Roma probe Schade and seek left-back alternatives as Gasperini loses patience with Angeliño

Leonardo Balerdi has posted an emotional farewell to Olympique Marseille, the club he has just left to join Roma this summer. The defender, who served as Marseille captain and made 200 appearances for the French side, shared a video message addressed to the club's supporters and staff. He has already featured in Roma's opening two matches, coming off the bench and delivering strong performances. Bareldi joined Roma as the club's final summer signing and quickly integrated into Gian Piero Gasperini's squad. His departure from Marseille marks the end of a significant chapter; he arrived at the club as a 21-year-old with limited professional experience and progressed to captain the institution before this move. In his message, Balerdi said: "This message is directed at all Marseille people. This day had to arrive. I left some days pass because it wasn't easy for me. I write this with a kind of lump in my chest, a feeling hard to express. I leave my home, a special place, a place that will have a place in my heart for my whole life. A place that opened its doors to me and saw me grow over the years. From that 21-year-old boy who had only a few professional matches under his belt to the day I had the fortune and pride to become captain of this great institution and wear its shirt 200 times—a shirt so special to me. "Marseille is a unique city. Sometimes it makes you fly to touch the sky, and sometimes it makes you feel exactly the opposite. Not everything has always been perfect, but that too is part of what makes this place so special and makes you feel alive. I have only words of gratitude for the supporters. You are a unique crowd, who never stop cheering, who push to never lower your guard. You who are there for the club every day, sometimes putting your own lives aside for this great squad and who make the Vélodrome one of the most mythical stadiums in the world. "I want to thank all the people I shared this adventure with from day one: management, staff, teammates and employees. Many work in the shadows, but they are incredible professionals and above all extraordinary people. Thank you for helping me grow, to progress and for being there in the good moments and the bad ones. I leave with a peaceful spirit, with the certainty of having given everything, every drop of sweat, physically and mentally, for this club that I love so much."

Leonardo Balerdi has posted a farewell message to Olympique de Marseille nearly two weeks after his arrival at Roma. In an emotional social media statement, the defender thanked the club, its supporters and staff for his time in France, where he made 200 appearances and served as captain. "This day had to come," Balerdi wrote. "I leave my home, a special place that will hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life. A place that welcomed me and saw me grow over the years. From that twenty-one-year-old with only a few professional matches to my name, to the day I had the honour and pride of becoming captain of this great club and wearing its shirt, so special to me, 200 times. Marseille is a unique city. Sometimes it makes you feel like you're flying, other times it makes you feel the exact opposite. It hasn't always been perfect, but that's also part of what makes this place so special and makes you feel alive." Bareldi expressed particular gratitude to the Vélodrome crowd, calling them "a unique public that never stops encouraging us, spurring us to never give up. You are always present for the club, sometimes putting your lives aside for this great society, and you make the Vélodrome one of the most legendary stadiums in the world." He also thanked the Marseille hierarchy, coaching staff, teammates and employees behind the scenes, describing them as "incredible professionals and, above all, extraordinary people." He concluded: "I leave with a clear conscience, certain that I gave everything, to the last drop of sweat, physically and mentally, for this club that I love so much. I gave my best, just as you do every weekend and as every Marseille person does in their daily life. Marseille and Olympique de Marseille, thank you, thank you and thank you again. I will be the first to celebrate with you."

Leonardo Balerdi rejected a loan offer from Boca Juniors to secure a move to Roma during this summer's transfer window. Boca manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena had personally contacted the Argentine defender, who grew up in the Buenos Aires club's youth academy and made his senior debut there in late 2018, intending to strengthen the backline. However, Roma's proposal proved decisive. According to TyC Sports journalist Julio Pavoni, Arruabarrena's call came roughly twenty days ago and was facilitated by a shared agent between the two clubs. Boca had tabled a one-year loan arrangement, but Balerdi was already weighing a more significant opportunity. The defender's response was unambiguous: "I'm not letting this chance slip away." His decision to prioritise Roma underscores the appeal of a move to the Italian club over a return to his formative football home.

