Marseille Eager to Fend Off Roma Interest in Argentine Center-Back | OneFootball

French heavyweights Olympique Marseille are hellbent on keeping hold of standout defender Leonardo Balerdi amid speculation linking him with a move to Roma. According to RMC Sport, Roberto De Zerbi is desperate to fend off foreign advances for the 26-year-old after his impressive season at the Stade Velodrome.

Despite his long-standing consistency issues since joining the club from Borussia Dortmund, Balerdi has become a vital first-team member at Marseille. De Zerbi has turned him into a world-class center-back, handing him the captain’s armband as part of the effort to make his stay amid Roma links.

“I hope that the big European teams don’t realize he exists,“ De Zerbi said in a press conference earlier this month. “I am happy that he is going under the radar of the big teams.“

However, the player reportedly favors a move to Roma, where he would play a prominent role alongside long-serving stalwart Gianluca Mancini. After Mario Hermoso flopped in Serie A, Claudio Ranieri’s charges are ready to invest big to shore up their backline in the summer.

Balerdi reportedly tops the club’s wishlist. But while Gazzetta dello Sport’s recent report touted a fee of €20 million, that figure would be well below Marseille’s prohibitive asking price. Indeed, the French outfit may seek up to €45m to sanction the Argentine’s departure at the end of the season.

Negotiations between Roma and Marseille have yet to get underway. Yet, the parties could discuss Balerdi’s transfer in the early summer, especially if Mats Hummels were to leave Italy.