GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Roma had a busy summer transfer window, bringing in 10 new players to bolster the squad for incoming coach Paulo Fonseca.
As a result, it was a naturally busy summer for journalists, who sought to find out what Roma's next moves would be. All the reports had to start somewhere, so here is an attempt to trace who broke the initial news of each of the signings Gianluca Petrachi made. Leonardo Spinazzola The first player to arrive this summer was Spinazzola, as part of a swap deal that sent academy graduate Luca Pellegrini to Juventus. Although it was near the start of the mercato, this proposal seemed to materialise very quickly. The two clubs were linked with several player exchanges over the summer, with Roma reportedly interested in Gonzalo Higuain and Mattia Perin, and Juventus pursuing Nicolo Zaniolo as well. When Juventus made their first attempts for the Italian midfielder, Pagine Romaniste's Davide Moresco appeared to be the first to suggest that Roma had asked for Spinazzola as well as Higuain as part of the swap (report dated 21st June). Although Zaniolo and Higuain stayed put at their respective clubs, the seeds were planted for Spinazzola. La Stampa claimed that the entire swap between the five players was on, in a report dated 26th June, but obviously only two players ended up making the moves. Various sources reacted two days later, when it emerged that a meeting had taken place to conclude the Spinazzola-Pellegrini swap. Sky Sport's Fabrizio Romano revealed in the early afternoon that the two clubs were at work over the swap of the duo, with Il Tempo's Filippo Biafora confirming shortly after that the deal would be weighted such that Juventus earned €8m. Gazzetta Dello Sport were the next to react, revealing Spinazzola's price as €29m - €0.5m away from the value that was confirmed when the deal was made official two days later. Amadou Diawara Also arriving towards the start of the window was Diawara, in another swap, seeing Kostas Manolas move to Napoli. It was known for some time that Manolas was likely to leave, but Napoli emerged as a surprise destination at first. When it became clear that they weren't willing to pay the defender's €36m release clause, talk of players being included in the deal began. Sky Sport were the first to suggest that Diawara had been offered to Roma on 14th June, even though they admitted the Giallorossi would have preferred Dries Mertens. Consequently, Corriere Dello Sport said the following day that the channel was now open for Roma to take Diawara - while also reporting on Roma's request for the Belgian striker. Il Messaggero revealed the structure of the operation on 19th June. With Roma approaching a financial deadline, the paper confirmed that Manolas' move would be posted on the present year's balance, but the club would wait until 1st July to confirm Diawara's signing. The green light came when, on 25th June, Di Marzio said that the deal would be completed that week, with Romano giving his famous "Here we go!" tweet the next day to declare the operation as finalised. There appeared to be a last-minute glitch over personal terms, with RomaPress denying Di Marzio's suggestion that the contract had been agreed on 27th June - although they admitted there were not likely to be many problems in reaching a conclusion. Biafora revealed on the 28th that the negotiations were finally done, with the player agreeing a five-year contract and the clubs agreeing a €19m fee. Two days later, Di Marzio corrected him, announcing the price as €21m, which was confirmed in Roma's official announcement the next day. Pau Lopez It was clear for quite some time that Roma needed a new goalkeeper, with Robin Olsen being dropped before the end of the season. As mentioned above, Perin was one of the options listed, but Roma eventually chose Pau Lopez from Real Betis. La Repubblica revealed that Petrachi was considering the Spaniard on 13th June, shortly before Di Marzio claimed he was the first name on Fonseca's list, even if the €25m valuation was too high. 48 hours later, Di Marzio dealt fans a blow the same day by revealing that the initial €20m offer had been rejected. Ultimately, Roma reached an agreement with Betis by removing their right to 50% of the sell-on fee of Antonio Sanabria - with Di Marzio again being the one to reveal their plans to do this, on 18th June. In Spain, El Confidencial were confident that an agreement had been reached on 2nd July, worth €18m plus the Sanabria clause. Three days later, Romano proclaimed that the documents would be exchanged within 24 hours and Di Marzio revealed the medical was scheduled for the 8th. He was confirmed the next day - although no-one got the actual fee, €23.5m, correct. Gianluca Mancini Possibly the longest-running link of the 10 players to join was defender Mancini. The Italian had been a target for Petrachi's predecessor Monchi in January, after Tuttomercatoweb claimed on 5th November that Roma (and Inter) had gone to scout him in Atalanta's clash with Bologna the previous day. The idea of Manolas leaving was already likely in January, and Gazzetta said on the 3rd of the new year that Mancini was the plan as his replacement, with the price likely to be €25m. Mancini's agent did not deny Roma's interest in an interview with the paper the next day, but detailed the defender's plan to stay in Bergamo until the end of the season. Mancini eventually signed on loan with an obligation to buy, and the first to understand this structure was Il Giorno, who revealed that Roma would deploy a Cristante-style operation to sign the player on a €5m loan and €20m obligation as far back as 6th January. However, the picture soon changed, with Monchi walking away from Roma at a turbulent time in March. He was replaced on an interim basis by Ricky Massara, before Petrachi officially took over at the start of July - although the former Torino man appears to have been having a say in Roma's business a while before that. Il Giorno revived the reports on 23rd March, becoming the first to reveal that Mancini was still in Roma's thoughts despite Monchi's exit, with Atalanta ready to sell and the capital club the most likely buyer. With Manolas' departure confirmed on 30th June, Biafora said that Mancini was one of two names being considered as a replacement, with Betis' Marc Bartra the other. On 5th July, Tuttomercatoweb revealed the player had agreed a contract until 2024 on a €2m salary - while delivering the all-important development that a fee of €25m had been agreed with the club. TMW then said Fonseca had given his approval to the move on the 9th as the final hurdles approached, as La Stampa's Matteo De Santis and Il Tempo's Alessandro Austini agreeing that he would be the next arrival. De Santis confirmed it would be a loan with an obligation to buy, totaling €26m - although ReteSport suggested the agreement was for a two-year free loan, with a payment of €21m plus €4m in bonuses. Many sources expected the deal to be closed within a matter of hours, but it actually took a little longer - enough time for De Santis to reveal that the figures would be a €2m loan, plus an obligational payment of €19m, and a further €5m in add-ons. When the deal was made official the next day, on the 17th, Roma confirmed they had got a better deal - with the price comprising a €2m loan, a payment of €13m, and an additional €8m. Jordan Veretout
