Roma signs Baldanzi and sends Belotti on loan to Fiorentina on quiet final day of transfers in Italy

MILAN (AP) — It was another quiet transfer deadline day for most of the top clubs in Serie A, with only Roma and Fiorentina adding to their squads on Thursday.

Roma signed Tommaso Baldanzi from Empoli for a reported 10 million euros ($11 million) plus bonuses.

Baldanzi, who will turn 21 next month, progressed through the ranks at Empoli. He was part of the Italy squad that finished runner-up at the Under-20 World Cup last year.

“Training alongside great champions will provide me with plenty of opportunities to observe and learn,” Baldanzi said in a statement. “I can’t wait until Monday to experience the atmosphere of my new stadium. For my part, I will do my best to help achieve the goals we have in front of us.”

Baldanzi is new Roma coach Daniele De Rossi’s second signing after defender Angeliño was brought in on loan from Leipzig on Tuesday.

De Rossi, a former Roma captain, took over from José Mourinho last month.

Roma also sent Italy forward Andrea Belotti out on loan to Fiorentina for the rest of the season.

The 30-year-old Belotti has had a disappointing time in Rome since joining on a free transfer in 2022. He has netted just 10 goals in 68 appearances.

Roma and Fiorentina are two of the teams involved in a tight battle for fourth place in Serie A.

The league title seems destined to go to either Inter Milan or Juventus, which meet in a potentially decisive clash at San Siro on Sunday.

Neither club signed a player on Thursday, although Juventus completed the loan signing of Argentine midfielder Carlos Alcaraz from Southampton the previous night. Inter brought in versatile winger Tajon Buchanan early on in the window and the 24-year-old is set to become the first Canadian to play in Serie A.

Third-placed AC Milan also had a quiet transfer window, just signing Filippo Terracciano from Serie A struggler Hellas Verona last month.

Desperate to turn around a disappointing season that has already involved a coaching change, Napoli was the most active of Italy’s big clubs but it completed its moves before deadline day.

Mired in ninth place, last season’s champion signed Cyril Ngonge (from Hellas Verona), Hamed Traore (Bournemouth), Pasquale Mazzocchi (Salernitana) and Leander Dendoncker (Aston Villa).

However, it was the clubs in the lower half of the table that were the busiest on the final day of the transfer window.

Filippo Inzaghi’s Salernitana brought in four players on loan on Thursday: AC Milan defender Marco Pellegrino, Pisa midfielder Emanuel Vignato and French midfielder Iron Gomis from Turkish club Kasımpaşa as well as Israel forward Shon Weissman from Granada.

Salernitana is last in Serie A, six points from safety. Hellas Verona is only above the drop zone on goal difference and it signed three players on deadline day: defender Stefan Mitrović and forward Karol Świderski on permanent deals and defender Fabien Centonze on loan from Nantes.

Fellow struggler Cagliari signed former Barcelona and Everton defender Yerry Mina from Fiorentina, with the Colombia international penning a contract until the end of the season. Claudio Ranieri’s team also brought in Gianluca Gaetano on loan from Napoli.

Mid-table Torino signed Adam Masina, David Okereke and Uros Kabic — all three on loan.

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