Roma's loanees across Italy and Europe made an impact on the weekend. Artem Dovbyk was the standout performer, coming off the bench in the 66th minute for Bologna against Sassuolo and scoring the equaliser in the 91st minute to secure a 2–2 draw and the Rossoblu's first point of the season. The Ukrainian striker's decisive finish came in an Emilia derby on loan with a right of redemption clause. Elsewhere, young goalkeeper Radoslaw Zelezny put in a strong performance for Perugia in their 2–1 victory over Pineto, playing all 90 minutes as the side's first-choice keeper. The 2006-born Zelezny was blameless for the goal conceded and made several crucial saves, including a high-quality intervention in the first half and a decisive stop in the second. He is on loan at the Umbrian club with an option and counter-option attached. Midfield prospect Alessandro Romano again started for Cagliari in Serie A, remaining on the pitch for the full 90 minutes as the Sardinians won 1–0 away at Lecce thanks to a Daniel Maldini goal in the 29th minute. Romano's loan includes an obligation to buy if certain sporting conditions are met. Neil El Aynaoui made an immediate first-team debut for RB Leipzig, starting in the away fixture against Werder Brema and playing until the 75th minute. However, Leipzig suffered a 3–1 defeat. The Moroccan midfielder's move is on loan with a right of redemption. Filippo Reale, a 2006-born defender, played the full 90 minutes for Carrarese on the flank in their 1–0 home loss to Empoli, conceding in the 74th minute; he is on loan with an option and counter-option in Roma's favour. Luigi Cherubini started in attack for Benevento in the first half at Ascoli before being substituted at the interval; Benevento were reduced to ten men in the 41st minute by Prisco's red card and lost 1–0 to a Brunori penalty in the closing stages. Cherubini's loan includes a right of option and obligation to buy. Mattia Mannini received his first call-up after joining Benevento on loan but remained unused from the bench in the same Ascoli defeat. Angeliño was an unused substitute as Deportivo La Coruña won 3–2 away at Villarreal in La Liga. Robinio Vaz was included in a Premier League squad for the first time after a late-market transfer to Hull City but did not feature in a 0–0 draw with Aston Villa. Jan Ziółkowski was unavailable for Monza's away trip to Parma—which ended 1–1—due to a plantar fascia problem requiring monitoring. Marash Kumbulla likewise missed Rayo Vallecano's 3–2 victory over Racing Santander as he continues to deal with a knee issue.

Roma closed the summer transfer window with a tactical anomaly on the flanks that Gasperini must now correct. The club welcomed Nahuel Molina, an international-level operator, and promoted Emanuele Lulli from the Primavera, but departed with three established wide players: Zeki Çelik despite a renewal near completion (he chose Juventus), Kostas Tsimikas at the end of his loan spell, and Angeliño on a permanent exit. From 1 September, Gasperini has four full-backs available—Wesley, Devyne Rensch, Molina and Lulli—with a critical shared characteristic: all four are naturally right-footed. In a system where wide players are fundamental, this represents a significant imbalance that demands correction. The left flank presents a particular problem. Wesley, who proved a credible option there last season when Angeliño suffered injuries and Tsimikas disappointed, operates from an inverted position—offering a diagonal cut inside toward attacking midfielders but sacrificing natural overlapping runs and first-time crosses. This inversion does suit the movement style of Donyell Malen, a forward more suited to fluid attacking play than penalty-box poaching. On the right last season, Çelik provided physical reliability; in the opening two league matches of the current campaign, Lulli has dominated the position. The 2007-born academy product is carving out his space with force, quality and intent, constraining Molina's deployment. The Argentine debutant, not yet at full fitness, entered Monday's match against Lecce at the hour mark when the contest was settled after 25 minutes, positioned on the left flank rather than his natural right, then shifted across later with Lulli moving to the opposite wing. Rensch, who remains unavailable, can operate on both flanks. Salah-Eddine, a genuine left-footer in the squad, has been excluded from the Champions League list and is outside Gasperini's project. During the three-month summer window, Roma pursued numerous full-back profiles—Fresneda, Cacciamani, Read, Moreira and Luiz Henrique among them—prompting discussion of Wesley returning to the right flank. None materialised, leaving the club with four naturally right-footed wide defenders. Gasperini's Atalanta tenure established the template for offensive wing-back football: over nine years in Bergamo, he consistently deployed pure left-footers on the left (Gosens, Ruggeri, Reca, Bakker) or right-footed players with exceptional weak-foot technique or cut-inside dribbling (Spinazzola, Mæhle, Castagne). Gosens and Ruggeri delivered eye-catching output: 12 goals and 8 assists in 2020-21 for the former; 2 goals and 6 assists in 2023-24 for the latter. The most concrete path forward at Roma appears to be Wesley's cut-inside dribbling combined with attacking-midfielder interplay. However, a move into the free-agent market remains possible: Guerreiro, returning after a decade between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, represents the ideal profile for the left flank, though explosive pace is not his hallmark. Diatta is also on the radar; he can fill all wide positions and could serve a dual-role function.

