Roma hold back on Luis Henrique as wage demands prove too steep

Leonardo Balerdi has impressed AS Roma in his opening weeks at the club, having arrived this summer from Marseille. The Argentine defender has quickly adapted to Gian Piero Gasperini's system and earned the coach's trust, establishing himself in Roma's defence. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma's leadership has few doubts about making his move permanent, viewing a definitive confirmation as virtually certain regardless of which contractual conditions are triggered. Barerdi arrived on a loan deal worth one million euros, paired with a purchase right that can become an obligation depending on specific performance targets. The fee Roma must pay Marseille is performance-based and structured around his playing time. If Balerdi reaches 55 per cent of available matches with at least 45 minutes played, the buyout stands at 14 million euros. Should his appearance percentage fall between 40 and 55 per cent, the cost drops to 11 million euros. With a minimum of 20 per cent of matches played, the figure would be 9 million euros. Beyond the contractual mechanisms, Balerdi's early-season displays have convinced Roma most. He has demonstrated the ability to meet Gasperini's tactical demands, showing composure in possession and leadership across the defensive line. Those qualities have earned him regular opportunities in rotation. His integration matters particularly given Gasperini's defensive system, which requires centre-backs to defend high up the pitch, regularly engage in one-on-one contests, and contribute to build-up play.

Roma's transfer activity over the summer has reinforced the club's historic connection with Argentina, adding Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé to three further Argentine arrivals: Nahuel Molina, Santiago Castro, and Leonardo Balerdi. No nation has been represented more heavily in Roma's history than Argentina: 41 Argentine players have worn the giallorossi shirt since the club's foundation in 1927. A secondary pattern, particularly pronounced from the 1990s onwards, links Roma to Boca Juniors specifically. Many of the Argentine players Roma has signed since Caniggia's era wore the Boca shirt before joining Roma, and in several cases returned there to finish their careers. Caniggia himself spent four seasons at Boca after his Roma spell, recording 58 appearances and 22 goals. In the 1990s and early 2000s, other significant names followed: Abel Balbo, Gabriel Batistuta, and Walter Samuel. Batistuta scored 13 goals in 30 appearances for Boca before moving to Florence and then Roma. Samuel won the Copa Libertadores with Boca in 77 appearances and 4 goals, then joined Roma in the year of the club's last Serie A title in 2001 for 25 billion lire. Other notable connections include Nicolas Burdisso and two midfielders central to Argentina's recent history: Fernando Gago, who made two separate moves between Roma and Boca with 70 appearances initially and 85 in his final stint before retirement, and Leandro Paredes, discovered by Sabatini at Boca and now returned to play at home. Diego Perotti played two loan matches at Boca from Sevilla before later joining Genoa and working with Gasperini. Molina was born and raised at Boca before transferring to Rosario Central. Since Caniggia in the early 1990s, Roma has signed 24 Argentine players overall, of whom 10—almost half—came from or had spells at Boca Juniors. Daniele De Rossi, a Roma icon, also chose to spend his final year at Boca before retirement.

Roman radio stations aired opinions on three key Roma stories on 28 September 2026. Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport (90.9) predicted that a new stadium would transform the club's finances. 'Today could be an important day for Roma's stadium,' Torri said. 'There should be final approval, then it will be up to Roma to build it and deliver it quickly. It would be a guarantee of revenue growth that would bring you closer to the elite of European football. There is an absolute need for the stadium, otherwise everything becomes complicated. For starters, you would no longer pay the rent on the stadium, which is several million euros. Plus there will be around a hundred suites that cost a lot of money to purchase for a year, and those can guarantee you 10–20 million euros a year. You could increase revenue by 30–40%.' Other commentators assessed Roma's recent decisions. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo (92.7) discussed the transfer of Gianluca Romano and a potential return for Francesco Totti at the 2027 centenary. 'On Romano, things have turned around: from a phenomenon he has become a flop,' Pes said. 'I hope the policy of rejuvenation continues, even if it means tough evenings like the one the other night. The road is long and uphill, but at least it is a road to travel. Totti? There is certainly coolness in relations with Roma, but I will leave a small door open for the centenary.' Francesca Ferrazza of Tele Radio Stereo (92.7) addressed a report about Francesco Totti's image rights and Roma's sale of shirts bearing his number 10. 'Roma has put the proceeds of shirts sold with the 10 in the accounts,' Ferrazza explained, 'and at that point Totti's legal team contacted Roma to discuss it. That is a different issue, because presented that way it looks as though Totti is obsessed with money.' Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio (104.5) praised Emanuele Lulli's display in a friendly match in England, saying the defender 'seems like a lad who deserves it' in Roma's context. Nando Orsi of Radio Radio (104.5) defended the loan of Romano to Spezia, noting that player development often takes time and that scouting errors must be minimised.