Leonardo Balerdi leaves OM for AS Roma on loan with option to buy | OneFootball

Leonardo Balerdi has left Marseille after six years, joining AS Roma on loan with an option to buy, both clubs announced on Sunday. The Argentina defender is 27.

He arrived in July 2020 having played only a handful of senior matches. At OM he served as captain and the squad’s longest-serving member, making 200 appearances.

His performances were inconsistent, mixing standout displays with high-profile errors, and he was sometimes targeted by OM fans. In early August he was booed during a friendly against Atlético Madrid after a mistake led to a goal.

He has 11 caps for Argentina. His departure will allow OM to continue their austerity measures and slightly reduce an oversized wage bill.

With the window closing on Tuesday, OM have not made a signing and have already parted with Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Geronimo Rulli, Facundo Medina and Hamed Traoré, plus several loanees including Pavard and Vermeeren.

Roma will contest the Champions League this season. Balerdi will compete with Evan Ndicka, Gianluca Mancini, Mario Hermoso and Konstantinos Koulierakis for a place in Gianpiero Gasperini’s back three.

Source: Le Progres

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