AS Roma faces UEFA review of its settlement agreement compliance after a summer transfer window costing approximately 125 million euros in purchases and 30 million in sales, with capital gains reaching only 25 million. The club will defend its position to UEFA at Nyon by highlighting a dramatic reduction in the wage bill—the primary evidence it claims of its sustainability strategy. Last season the payroll exceeded 133 million euros gross; it has now fallen to around 113 million, moving closer to the 100-million target. The wage cuts stem largely from player departures including Zaragoza, Çelik, Angeliño, Tsimikas, El Shaarawy and Dovbyk. The signing of Santiago Castro, a younger player with a lower salary spread across multiple years, exemplifies Roma's shift in strategy. Significant savings also came from the exits of El Aynaoui, Vaz, Ziółkowski and Kumbulla. Contract renewals for Dybala, Mancini, Cristante and Pellegrini followed the same model, reducing the fixed portion of salaries in favour of performance and appearance bonuses; these four extensions alone saved approximately 15 million euros. New arrivals Castro, Mora, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi and De Roon will cost around 25 million euros gross combined. Roma's overall wage reduction stands close to 45 million euros, reflecting the club's revised commercial approach as it attempts to satisfy UEFA's conditions set out in the 2022 settlement agreement.

Panathinaikos have returned to the pursuit of Roma winger Salah-Eddine, according to journalist Ekrem Konur, with the Greek club evaluating the player as a potential signing. The wide player no longer features in Roma's technical plans, a position head coach Gian Piero Gasperini had clarified publicly in recent weeks. Greece's transfer window remains open until 15 September, and Panathinaikos are attempting to convince Salah-Eddine, who had previously rejected Greek approaches. The move would offer Salah-Eddine regular playing time and continuity after being sidelined in Roma's project. The outcome depends on the player's decision. Italian domestic transfers closed before this date, but players may still leave for moves abroad during remaining foreign windows.

Roma's radio stations weighed in on the club's Champions League campaign launch and squad decisions ahead of Thursday's fixture in Istanbul. Roberto Pruzzo told Radio Radio he saw no red flags in the project: "The sensation around Roma is absolutely positive, there seems to be only one path and they are following it. Everyone is behind the manager, and that feels like the most positive signal. There are technical qualities that let the coach make changes when necessary without negative impact. Right now I don't see any downsides. Until the break I expect Roma to physically surprise opponents—I think they've done targeted planning to go 200 kilometres per hour until the break." Staff changes dominated discussion of squad depth. Ilario Di Giovambattista reported that Nahuel Molina would play against Fenerbahce, while Lorenzo Pellegrini's first call-up would come at Torino. Paolo Marcacci anticipated "surgical changes" for Istanbul, potentially including Santiago Castro for Donyell Malen up front. Paolo Cosenza and Piero Torri both attacked the travel ban on Roma province residents, with Torri calling it "totally unconstitutional" and urging the club to take an official stand. "Why can't I go to Torino to watch Roma? What have I done wrong?" Torri asked. "If there is individual responsibility, the state must guarantee me freedom." Alessio Nardo questioned Gasperini's handling of Salah-Eddine, who has rejected all offers with only the Mexican market remaining open. "He's turned everything down and now he's just going to graze at Trigoria with no real ambition until January," Nardo said. "When Salah-Eddine isn't considered and is out of the project, and when Guerreiro—who played for Bayern Munich last season—is immediately discarded, it makes me think the left-back position is a priority for Gasperini. But he doesn't seem to have chased it aggressively on the market. Salah-Eddine played in a World Cup and African Cup of Nations. If Kostas Tsimikas was there last season, maybe he deserved a chance. Clearly Gasperini really hates him." Lorenzo Pes added that Gasperini had made no current reassessment: "He's stuck with the view he had a year ago. Salah-Eddine doesn't have the characteristics Gasperini wants in his wing-backs." Roma's opening Champions League fixture comes Thursday at 18:45 in Istanbul against Fenerbahce. David Rossi noted the absence of Aurélien Guendouzi and flagged environmental difficulty alongside technical challenge. Nando Orsi backed the title ambition, calling the league Roma's "indubitable objective" while viewing Napoli as in a particular moment and Inter focused on Champions League victory.