Arriving shortly after Mancini was the subject of another protracted transfer saga, that of Jordan Veretout. The French midfielder is another player whose links with Roma can be traced back to the Monchi days, with Corriere Della Sera claiming him as a target for last summer all the way back in April 2018, although his move obviously did not occur that year. Monchi's interim replacement Massara was also said to want him, via a ForzaRoma.info report in April this year. By the summer, it became clear that the Fiorentina man was going to be a target, with Di Marzio revealing on 9th June that Fonseca was keen on him and contacts had already been made. The next day, Calciomercato claimed he was the most likely candidate to replace departing legend Daniele De Rossi. Veretout was in high demand though, with Napoli and AC Milan also heavily linked. However, by the 17th June, Corriere Dello Sport were confident that Roma were ahead of the latter at least, while Tuttomercatoweb went one step further four days later by revealing that Roma were in pole position. A number of meetings took place with his agent, with the first coming on Monday 24th June - revealed three days earlier by Gazzetta Dello Sport's Nicolo Schira. On 2nd July, Sky confirmed that the next meeting was to be on the next day. It must have had some impact on the player, as Fiorentina director Daniele Prade revealed on the 4th that Veretout wanted to leave. Eventually, Milan and Napoli dropped away, with the key being revealed by Di Marzio on 10th July - the fact that Roma had surpassed them with a cash only offer. The decisive final meeting came on 16th July, revealed the day before by Di Marzio, with Biafora confirming that after three hours of face-to-face, an agreement had been reached for a five-year contract. But it was Di Marzio who had beaten him to the announcement by six minutes, revealing he would cost €17m plus €2m in bonuses - missing that the deal would actually be a €1m loan and €16m obligation to buy, plus the bonus €2m. Distance still remained with Fiorentina, warned Calciomercato the next day, but Biafora and Di Marzio were separated by a matter of seconds again on the 18th when they confirmed that the total agreement had been reached, and that he could undergo his medical the next day. In the end, he did arrive on the 19th, but took his medical the day after. Mert Cetin
The least famous name to be brought in this summer, and therefore surely one of the more difficult to get information on. Biafora got there first on 15th August, also being able to confirm - correctly - that one more centre-back could arrive after Cetin. The understanding of his €3m price tag came from his native Turkey, where Fanatik editor Yakup Cinar was able to confirm the details shortly after Biafora's announcement. Davide Zappacosta It was clear for some time that Roma needed a new right-back, with many outlets reporting interest in Elseid Hysaj. The rumours of Zappacosta being an alternative actually originated from Calciomercato on 4th June, although they didn't think Chelsea would let him go. Il Messaggero were the first to understand that he was not an alternative to Hysaj, but the more likely arrival, on 7th August. With Chelsea boss Frank Lampard confirming he would have to find a solution eight days after, a meeting materialised, according to Tuttomercatoweb, on 18th August, with the hypothesis becoming ever stronger. By the 20th, Di Marzio could confirm that an agreement had been met, and he would take his medical the day after, when his move was made official. Chris Smalling The speed at which Smalling's move to Roma was arranged is well-documented, with the defender joining the club on 30th August. One day earlier, Austini had revealed that the Englishman could be the 'Mister X' he said Roma were considering as an alternative to Dejan Lovren or Daniele Rugani. Things escalated quickly from there, with Romano confirming within the next 10 minutes that an agreement for a dry loan worth €3m had been met. Nikola Kalinic
Roma completed two senior signings on deadline day, both of which happened fairly quickly. The first to be announced was striker Kalinic, with there being whispers for a few weeks that he would be the replacement if Patrik Schick left. RB Leipzig ultimately cut it very fine to sign Schick, but once they did, Roma could unveil Kalinic. The first to suggest Roma's consideration of a loan for Kalinic was Sky Sport, on 22nd August, reporting that contacts with his entourage were advanced and Fonseca had given the green light to his potential signing, on loan with an option to buy. The next update came on 30th August, when Biafora revealed that Kalinic also had an offer from Qatar, but was waiting for Roma. Calciomercato.com said the details had been agreed with Atletico for a loan and €10m option to buy - €1m shy of the actual value that was to be confirmed two days later. The same site were the ones to reveal that he would fly in on 1st August to take his medical the next day. Henrikh Mkhitaryan
In one of the most exciting and surprising moves of the window, Roma completed their summer business with the last-minute acqusition of Mkhitaryan on loan from Arsenal. The primary announcement came very late on 1st September, via Romano at 10:14pm BST, with Austini claiming he would arrive on loan with an option to buy seven minutes later. Although such an option was not officially announced, there is hope that Roma could make his signing permanent if he has a good season.
