Gasperini holds pre-match presser ahead of Lecce: “De Roon and Balerdi bring valuable experience.”

Gasperini holds pre-match presser ahead of Lecce: “De Roon and Balerdi bring valuable experience.” Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini discussed the club’s latest transfer moves in today’s pre-match press conference ahead of the clash against Lecce. On De Roon’s signing, “The De Roon deal came together quickly, within 24-48 hours. He had this situation after so many years at Atalanta, and it wasn’t part of the team’s plans. This opportunity arose, and I contacted Percassi.” “They quickly gave him the freedom to decide, too, given what he’s done. He really wanted to come to Roma. For us, it’s an opportunity that allows us to give El Aynaoui another chance. And it’s also very important from a financial perspective because it gives us the chance to bring interest to another role. He’s solid, despite his advanced age. He’ll join a strong group and be a key player. Two captains have arrived: him and Balerdi.” “Balerdi? The same goes for De Roon; he adds substance to our very strong defense, made up of players who have performed very well. But everyone knows we’ll have a very tough schedule with many matches. We’ve tried to complete the squad more than just the starting eleven, to make it more competitive to cope with the many matches, and we hope to avoid any injuries, which always happen.” “To complete the roster, we have the last piece on the left, in attack. I must say that Lulli has filled the gap a bit. I’ve always hoped for this guy, but we can’t burden him with such a huge responsibility. We can even consider adding a piece in attack.” “Right now we’re a team with more options, if we just look at ourselves. We’re also more robust. And we have the ability to make up for the games we play. I always look at my team and I’m happy with my players, even those who have arrived. We could provide continuity. It’s clear that Roma suffered from the FFP issue and had to lower their wages.” “So, to be stronger, it wasn’t possible to reach certain players, more for a question of contracts than spending. The level of contracts couldn’t exceed a certain limit. We have to thank everyone who returned just to play for Roma, and that’s a great spirit, and you can’t buy that on the market. We’re among the very best. As for us, I’m satisfied.” “Soule to Fulham? I never heard of Soulé’s offer. There never was one all summer. For me, he’ll probably play tomorrow, I don’t follow the news.” “We wanted a left-footed fullback. That was the idea, there were some strong ideas, but we couldn’t follow through or finish them. They were also very well underway. Not only Wesley can play on the left, but also Molina. Defenders can also play with an inverted foot, not just attackers. The idea was there at the start of the season. Soulé did well in that role under Ranieri. I prefer him further forward, but he can play if needed.” “De Roon brings experience. He’s not a promising player, but signing him gives us the opportunity to focus our financial efforts on another role. Besides, when I arrived I wasn’t the most popular either. He’s also someone who’s fun to talk to on social media, and he’s a nice person.” On El Aynaoui’s imminent exit: “Until December, El Aynaoui did well, but he struggled in the Africa Cup of Nations. After the World Cup, we were more focused. I saw Pisilli’s growth, and also the strength of Cristante and Koné. I had the feeling they wanted a stronger experience. Right now, we have players who are happy to play here, so we decided to make up for it. And this opportunity arose. There were other options, even very good ones, but this is an excellent solution that allows us to do other things.”