Gian Piero Gasperini has committed firmly to Roma ahead of the match against Atalanta, saying he is emotionally invested in the club despite transfer speculation. At his pre-match press conference, the head coach rejected suggestions that Roma would pursue free agents to fill gaps at left-back, specifically addressing rumours of interest in Zinchenko and Guerreiro. "I'm in love with this Roma, this is an environment where you enjoy coming to," Gasperini said. "Regardless of results, ours is a very healthy environment." On the transfer market: "I believe it's difficult to draw from the free-agent market. I don't know what the possibilities might be, but I wouldn't count on it much." Gasperini also confirmed that Salah-Eddine has no future at the club after rejecting multiple opportunities. "He's had quite a few chances and turned them down. I've already made my choices and he doesn't fit into our plans," the coach explained. On his personal freedom, he added: "I feel free to socialise with whoever I want." Sarri, managing the visiting Atalanta side, praised Roma during the conference and will be without two players for the match at the Olimpico.

Zeki Çelik's departure this summer has proven beneficial for Roma, with the Turkish defender struggling at his new club while the Giallorossi have found capable alternatives. Çelik, who had agreed a renewal with Roma before changing his mind to join another side, has posted uninspiring numbers in his opening matches. Against Milan yesterday he recorded zero successful crosses, matching the same figure across his previous two outings against Parma and Frosinone. Social media criticism has already mounted, with fans questioning the absence of a 'Çelik cam'—a reference to a video DAZN produced weeks earlier following his first friendly appearance. His exit has cleared the path for Emanuele Lulli, who has become integral to Gasperini's setup. Initially withdrawn from the transfer market, Lulli started in all three of Roma's opening matches and has impressed the coaching staff considerably. Equally significant is the emergence of Nahuel Molina, the Argentine fullback who is continuing to build his fitness following Argentina's run to the World Cup final. Against Atalanta, Molina made a decisive 36-minute appearance, creating multiple dangerous situations and setting up a header from Santiago Castro that struck the crossbar. He recorded 100 per cent of tackles won and 90 per cent pass accuracy. Roma's first Champions League fixture arrives Thursday against Feyenoord, with Molina and Lulli in direct competition for the fullback berth. Molina's experience in high-pressure stadiums should serve him well as Roma prepare for what the article describes as an extremely hostile environment.

Roma are flying this season, and Gian Piero Gasperini has been central to building a unity across the club that extends from the pitch to the boardroom. The coach has overseen a start to the campaign that may rival even the magical 2000–01 season. After comfortable victories over Fiorentina and Lecce, Roma faced a severe test against Atalanta on Saturday and managed not only to win but to overturn the flow of the match—playing what the commentary describes as "winning in the Mourinho way while playing Gasperini football." The side showed genuine compactness in that contest, particularly during difficult moments when they could have faltered; instead, the entire Roma family—players, management, staff and supporters—rallied together. Gasperini has also brought D'Amico onto the coaching staff to ensure everyone speaks the same language, an approach likened to a well-coordinated naval fleet where no one rows against the current. The appointment of the right people and the absence of internal division have created an environment where squad, leadership and fanbase all pull in the same direction. On the pitch, Roma deployed what appeared to be 13 players rather than 11 against Atalanta, a testament to the collective spirit that has taken root. The article contrasts Roma's current harmony with the pattern of internal factions that has plagued the club in the past, noting that some external commentators have already prepared critiques—whether about Zeki Çelik's non-renewal, spending on Rodrigo Mora or Santiago Castro, or other decisions—but results are rendering those arguments moot. The article frames Roma's trajectory as one where polemica (internal dispute) is being actively rejected in favour of unified purpose, suggesting the club is moving in a markedly different direction from its historical tendency toward division.

Zeki Çelik's departure from Roma has proved no source of regret, particularly given how his exit has benefited the club's defensive options. The Turkish defender, who chose not to renew his Roma contract and joined Torino, made a slow start at his new club. In yesterday's match against Milan, he completed zero successful crosses, a tally he matched in earlier friendlies against Parma and Frosinone. Social media criticism emerged, with supporters questioning whether the club would repeat a promotional video similar to one released by Dazn weeks earlier following Çelik's opening pre-season appearance. Celik's departure has cleared space for Emanuele Lulli, who was removed from the transfer market and has impressed considerably. The 2007-born defender started all three pre-season matches and has largely convinced onlookers. Nearby, Nahuel Molina is gradually building match fitness despite still recovering from the demands of Argentina's World Cup campaign, which reached the final. His performances with Roma have proven decisive. Over thirty-six minutes, Molina won 100 per cent of his duels, achieved 90 per cent passing accuracy and created a clear chance that Santiago Castro struck against the crossbar. Roma face Fenerbahçe in their opening Champions League fixture on Thursday, which will reignite the battle between Lulli and Molina for the full-back position. The away venue promises to be an intense atmosphere, though Molina has shown no fear of such occasions. His experience at this level will be invaluable as Roma look to navigate European football's biggest stage.