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Roma have just one week left to make any final alterations to their squad before the transfer window closes on 2nd September.
The season has started with a frustrating 3-3 draw with Genoa, which has raised several questions about the squad despite some promising moments. There are just seven days left to rectify any issues by bringing in new faces, so here are five questions Roma and Gianluca Petrachi must ask before the deadline passes. Will Fonseca get his centre-back? Roma's need for a new central defender has been a long-running narrative all summer, even before the departure of Kostas Manolas to Napoli. Paulo Fonseca has repeated that he wants to see his backline reinforced further, despite the signings of Gianluca Mancini and full-backs Leonardo Spinazzola and Davide Zappacosta. However, the coach has admitted that he won't ask Petrachi to sign any defender for the sake of it, but it has to be someone who fits the right profile - experienced and comfortable playing in his high line. The options are not plentiful, with a club statement confirming that Roma will not be targeting any Torino players in the wake of comments from their president Urbano Cairo, which rules out a move for Nicolas Nkoulou. Can Roma find the defender they so desperately need? Can Roma get rid of the deadweight? As the market approaches its conclusion, the likes of Robin Olsen, Maxime Gonalons and Gregoire Defrel are still under contract. These players have shown that they are not good enough for Roma, so it would have been expected that solutions would have been found by now. Olsen's proposed move to Montpellier controversially fell through, while Sampdoria are pushing for a reunion with Defrel, who spent the last season on loan there. As for Gonalons, reported interest from England failed to materialise into a bid. Will Roma get rid of these players in time? What will happen with Schick? Another player who has not reached the required standards, but whom some still feel deserves another chance, is Patrik Schick. However, the Czech striker was an unused substitute against Genoa, and did not have the best pre-season despite scoring some decent goals. Roma need to decide quickly if he is up to the task of being Dzeko's deputy, or a more reliable alternative is needed. If they do sell him before 1st February, then former club Sampdoria will be entitled to either €20m or 50% of the sell-on fee - whichever is greater. It's quite clear that Roma will have to pay the €20m, then, but what is the best solution for the player? Does he move out on loan, with many Bundesliga clubs interested, or does he stay for one final crack at delivering on his expectations? Are more options out wide needed? Roma lost Stephan El Shaarawy to Shanghai Shenhua near the start of the transfer window, and are yet to replace him. Diego Perotti missed the Genoa match through injury, with tests confirming he could be out for two months. That may provide youngster Mirko Antonucci an opportunity, but is he really ready yet? The way Roma had to chase the winner against Genoa, without success, perhaps suggests a Plan B is needed. But is there enough time to get someone over the line? Will Roma make a positive or negative net spend? After spending big on the likes of Leonardo Spinazzola and Pau Lopez, it appears there are limited funds left for this summer. Around €80m has been spent on incoming transfers, while player sales have brought in about €90m. Of course, some of those deals took place in the previous financial year, before 1st July, so Roma may not have much to spend if they want to keep the books balanced for this period. Loan signings look the most likely scenario, but is there enough loose change to target one more permanent transfer and stay in the black? All in all, it could be an eventful seven days as Roma make the final tweaks to their squad. It would be hard to find a more hated man at Roma than Franco Baldini at present.
