Roma and Feyenoord at stalemate over Read as second offer rejected

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.

Inter have tracked several Roma players across multiple transfer windows, with some coming closer to a move than others. Mile Svilar was a target in summer 2025 before he renewed his contract with Roma, while contacts were made with Gianluca Mancini's representatives in early July when his deal was set to expire in 2027. Nahuel Molina was examined as a possible replacement for Dumfries, and in spring Inter president Marotta considered Lorenzo Pellegrini as an option. The most serious pursuit came in summer 2025 when director Ausilio agreed a deal with Roma's then sporting director Massara for Manu Koné on 15 August—reportedly worth 40 million euros plus bonuses—but Roma's ownership halted the transfer following supporter unrest. Paulo Dybala represents perhaps the most intriguing near-miss. In June 2022, fresh from leaving Juventus, his agent secured an agreement with Inter for a contract worth 6 million euros. The move collapsed when Inter owner Zhang hesitated, head coach Simone Inzaghi harboured doubts about the fit, and the club could not offload Alexis Correa elsewhere. Inter ultimately pivoted to bringing Romelu Lukaku back on loan instead. The article, published by Federico Masini in Tuttosport, frames these overlapping negotiations as a series of alternate paths in the transfer market. It traces how each of these Roma players—Svilar, Mancini, Pellegrini, Molina, Koné and Dybala—has at different times occupied Inter's thinking, whether as established targets or passing considerations.

Ahead of the big match between Roma and Inter, the transfer market reveals a thread connecting the two clubs over recent years: failed negotiations, hidden probes and shared targets that have intertwined their strategies from goalkeeper to attack. Inter considered Mile Svilar before his 2025 renewal, and came close to signing Mario Hermoso in 2024 before Oaktree's green-line policy on free transfers halted the move. The Nerazzurri also evaluated Evan N'Dicka and Gianluca Mancini, though the latter never wavered in his commitment to Roma despite Inter's interest. The clubs also conducted scouting missions for Nahuel Molina and Lorenzo Pellegrini on the flanks and in midfield. The biggest near-miss involved Manu Koné: in summer 2025, Inter reached an agreement worth 40 million euros, but Roma's ownership blocked the deal after a strong reaction from the supporters. The greatest regret for Inter remains Paulo Dybala, who came very close to joining the Nerazzurri in 2022. Zhang began to waver, Inzaghi was not entirely convinced, and Inter ultimately chose to pursue Lukaku's return on loan instead. That decision effectively cleared the path for Dybala's historic move to Roma.

Gian Piero Gasperini held his pre-match press conference on the eve of Roma's encounter with Inter at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, 19 September at 18:00. Roma arrive at the fixture with a perfect record after four matches, level on points with Inter at the top of the Serie A table. The coach acknowledged the significance of the clash as the season's first major test. Gasperini emphasised the positive atmosphere surrounding the match. "There is satisfaction in arriving at such an important fixture in this league position. It's a great appointment, a full stadium, tremendous enthusiasm. I would dwell on this feeling of a much-anticipated match at the start of the season, very positive on both sides," he said. Asked whether the enthusiasm posed a risk, he replied: "No, these are positive energies that must be gathered. Of course, when things go less well there is the risk of becoming too depressed. We think about playing in a favourable environment—these are fine matches to play, also for the people." On Inter's status as the season's benchmark, Gasperini stated: "Inter is the reference team of our championship, doing extraordinary things in Italy and also in Europe. It is a very strong team. For other teams it is a reference point to try to draw closer, precisely because Inter's strength at this moment is recognised." He confirmed that all players would be available for Saturday, including Koné, N'Dicka, Wesley, and Pellegrini. "I continue to cross my fingers: we all are here for tomorrow, and that alone is an extraordinary result. Some minor bumps are normal; today there is the final training session and even the small things will be overcome. Pellegrini is in his second week of training, can do everything, is available. In his case the long break may be useful—we will see if it is worth doing some friendlies," Gasperini said. He also defended his tactical flexibility, noting that tactical choices were made to win matches. "I did it with Atalanta by putting two defenders, but to win it, not to lose it. One must get used to changes of defenders; when you change attackers this should also be considered." Referee Massa will handle the match on Saturday. Gasperini concluded by stressing continuity: "I expect nothing different from what we have done until now. We must arrive aware that we have been clever in creating this type of match, and we will try to play at the best of our possibilities."

Roma have roughly 24 hours until their big match against Inter. Gasperini will resolve his final team selection doubts today, with the full squad available to him. Wesley's positioning remains uncertain—he could return to the right flank, with Nahuel Molina moving to the left to contain Dimarco. The squad will train this afternoon before retreating to Trigoria for the night, staying at the centre to maintain group cohesion and full concentration ahead of tomorrow's fixture. Gasperini is determined to prevent any lapse in focus for a match that already carries title-race significance.

Radio commentators across Rome's main sports stations weighed in on Saturday's clash between Roma and Inter, the league leaders, with opinion divided over which team should be considered favourites and how Gasperini should set up his squad. Giancarlo Padovan backed Roma at 60–40 odds, saying: "The value will show itself over time. I give Roma 60% and Inter 40%; for me Roma wins tomorrow. But this is a discussion that must be seen over the long term. Roma is playing better and will assert its form, its enthusiasm, and for that reason Roma wins. But the championship is not finished: Inter's values will come out, and the head-to-head with Roma will go on until the end of the championship. Inter is capable of recovering any gap that might open tomorrow." David Rossi warned against complacency: "I see a danger — the idea is creeping into the Roma soul that we are favourites tomorrow, and I don't like this thing. Roma is a very important squad, but we must not fall into the error of thinking we are favourites. If Roma won tomorrow, and after five matches found itself top with a perfect record after winning the direct clash, would you think it is the favourite for the Scudetto? I don't. For me Inter would remain the favourite." Stefano Agresti called it level: "Roma is certainly playing better, the numbers say so — it has won matches dominating, some also under pressure — but I cannot forget what Inter is and its strength: I believe it continues to have something more than Roma as a squad. For me it is truly even." On team selection, Gianluca Piacentini suggested deploying Balerdi, Lulli and Pisilli as trequartista with Dybala and Malen in front, arguing that using a high midfielder would not abandon Gasperini's football. Lorenzo Pes favoured N'Dicka over Balerdi on Saturday evening because of structure, and predicted Wesley would move to the right flank for a duel with Dimarco if Molina played on the left. Alessio Nardo offered tactical advice: "I would give advice to our players for Saturday's match against Inter: shoot — shoot on goal. Martinez is a goalkeeper who is now insecure, suffering the moment. With the Olimpico being a cauldron and putting pressure, let us try to engage him and expose his limits." Piero Torri cautioned that after the international break, Como–Roma would be extremely tough, especially with South American players departing: "When the South Americans leave it is always tough: there is the long journey and the time zone to absorb."