Roma pause Fofana deal over Lyon price as Gittens emerges as alternative

Leonardo Balerdi is on the verge of joining Roma on a loan deal with a right of purchase from Marseille, with the final details close to being settled. The move is structured as a loan with the right to buy becoming an obligation once certain conditions are met. In a separate development, the Jayden Oosterwolde transfer to Roma has unexpectedly revived after appearing to collapse days ago. According to reports from the Netherlands, Roma and Fenerbahce have reached a new agreement, overcoming the disagreements that had halted negotiations. However, the final piece remains outstanding: Oosterwolde's personal approval of the transfer to the Giallorossi is still required. Elsewhere, Paulo Fonseca addressed Malick Fofana's future ahead of Le Havre's match, saying: "We need to make a sale and selling Fofana is an opportunity, but he will be in the group with us for the next match." Roma has already agreed terms with the player, though Lyon continues to demand approximately €35 million to release him. In radio commentary, Pruzzo noted that Roma's Champions League path is challenging, with opponents of generally good quality: "You have to be ready to compete with everyone." Carina added that the draw could have been more favourable, with Fenerbahce being difficult to face away in Istanbul and Sporting Lisbon presenting another stern test.

Neil El Aynaoui has attracted interest from two European clubs in the final days of the transfer window. Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen have both expressed interest in the Roma midfielder, according to journalist Nicolò Schira. The English Premier League side has been monitoring the Moroccan for several days, and the German Bundesliga champions have now joined the race. Both clubs have made enquiries and gathered information on El Aynaoui's situation. Roma have not yet received any official offers for the 2001-born midfielder from either club. Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen have limited their approach to soundings and expressions of interest, with no formal negotiations underway. The interest extends across two of Europe's top competitions — Premier League and Bundesliga clubs are tracking his profile — but no concrete proposal for his transfer has been tabled so far. The focus remains firmly on preliminary discussions and information-gathering at this stage. With the summer transfer window drawing to a close, it remains unclear whether either side will move to a concrete approach. Roma are waiting to see if one of the two clubs decides to submit an official bid or whether their interest will remain purely exploratory. For now, the situation is confined to the early phases of the market, without any real negotiations having begun.

AS Roma are signing Nicolás Balerdi from Olympique Marseille as financial pressure forces the French club to sell. The centre-back will arrive at Trigoria as backup to Evan N'Dicka but can play across multiple defensive positions, including right-side centre-back in Gasperini's three-man defence. Under De Zerbi last season, Balerdi was one of Ligue 1's standout defenders, recording a pass accuracy of 92% and recovering 5.4 balls per 90 minutes. He frequently operated as a primary playmaker from the centre, averaging 82 touches per match. Roma have struggled to build play from the back since Paredes departed and lack a recognised deep midfielder—Balerdi's range of passing and composure in possession could become a key asset in Gasperini's system.