The former sporting director, turned advisor to president James Pallotta, has drawn the wrath of fans due to his influence in the decision not to reward Daniele De Rossi with a new contract, while he was also called out by Francesco Totti in all but name when the Roma legend announced his resignation from his role as a director. "You can't have too many people sticking their oar in and causing chaos," Totti ranted. "Everyone should do their own job and leave the others to get on with their own work, that'd allow everything to run smoothly. "You can do all the talking you want from Trigoria, but the last word will always come from London." While members of the club hierarchy confirmed that Baldini no longer had an official role with the club, it was clear for all to see that he was still pulling the strings, abusing his close ties with Pallotta to overturn the wishes of others within the club. New sporting director Gianluca Petrachi, however, insisted that he would not let Baldini overpower him when he spoke to the press for the first time. "I want everyone here to understand that Franco Baldini won't be influencing my decisions or telling me what to do," he insisted, "because before joining this club, I said quite clearly: 'If you want me, this is who I am; otherwise, you've got the wrong guy'." A breath of fresh air, no doubt, for the fans who had grown so tired, frustrated and angry at Baldini's opinion being taken more seriously than anyone else's. The strong-willed Petrachi admitted, however, that Baldini could still be an asset. "But Franco Baldini can be resource for me. He has an in-depth knowledge of the game and he's done my job before. He knows the difficulties and problems I face. "If Franco Baldini calls me tonight, as he's done in recent days and weeks, and says, 'There's the chance to get this player', if he knows the right channels to go down, and if he's the right sort of player, I'll tell him to go ahead and then I'll speak to whoever I have to speak to. That's the sort of collaboration there should be between a consultant and a sporting director. I can assure you that if the opposite were to happen, then I wouldn't be sitting here." Not even a week on, and Baldini is already back in the news. However, this time, he could actually be doing Roma a favour. According to La Stampa's Matteo De Santis, Baldini will meet with Tottenham Hotspur - another club with whom he has a tarnished reputation, having overseen the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid before re-investing the money poorly - to discuss the possibility of Roma signing Toby Alderweireld on Friday. The Belgian centre-back has excelled in his five seasons in the Premier League - initially at Southampton, and then at Spurs. One of the best defenders in the division, he has frequently been linked with a move to bigger clubs such as Manchester United, with his £25m (€27.8m) release clause looking more than appealing in the current market. Far from just being a replacement for Kostas Manolas, Alderweireld would be a definitive upgrade over the Greek, who recently departed for Napoli. A much more solid player who is also better on the ball, his 30 years of age should be no concern. Roma need players of his quality now. If Baldini was successful in his attempts to bring Alderweireld to Roma, how far would that go towards changing the general perception of him? It will take a long time for him to rebuild the bridges he burnt by playing a role in pushing Totti and De Rossi out of the club, but, if he's not going to go away, then this would be an ideal first step on a difficult road to redemption. If any deal included Nicolo Zaniolo going the other way, then it may feel like going back to square one, but realistically, it's important not to get too carried away by the young midfielder. His first season was inconsistent, and Roma may never get these kinds of offers for him again. Alderweireld would be more important to this team right now. Without Champions League football next season, Roma shouldn't really be able to compete for a player of such quality. But if Baldini can make it possible, it would be a coup. Adding Alderweireld could be the remedy he needs. This is exactly the kind of deal that Petrachi was talking about: Baldini has his contacts, and if they can help him benefit Roma, then he could be useful after all. He might just be able to give them a few leads on players that can bolster the quality of the squad. But it would just be one step, and a far from certain one at that. In reality, it will likely take more than just Alderweireld to heal the wounds that Baldini has inflicted on the supporters recently.
Roma’s new sporting director Gianluca Petrachi is already turning his attentions to bringing new players into the club, and his gaze appears to be partially cast towards La Liga.
Two of the names most heavily linked with a move to Roma both come from the same Spanish club: Real Betis. Goalkeeper Pau Lopez is seen as the ideal man to help fans forget about the woes of Robin Olsen, while Marc Bartra has been identified as a potential replacement for Kostas Manolas. Both are good players, who could prove to be solid additions. But how have players fared when joining Roma from La Liga in the past? Here are the 10 most recent players to make such a switch. Steven Nzonzi (2018) Somewhat surprisingly, Petrachi’s predecessor Monchi only signed one player from La Liga in his spell as Roma's sporting director, despite having spent all his previous career in Spain. That player was someone he had signed before, but like the director himself, wasn't able to replicate the success he had had at Sevilla. Steven Nzonzi's first season with Roma was a mix of ups and downs, with the defensive midfielder not showing the form that saw him become an important part of France's World Cup winning side last summer. After he failed to turn up for his pre-season medicals, it looks like he will be headed for a swift exit. Thomas Vermaelen (2016) Not helped by injuries during his time in the capital, the experienced Vermaelen was a big disappointment in his season on loan at Roma from Barcelona. He was sent off within the first half of his debut, picking up two yellow cards in the drawn first leg of the Champions League play-off defeat to Porto. Beyond that, he was only given six starts in all competitions by Luciano Spalletti, as Manolas, Antonio Rudiger, Federico Fazio and Juan Jesus all proved to be much more reliable options. Seydou Keita (2014) Hardly a headline grabber, but always a solid presence in the midfield, Keita arrived at Roma from Barcelona with a wealth of experience in 2014. He became one of the captains of the group, making more than 50 appearances across a two-year spell. He had won 14 major trophies with Barcelona, but the Malian was not able to add to his honours list in Italy. Antonio Sanabria (2014) Another player to have traded the Camp Nou for Stadio Olimpico, Sanabria had bags of potential when he arrived, but the young striker never really got his opportunity to flourish - making only two appearances before being loaned out to Sporting Gijon the next summer. Roma retained their belief in the player when they inserted a buyback clause into the deal when he was sold to Betis, but that agreement will be relinquished in order to bring Lopez to the club. Jose Angel (2011) With John Arne Riise leaving for Fulham in 2011, Roma needed a replacement at left-back, and 20-year-old Spaniard Jose Angel was chosen. After three successful seasons in the Spanish top flight with hometown club Sporting Gijon, he could have turned out to be a shrewd purchase, but the player lasted just a season in