Roma push to seal Read deal as Feyenoord hold firm on €30m valuation

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.

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.

Rome's radio stations offered their analysis ahead of Roma's fixture against Inter on 19 September. The match has drawn keen attention from local media figures debating its tactical significance and implications for the title race. Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà (90.9) framed the occasion in stark terms for Roma's ambitions. "I'm waiting for a major response from a match that, from the perspective of ambition and objectives, can certainly deliver something," Torri said. "This is one of the most important matches Roma play under Friedkin ownership, like against Napoli last year. It's a big challenge and Roma has all the right credentials to look Inter in the eye without ever backing down. Roma's attacking trio can absolutely cause problems for Inter's defensive trio. Today in his press conference Gasperini won't give away too many clues." Nando Orsi of Radio Radio Mattino (104.5) acknowledged Inter as favourites but backed both sides to produce a high-quality contest. "They are two squads that play well and have characterful football," Orsi said. "I expect a big match that will show that these two teams, including Como, will be the main players in the title race." Simone Valdarchi of Radio Manà Manà noted tactical preparations from Gasperini, reporting that Wesley had been trialled on the right with Molina on the left, and that Lulli had also featured in testing. Valdarchi suggested Lorenzo Pellegrini might feature in an unexpected capacity if fresh, predicting a "surprise" starting role for the midfielder against Como.

Radio pundits debated Roma's chances against Inter in a key fixture, with assessments split on the balance of strength. Orsi told Radio Radio that Inter are slight favourites but framed it as a 50–50 or 49–51 proposition, describing both Roma and Inter—along with Como—as protagonists in the title race. "Sono due squadre che giocano bene e che hanno un gioco caratterizzato," he said. "Io mi aspetto una grande gara che testimonierà il fatto che queste due squadre, compreso il Como, saranno le protagoniste dello scudetto." He credited Chivu with personalising Inzaghi's game but noted he still has much to do, and contrasted that with Gasperini's approach: "Con Gasperini sono due pensieri diversi, ma entrambi danno identità alla squadra." Carina highlighted Roma's dominance and scoring rate but cautioned that they had not yet faced a squad of Inter's calibre. He predicted a tight contest: "Mi aspetto una bella partita, una gara con poche reti dove le squadre si studiano." He stressed that player quality, not coaching, would be decisive, noting that replacing Malen with most other Serie A forwards (except Inter's) would change the equation. Vanni saw Inter as favourites on current form but believed Roma could take satisfaction from a win, though he warned it would be hard for them to sustain the pace over the season. He singled out the absence of Calhanoglu as significant for Inter, explaining the midfielder's ability to thrive under pressure and eliminate the need for a playmaker. Pess analysed defensive arrangements and midfield balance ahead of the match. He expected N'Dicka to play in front of Balerdi against Inter and noted a conditional tactical shift: "Se dovesse giocare Molina, c'è la possibilità che Wesley vada a destra; se gioca Lulli, invece, rimane Lulli a destra." He also weighed the midfield: "Oggi Koné è più dominante di Barella."