level on points after four matches. Castro also praised Lautaro Martinez as "a very strong player" and captain of one of Italy's biggest teams.

Santiago Castro has given his first substantial interview since joining Roma, speaking to DAZN about his early weeks at the club, his relationship with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, and the quality of his fellow attackers. The 21-year-old Argentine striker, who arrived this summer from Bologna, reflected on the step up in class and the challenge of competing with established forwards in the Giallorossi squad. Castro highlighted the calibre of his new teammates, naming Paulo Dybala, Donyell Malen, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora as examples of the standard he now faces daily. He said: "Sì, certo. Quando arrivi in una squadra come la Roma ti trovi davanti giocatori come Dybala, Malen, Pellegrini, Soulé e adesso è arrivato anche Rodrigo Mora." On training alongside Dybala and Malen, he remarked: "Paulo e Donyell sono giocatori che impressionano i tifosi ogni settimana e noi che li vediamo ogni giorno. Noi che ci alleniamo con loro vediamo cose che sembrano appartenere a un altro sport." He praised Dybala's left foot as among the finest in Italy and the world, and commended Malen's aggression, movement and shooting ability. Gasperini's management style has impressed Castro, who said the coach emphasizes constant readiness over any hierarchy of starting players. "Con lui non ti senti mai una riserva o un titolare: devi sempre essere pronto, sempre al massimo, sia in allenamento sia in partita," Castro explained. The striker also recalled his debut at the Olimpico against Atalanta as a proud moment at age 21, noting the warmth of the crowd as a powerful motivator. He expressed respect for Inter's Lautaro Martinez ahead of the upcoming fixture, describing him as "un grandissimo giocatore, molto forte" and noting his consistency in Serie A and leadership of one of Italy's biggest clubs. Castro also touched on the group atmosphere at Roma, mentioning the presence of several Argentine players and praising the cohesion with staff and international teammates alike. On wearing the number 9 shirt, he said: "È bello pensare a tutti i giocatori che hanno avuto la numero 9 nella Roma. Sono stati tanti e hanno fatto tantissime cose importanti, come Balbo e altri grandi attaccanti. Io spero solamente di riuscire a fare anche solo una piccola parte di quello che hanno fatto loro."