Rome before being loaned out to Real Sociedad for two years, and then being sold to Porto. Bojan Krkic (2011) Once dubbed the new Messi, Bojan was looking for a change of scenery after dropping down the pecking order at Barcelona. The forward joined Roma in a €12m deal, where he would be coached by a fellow former Barca man, Luis Enrique. That season did not go exactly as planned, as Roma came seventh in Serie A, with Bojan contributing seven goals from 33 league games. It was his only season at the Olimpico, as he headed to Milan the year after. Dani Osvaldo (2011) After playing for the likes of Lecce, Fiorentina and Bologna early in his career, Osvaldo made the switch to Spain in 2010 when he signed for Espanyol - initially on loan. The striker spent one-and-a-half seasons in La Liga, before Roma took him back to Italy. A controversial character, Osvaldo finished as top scorer in each of his two seasons with Roma, but Roma made a small loss when they sold him to Southampton in 2013. Fernando Gago (2011) Gago's career had stalled at Real Madrid when Roma took the chance to sign him on loan for Enrique's first season. Roma certainly gave him the opportunity to play more, as he made more appearances than he had managed in his last two years in Madrid, but it wasn't enough to convince the club to make his signing permanent. The Argentine went to Valencia instead. Julio Baptista (2008) Hardly prolific with Real Madrid, Roma gave Baptista the opportunity to revive his career in Italy. His debut was the 2008 Supercoppa Italiana, in which he scored in the penalty shootout as Roma lost to Inter. He continued his good start to life in Rome with a goal in his second Serie A appearance, and he also scored in the first Derby Della Capitale of the season. However, his numbers began to drop, and he was sold to Malaga in 2011. Ludovic Giuly (2007) A fully fledged French international by the time he came to Roma, Giuly had won La Liga with Barcelona in his first two seasons in Catalonia. However, in 2007, he had to make way for emerging talent Lionel Messi, who had taken his place in the team. Giuly came to Roma, where he lasted just a season, despite being the team's fourth top scorer in that campaign with eight goals in all. He was also able to add Supercoppa and Coppa Italia winners medals to his cabinet. Should their arrivals in Rome be confirmed, Lopez and Bartra will be hoping to buck the trend, as several players plucked from La Liga by Roma have not quite worked out as expected. Nonetheless, some were able to add trophies to their collection, and it wouldn’t go amiss if the Betis duo could help Roma achieve some form of major honours again after more than a decade of dust in the cabinet. If there's one transfer rumour that hasn't gone down too well with fans, it is the one linking Gonzalo Higuain with a move to Roma.
Overweight, 31 years old, a high salary - several factors appear to be stacked against the arrival of the striker in Rome. Not to mention, his past with rivals Napoli and Juventus would further render him a rather unpopular figure if he was to sign up with Roma. Despite a promising start with AC Milan last year, his form derailed, as he scored just one goal in his last 12 games for the club before the deal was terminated. A red card against former club Juventus did little to change the negative perception of his time at San Siro, and it's understandable why Roma would be a little bit skeptical over the proposition of signing him - especially if it would involve Nicolo Zaniolo moving the other way. But there is a bigger question at the heart of this matter. After an underwhelming campaign, Roma find themselves in need of a rebuild, in order to return to the levels they have grown accustomed to in the past six years. As part of that project, then, do Roma need to look at the long-term or the short-term? A move for Higuain would be indicative of the latter. While his spell at Milan showed that he is far from a guaranteed source of goals these days, on his day he remains a potent finisher capable of finding the net even in games in which he hasn't been heavily involved. Contrast that to current Roma man Patrik Schick, who has struggled in the capital - which he has partially attributed to not feeling involved enough in the play. At 31 years old, of course Higuain's best days are behind him. But his career is far from over. He has two years left on his Juventus contract, which shows how far the Bianconeri believed he would keep up his form when they spent big to snatch him from Napoli. If an arrangement would involve Zaniolo heading to Turin, it would surely be a blow for the fans. The teenager was one of the standout players of last season, despite the limited expectations placed upon him. However, he blew hot and cold towards the end of the year. At times, it looked like Roma had picked up a bargain, but in reality, it's still unclear what the midfielder is really worth. Sometimes a club has to take a step back to take a step forward - taking risks in the short-term in an attempt to make an instant return to the top. That may mean potentially regrettable decisions on long-term prospects, but with the financial consequences that come with a lowly finish, sometimes the luxury of keeping hold of them isn't there. It’s an issue that was highlighted in the recently confirmed swap deal with Juventus, in which Roma acquired Leonardo Spinazzola at the expense of losing Luca Pellegrini. Many fans had high hopes for the young left-back, but the reality is that the man that the Giallorossi have brought in is a much more proven quantity at this level, and is far better equipped to be a starter. And that’s what Roma need right now - ready made talent. That said, it would be irresponsible for Roma to fill the squad with veterans. One only needs to look at how Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov underperformed at times throughout the campaign to get a clear idea that sometimes younger blood is more effective. Hence, a blend is needed. Without a few experienced players, it may take Roma a long time to break back into the top four. But without the younger ones, any returns to the highest berths would likely be short-lived. Contrary to what many fans believe, Higuain would not be a terrible signing for Roma - as long as the salary is realistic compared to his output. However, it would be important for him to be supplemented by younger alternatives. His former teammate at Milan, Patrick Cutrone, would be perfect - an instinctive finisher, someone who can still develop but who is more than ready for a role of responsibility in a major squad. Furthermore, some signings in the past have shown that fans should not be prejudiced before their arrival. Many were critical of Davide Santon based on his time with Inter, but after he had put in some good displays for Roma, the general perception of him changed to a more positive one. Similarly, Federico Fazio was hardly the best name fans could have hoped for to alleviate the team's defensive concerns, but he soon won them over, at least in his first season, becoming their 'Comandante’. Gianluca Petrachi will need to find the right balance this summer, but the overriding message will be this - you never know how a player will perform for a club until they pull on its jersey. Higuain's might be a bit larger than those of others, but no signing should be overly criticised before a ball has been kicked. They could turn out to be just what Roma need. After many years of steady progress on and off the pitch, Roma find themselves back at square one following a dismal season, which saw changes in the squad, head coach and sporting director.
