Roma revives Nkunku pursuit as Mora talks stall; swap deal with Soulé explored

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.

Walter Sabatini, the former Roma sporting director, has praised the club's start to the season under Gian Piero Gasperini, declaring them genuine contenders for the Serie A title. Speaking to Tuttosport, Sabatini highlighted the strength of the current squad despite a lack of an attacking left winger. "I don't think Roma is suffering from this absence or any other gap in the squad today, because Roma really seems to be a serene candidate to fight all the way for the Scudetto given how they're playing," he said. "There's a formidable cohesion among the players and an unexpected physical condition from players like Paulo Dybala. There are all very positive centrifugal forces in Roma." Sabatini offered a measured assessment of midfielder Rodrigo Mora's impact on the club. "Players must have an impact according to what they are. I think Rodrigo is certainly a talented player, but not yet a talent—he's a player with a very consistent technical repertoire. But now he must test himself in a very tactically difficult league: they control him, they care for him, they mark him. And he must put himself in a position not to be swallowed by the field. Often footballers get swallowed by the field. And this must not happen with Rodrigo Mora," Sabatini explained. He stressed that Manu Koné is a fundamental player for Roma: "He's a central barrier that stops all the possible counterattacks of opponents and puts Roma straight back in attack because he wins many balls. Then now I see he's started to look for the goal and score, which was a limit he had—he never looked for the goal. Now that he's scored two goals in a match will probably ignite a passion... a new passion in him." When asked about accusations from Roma fans that he is a "Laziale" because of his previous work at Lazio, Sabatini rejected the label. "I don't care about it at all," he said. "I worked proudly at Lazio and I've always said so. I owe a lot to Lotito, because working with him for a few years allowed me to re-enter a world that was slipping away from me. After Lazio I went to Palermo and there my work was rewarded by results and the value of the players. I will never renounce the clubs I've worked for and I'm not offended if Roma fans say I'm a Laziale. Of course, I was a Laziale because I love the clubs I work for. And the same happened to me at Lazio. Naturally at Roma I had more time—Roma became the story of my life. All the time I spent at Roma is practically the time of my entire life, even in experiences and feelings outside the field." Sabatini compared Roma's current strength to Como under Andrés Fabregas, crediting Gasperini's tactical identity for Roma's success. "Roma under Gasperini right now is a very strong squad because there's cohesion on the field and a shared vision between coach and squad that produces an exceptional result," he said. Regarding the former Roma manager Daniele De Rossi, now facing difficulties at Genoa with a depleted squad, Sabatini offered no specific advice: "I wouldn't give him any advice because I know he has remarkable inner strength and he will use it, because the only thing a coach can do is resist."

Lorenzo Pellegrini is being considered as a new option on the left wing for Gasperini after regaining form over the past week. The midfielder is targeting a starting place against Como when training resumes, and will be trialled in the role that has lacked a settled incumbent. So far, Matías Soulé has been the primary choice with 353 minutes played, while Rodrigo Mora has featured for 187 minutes. Vincenzo Pincolini, the historic athletic trainer under Arrigo Sacchi at Milan, identified insufficient intensity as a key problem in Italian football. He cited Roma–Inter as a rare positive example of the standard required: "A match the likes of which you see only a couple of times in the entire season in our league. The intensity was extremely high." Pincolini referenced Paulo Dybala's performance with specific praise: "When did you last see him run like that? It is no accident that one of the two teams is coached by Gasperini." The trainer argued that narrowing the gap with foreign football depends above all on "training more". Francesco Totti received special tributes from friends, former teammates, supporters and sports figures. Roma released a video celebrating some of his greatest moments, while messages arrived from Roberto Gualtieri and Gianni Infantino. Former player Zago recalled an amusing detail: "In the middle of the night he started shouting, 'Give me the ball, give me the ball'. Then they explained to me that he often talked in his sleep."

Lorenzo Pellegrini has emerged as a third option for Gian Piero Gasperini to fill Roma's left-side vacancy this season, alongside Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé. The midfielder, who recently renewed his contract, has not played since 10 April but has recovered from injury and is targeting a starting place in Roma's first match after the international break away to Como on 11 October. Gasperini has been working through the national team break to find solutions for a position Roma did not adequately address in the transfer market. Pellegrini's return to full fitness during the latest training week opens an additional tactical choice as the club enters a demanding run of fixtures. The midfielder signalled his readiness on Instagram, writing: "The true happiness is being at peace with who you are." He spent the weekend with his family at the seaside and has now regained peak condition. Roma face a sprint month ahead: after the Como trip on 11 October comes three home fixtures—Real Madrid on 14 October, Genoa on 17 October, and Slovan Bratislava on 20 October—followed by the away trip to Napoli on 24 October. Gasperini is preparing to deploy all available resources across this intensive schedule.