Both Roma and Inter Milan are aiming to keep Algerian international Rafik Belghali in Serie A after his club Hellas Verona was relegated to the second division.

The Algerian right-back turned 24 last month and received widespread praise for his good performances while representing his country in the World Cup held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The player moved to Italian football just one year ago through Hellas Verona, who paid nearly two million euros to secure his services from Belgian club KV Mechelen.

Belghali scored two goals in 26 appearances for the team in Serie A, but he failed to prevent his club's relegation to the second division.

Belghali suffered repeated ankle injuries that kept him off the pitch and out of his team's lineup between January and March 2026.

French network Foot Mercato confirmed that Roma's management considers Belghali as a primary option and top priority for the right-back position, especially after Juventus managed to snatch defender Zeki Çelik from the Giallorossi.

The Algerian star is also on a long list of candidates drawn up by Inter Milan to replace Dutchman Denzel Dumfries, following the Nerazzurri's failure to secure the signings of Marco Palestra and Anan Khalaili.

Previous reports had linked the player with clear interest from other Italian clubs, notably Fiorentina and Bologna.

The asking price to release Belghali is around 15 million euros, and if Roma moves to make a formal offer, it will be on loan with an option to buy.