For the first time in six years, Roma failed to finish in the Champions League places, meaning even more changes are set to take place this summer. Missing out on qualifying for the competition is a huge blow to the club's finances, meaning key players are likely to be sold, and with no clear sign of who is going to take over as the next coach, the situation is becoming more complicated by the day. Here, Giallorossi Yorkshire takes a look at what happened in the summer after the last time Roma finished sixth (in 2012-13), to see if that can give any insight into how the club might set about their rebuild this time around. The managerial situation Just like this season, Roma's last majorly disappointing year ended with a caretaker manager in charge. Aurelio Andreazzoli, long-time assistant at the club, had replaced Zdenek Zeman on an interim basis in February, but like Claudio Ranieri this year, wasn't given the role full-time. Instead, Roma's leadership looked abroad. Lille coach Rudi Garcia was appointed as the new head coach, despite having never played or coached in Italy before. Garcia had led Lille to the Ligue 1 and Coupe De France double in 2010-11, with the league title being their first since the 1950s. However, his final season in charge had seen the French side finish 6th, just like the club he was joining. It was a somewhat left-field appointment, a calculated gamble, but it almost had the desired effect. Under Garcia, Roma won their first 10 Serie A matches, setting a new league record. However, the momentum was lost towards the end of the season, and Roma finished runners up to Juventus. In the short-term, Garcia gave Roma the breath of fresh air they needed, but he could never quite recapture that original magic thereafter. Perhaps Roma will pick out a foreign manager again this time. Could it be Paulo Fonseca from Shakhtar in Ukraine, or Pepe Bordalas from Getafe in Spain? The sales Several big names were sold following the failure to qualify for the Champions League. The most expensive departures were Erik Lamela for €30m and Marquinhos for €35m, two young South Americans who had blossomed at Roma and moved on to bigger things. Another significant departure was that of Dani Osvaldo, who moved to Southampton after two seasons with Roma, in both of which he was top scorer. Fellow attacker Bojan Krkic, who had spent the year out on loan at Milan, was bought back by Barcelona. In addition, goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and midfielder Panagiotis Tachtisidis were moved on for small sums, while the squad was hit with the retirement of a legendary midfielder in Simone Perrotta - similar to how Roma are losing Daniele De Rossi now. Of course, Roma can expect to sell big names this summer, too. Kostas Manolas and Cengiz Under are probably the most likely candidates. They are the Marquinhos and Lamela of this team, in a way - two talents, a defender and a winger, who were given a platform by this club and can be sold on for a big profit. The Osvaldo to leave will likely be Edin Dzeko, who has not matched his standards of the past two seasons, and has been linked with PSG and Inter Milan. Dzeko's former Manchester City teammate, Aleksandar Kolarov, could also leave, with a return to boyhood club Red Star mooted. The signings In light of all the departures, some major signings were needed, and Roma ended up bringing 13 players to the club. Three of those - Gianluca Caprari, Giammario Piscitella and Valerio Verre - were returning after loans or co-ownerships, although the latter two were sold on straight away. The signings were a mix of talents picked from smaller Serie A clubs, and exciting arrivals from overseas. To replace Marquinhos, Mehdi Benatia was brought in from Udinese (who had finished fifth), while Lamela's departure was accounted for by the signings of Adem Ljajic and Gervinho - the latter having been part of the side that had won Ligue 1 under Garcia at Lille. The most expensive purchase was Kevin Strootman, a 23-year-old Dutch midfielder arriving from PSV. At the other end of the scale, the cheapest addition was Maicon, who joined on a free from Man City. Mattia Destro came in from Genoa, after top scoring on loan at Siena, while Morgan De Sanctis came in as the new first choice goalkeeper. How might a similar scenario play out this year? One defender who has been linked with the club is Gianluca Mancini. Like Udinese in 2013, Atalanta finished above Roma this year, and the Giallorossi could take one of their most important components to restore the natural order. The identity of the next coach is unclear, but perhaps he too will be reunited with a former player, who can become Garcia's Gervinho. Will Roma look at free agents like they did with Maicon? A number of decent players will be available for nothing this summer: Fernando Llorente has been linked as a replacement for Edin Dzeko, for example. The young potential In 2013, Roma also added some younger players, like Tin Jedvaj