Profile: Leonardo Balerdi — regista's feet, Argentine character and a calf to monitor

Roma have approved the sale of Jan Ziółkowski to Monza on loan with a €18 million purchase option. The defender's departure clears the way for the club to pursue Aston Balerdi from Olympique Marseille, with director D'Amico negotiating a loan deal with an obligation to buy, subject to conditions. Bareldi was a genuine target for Roma a year ago, when Marseille rejected a move and demanded €30 million. The two clubs are now in talks over different terms. The Argentine centre-back has already agreed personal terms with Roma, as he had a year prior, and is awaiting confirmation to travel to the capital. His arrival would make Balerdi the fifth Argentine player in Roma's squad.

Roma have submitted a bid to Olympique Marseille for centre-back Leonardo Balerdi on a loan deal with a conditional obligation to buy. According to Gianluca Di Marzio's report, the proposal centres on a loan with a right of rescission that would convert to an obligation upon the fulfilment of certain conditions. No fees or specific conditions triggering a permanent deal have been disclosed. The move signals a shift in Roma's defensive recruitment strategy under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini as the club seeks to bolster its back line. Bareldi, 27, is an Argentine centre-back standing approximately 1.88 metres tall and right-footed. He joined Europe in 2019 with Borussia Dortmund before moving to Marseille, where he has been a regular since 2020. He has also earned caps for the Argentine national team. Roma's interest adds an experienced international profile to their list of possible defensive reinforcements, and the outcome will now depend on Marseille's response and whether the two clubs can find common ground on the proposed structure.

AS Roma continue their search for a winger, with Malick Fofana remaining on their list of targets. Lyon's elimination from the Champions League has forced the French club to consider selling, and ahead of their match against Le Havre, Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca addressed the situation. Fonseca said: "We need to make a sale and selling Fofana is an opportunity but he will be in the squad with us for the next match." Roma have already agreed terms with the player; Lyon are asking approximately €35 million. Chelsea's Gittens is also being tracked and is currently the favourite option on Roma's shortlist.

Roma have approved the sale of Jan Ziółkowski to Monza on loan with a €18 million purchase option. The defender's departure clears the way for the club to pursue Aston Balerdi from Olympique Marseille, with director D'Amico negotiating a loan deal with an obligation to buy, subject to conditions. Bareldi was a genuine target for Roma a year ago, when Marseille rejected a move and demanded €30 million. The two clubs are now in talks over different terms. The Argentine centre-back has already agreed personal terms with Roma, as he had a year prior, and is awaiting confirmation to travel to the capital. His arrival would make Balerdi the fifth Argentine player in Roma's squad.

Negotiations between Roma and Nottingham Forest over Morato remain deadlocked, with the two clubs unable to agree on the structure of a potential transfer. According to Matteo Moretto, the parties are far apart on the terms: Nottingham Forest will only consider a permanent sale, while Roma want to bring the Brazilian in on loan. The standoff has wider consequences for Roma's outgoings — the club will not give the green light for Jan Ziółkowski's move to Monza until the Morato situation is resolved. Roma's recruitment team will seek to unlock the impasse in coming contacts. The club is also pursuing other defensive targets on a temporary basis. Monaco's Kehrer is on the radar, and like Morato, Roma have requested him on loan rather than a permanent deal.

Roma are working on multiple fronts as the summer transfer window enters its final phase. Forward Robinio Vaz (19) is close to joining Hull City on a loan deal worth €2 million with a €30 million option to buy, though the move hinges on the player's final approval. Roma and Hull have already agreed the structure, and today an meeting between the English club and Vaz's agents is scheduled to secure his decision. The departure would free space for Roma to bring in an attacking midfielder, a priority shared between the club and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Roma's main targets for that position remain Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (22) from Chelsea and Malick Fofana (21) from Lyon. However, Bynoe-Gittens has become the preferred option in recent days because Gasperini favours his physical attributes and ability to attack goal. Roma have made a fresh approach to Chelsea hoping to reopen talks on a loan, having previously proposed around €3 million for the loan plus a purchase option between €37 and €40 million, which was rejected. Interest in Fofana has cooled after Roma's acquisition of Rodrigo Mora; the club initially reached a framework with Lyon around €30 million plus add-ons, but now can only realistically offer a loan with a purchase option. Concerns also remain about the Belgian's physical condition following ankle problems. Elsewhere, Roma are exploring defensive reinforcements. Nayef Aguerd (30), the Marseille centre-back, has entered the club's evaluation list as a potential loan option to complete the defence. The centre-half market is evolving as Morato (25) of Nottingham Forest has lost ground—Gasperini was reportedly not fully convinced—and other options including Kehrer are being assessed. Roma are also tracking Rocco Vata (21), an Irish winger at Watford, though this remains only an exploratory inquiry so far. Competition for targets is increasing: Hull City has also declared interest in Fofana, and Bologna are monitoring Vata. On the departures front, Neil El Aynaoui (25) is subject to sustained interest from the Premier League and Bundesliga, though Roma prefer a permanent sale while receiving mostly loan proposals, particularly from Germany. Any departure of Aynaoui could prompt Roma to seek a replacement on similar financial terms. A new centre-back arrival is also conditional on Jan Ziółkowski leaving, which Roma will only authorize once a replacement is secured. Roma are also continuing to develop young talent: 17-year-old Ante Mardešić, a Croatian midfielder from Trnje, has spent two weeks on trial at Trigoria and reportedly impressed the coaching staff; Roma now intend to push to sign him and integrate him into their academy setup.