AS Roma strongly inclined to retain Leonardo Balerdi

AS Roma are set to retain Argentine defender Leonardo Balerdi on a permanent basis after his impressive performances since joining the team from Olympique Marseille last summer on a loan deal that includes a purchase option.

According to Fabrizio Romano, AS Roma are completely satisfied with the performance of their defender born in 1999, and the player feels happy in the Italian capital, which strengthens both parties' desire to continue their collaboration in the upcoming seasons, with no indications of a change in this direction at the moment.

The transfer agreement for Leonardo Balerdi includes variable conditions for activating the permanent purchase, with the amount rising to €14 million if he participates in at least 55% of the matches of the season for no less than 45 minutes in each match, while it decreases to €11 million if his participation ranges between 40% and 55%. The agreement also includes an additional condition that obliges AS Roma to purchase him for €9 million if the player participates in at least 20% of the matches in the second half of the season.

Leonardo Balerdi has impressed in recent weeks, notably scoring two goals against SSC Napoli in a match that ended in a 3-3 draw on October 24. He also played for 90 minutes against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League.