and Lukasz Skorupski, to freshen up the roster. This year, Banfield's Agustin Urzi has been linked, a 19-year-old Argentine winger. Players from the club's own youth ranks were also given bigger roles in the first team, such as defender Alessio Romagnoli, and, to a lesser extent, winger Federico Ricci. Will Roma supplement their squad next season with the talents of midfielder Alessio Riccardi, striker Zan Celar, or winger Gianmarco Cangiano, for example? Or perhaps a former youth player will be brought back, like Caprari was - Davide Frattesi, who was sold to Sassuolo in 2017, has been linked with a return after impressing on loan at Ascoli this year, and Luca Pellegrini can come back from his loan at Cagliari with renewed optimism of breaking into the Roma first team. The results As mentioned above, the changes Roma made had an immediate positive effect. The season ended with a second place finish in the league and a run to the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, where they lost on aggregate to Napoli despite a first leg win. Several of the new signings strengthened the side, with Benatia, Gervinho, Destro, Skorupski and Strootman all being sold for profit in the future. Destro was Roma's top scorer in his debut year, Strootman was magnificent, and De Sanctis became a reliable number one. Even some of the outgoings worked in Roma's favour. Lamela has been injury prone at Tottenham Hotspur, Stekelenburg has never really played regularly since leaving, and Osvaldo, most bizarrely of all, has quit football altogether to become a musician. Despite all the turbulence, things worked out well in the end - at least in the short-term. So, even though the picture remains unclear in the present day, perhaps there is hope that Roma can recover next year, and return to where they should be. The big decisions must be made now. With the summer transfer window now closed across all of the major European leagues, here's a look back at all the transfers involving Roma this summer, including the ones you might have missed.
This extensive list covers not only first team transfers, but transactions at Primavera and youth level as well. In: Ante Coric (€6m, Dinamo Zagreb) Ivan Marcano (free, Porto) Bryan Cristante (€5m loan + €15m obligation to buy, Atalanta) Justin Kluivert (€17.25m, Ajax) Antonio Mirante (€4m, Bologna) Javier Pastore (€24.7m, PSG) Davide Santon (€9.5m, Inter) Nicolo Zaniolo (€4.5m, Inter) William Bianda (€6m + bonuses, Lens) Daniel Fuzato (€450k, Palmeiras) Robin Olsen (€8.5m + bonuses, FC Copenhagen) Steven Nzonzi (€26.65m + bonuses, Sevilla) Nicolo Buso (free, Cesena Primavera) Gennaro Nigro (undisclosed, Players Academy) Pietro Boer (undisclosed, Venezia Giovanili) Out: Bogdan Lobont (retired) Arturo Calabresi (€200k, Bologna) Marco Tumminello (€6m, Atalanta) Lukasz Skorupski (€9m, Bologna) Radja Nainggolan (€24m, Inter) Alisson Becker (€62.5m + bonuses, Liverpool) Leandro Castan (free, Vasco Da Gama) Kevin Strootman (€25m, Marseille) Bruno Peres (loan + €6m option to buy, Sao Paulo) Umar Sadiq (loan, Rangers) Mirko Antonucci (loan, Pescara) Elio Capradossi (loan, Spezia) Gerson (loan, Fiorentina) Ezequiel Ponce (loan + option to buy, AEK Athens) Moustapha Seck (loan, Almere City) Edoardo Soleri (loan, Almere City) Gregoire Defrel (loan + option to buy, Sampdoria) Daniele Verde (loan, Real Valladolid) Maxime Gonalons (loan, Sevilla) Jose Machin (€800k, Pescara - last year's loan made permanent) Norbert Gyomber (€500k, Perugia) Juan Manuel Iturbe (€5m, Club Tijuana - last year's loan made permanent) Ervin Zukanovic (€1.2m, Genoa - last year's loan made permanent) Nicola Falasco (€90k, Avellino - last year's loan made permanent) Giammario Piscitella (free, Carpi) Kevin Mendez (undisclosed, Karpaty) Christian D'Urso (loan, Apollon Smyrnis) Matteo Ricci (undisclosed, Spezia) Lorenzo Di Livio (loan, Siena) Alessandro Bordin (loan, Perugia) Emanuele Spinozzi (loan, Piacenza) Eros De Santis (undisclosed, Siena) Ismail H'Maidat (released) Jacopo Ferri (released) Conor Borg (free, Hamrum Sport) Luca Petrungaro (free, Torino Primavera) Filippo Franchi (free, Matelica) Stefano Ciavattini (free, Reggina) Matias Nani (free, Belgrano) Giacomo Molinari (free, Catania Primavera) Rezan Corlu (loan, Lyngby BK) Niccolo Tofanari (undisclosed, Gubbio) Keba Coly (loan, Ascoli) Andrea Romagnoli (loan, Renate) George Ganea (undisclosed, Cluj) Lorenzo Crisanto (loan, Pistoiese) Lorenzo Valeau (loan, Ascoli) Lirim Kastrati (undisclosed, Bologna Primavera) Maoudo Diallo (undisclosed, Sconosciuto) Dario Anatrella (free, Paganese Primavera) Riccardo Cataldi (loan, Venezia Primavera) Francesco Laurenzi (undisclosed, Torino Primavera) Alessandro Barbarossa (loan, Perugia Primavera) Alessio Giuliani (released) Matteo Marini (released) Francesco Proietto (released) Marco Carruolo (released)
The transfer window in Italy may be closed, but that doesn't mean players in Serie A will necessarily be staying with their clubs this season.
The market is still open in France, Spain and Germany, and due to this, it looks as if Roma will be selling another of their famous names before the summer is out. Kevin Strootman has been left out of the matchday squad for tonight's encounter with Atalanta, as the Dutch midfielder nears a move to Marseille. Roma's midfield has undergone a complete transformation this summer, with the departures of Radja Nainggolan, Maxime Gonalons and Gerson - who have been replaced by Javier Pastore, Ante Coric, Bryan Cristante, Nicolo Zaniolo and Steven Nzonzi - and now Strootman is set to leave the club after five years. Here is how Roma fans on Twitter have reacted to the news.
Roma have been busier than most in the transfer market this summer, spending more money than in any other transfer window in the club's history.
However, many of the 12 new arrivals have split opinion among fans. Will Robin Olsen be a good enough replacement for Alisson? Ante Coric looks promising, but is he too young to make an impact? There are even question marks over Javier Pastore, the club's biggest signing of the mercato (until yesterday). Can he adapt to play as a mezz'ala in Eusebio Di Francesco's 4-3-3? Amidst all these questions, yesterday Monchi provided Roma fans with an emphatic answer. He brought in Steven Nzonzi, a player of immense quality, who the fans surely can't disagree on. Fresh from winning the World Cup with France, Nzonzi has joined Roma for a fee in the region of €26m, with Monchi signing him for a second time after he initially took him to Sevilla. He has signed a four-year contract, a symbol of faith in the quality that the 29-year-old will bring. Unlike many of the summer arrivals, Nzonzi provides respite in an area of the pitch that was a huge problem last year. Daniele De Rossi fared reasonably well when deployed as the side's defensive midfielder, but at the age of 35, it became clear that fatigue was catching up with him. It was unfeasible that he could be Roma's starting defensive midfielder for 30+ games a season, and the alternative, Maxime Gonalons, had played very poorly in his first season with Roma. It was obvious that Roma needed a better solution in the mediano role. In Nzonzi, Monchi has brought in not just a suitable solution for the position, but one of the best in the world at his role. Few players in world football offer better protection in front of the defence, while Nzonzi is also very comfortable in possession. With his 1.96m frame, he is also much better in the air than De Rossi and Gonalons. It could even be said that the World Cup final changed when he came on, the momentum swinging in France's favour. Although they were already winning, they played with a much better shape and rhythm with Nzonzi in the side, allowing them to score two further goals on their way to glory. At 29, Nzonzi is in the prime of his career. The importance of this cannot be understated - most of the players Monchi has signed this summer have many years left before they reach their peak. William Bianda, Nicolo Zaniolo and Justin Kluivert are all still teenagers, while Daniel Fuzato and Coric are both 21. It's been one of the main concerns in this mercato: Monchi has provided potential for the future, but the immediate effects may not be as good. Of the dozen players the Spaniard has signed, most add depth to the squad, but not improvement to the starting lineup. Prime examples are Ivan Marcano and Davide Santon, who will clearly be rotation players. However, Nzonzi is different. He is a player that goes straight into the starting lineup, and is an instant upgrade on what Roma already have in his position. In fact, Roma could be lining up with an entirely new midfield next season. Ahead of Nzonzi, Bryan Cristante and Pastore will add creativity and attacking threat. And there is no better anchor for them than Nzonzi. He will be a reinforcer, giving the team exactly what they need. Potentially, he can be the difference between a good Roma, and a great one. He may have only won two trophies in his career, but he is a player that definitely increases Roma's chances of winning one this season. For all the debate over the impact some of Monchi's signings will have this season, there can be no question marks over Nzonzi. An experienced professional of the highest ability will come in and make Roma a force to be reckoned with again. There's no debate. Monchi got this one right.
2017-18 was a write-off for Maxime Gonalons in his first season in Rome after joining from Lyon, as the midfielder failed to impress.
Now, he could be set to move on, after it was reported that Premier League side Crystal Palace could be interested in signing the Frenchman. Here is how Roma fans on Twitter have reacted. Topic One: Gonalons out?
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samuel bannister
Founder and editor of Giallorossi Yorkshire, who is also a columnist for Roma's official website about the women's team. Categories
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