GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Bryan Cristante is in line for a change of position when Roma host Cagliari in their return to Serie A action on Sunday.
After drawing with Austrian side Wolfsberger in the Europa League on Thursday, the focus returns to domestic action, with Paulo Fonseca being forced to name his thinnest squad of the season so far. With Davide Zappacosta adding to the long list of long-term absentees and Alessandro Florenzi out with the flu, Fonseca has been able to call up just 19 players for the Stadio Olimpico showdown. And not even all of those are at full fitness, with Javier Pastore unlikely to start after doing so in midweek. Consequently, Cristante or Jordan Veretout will be deployed as a trequartista, with the former more likely having done so occasionally at Atalanta. Admittedly, he does not have all the technical qualities required to excel in the role regularly in this system, but will be hoping to make an impact from that position with his usual determination and energy. It was a similar formula that helped Radja Nainggolan succeed in the position during his time with Roma. The Belgian midfielder will be hoping to inspire on his return to his former stomping ground, having re-signed with Cagliari after one season at Inter Milan. Nainggolan commented in the run-up to the game that he would have liked to finish his career at Roma - who will be wary not to allow him to show them what they are missing. Cagliari have won both of their away games this season, including against title challengers Napoli most recently. The Sardinian outfit have renewed optimism and will be looking to pose a threat to a Roma side that have already faltered at home against Genoa and Atalanta. Roma have not conceded a goal against Cagliari at the Olimpico since 2013 though, so will be hoping to use the opportunity tomorrow to get back to winning ways. The game kicks off at 2pm UK time and will be broadcast live on Premier Sports 2.
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Roma's squad is boosted by the return of Davide Zappacosta for their Europa League trip to Austria to face Wolfsberger, but Lorenzo Pellegrini and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are among the absentees.
The attacking midfield duo were both ruled out for a number of weeks after undergoing tests at Villa Stuart on Tuesday, joining the likes of Cengiz Under and Diego Perotti on the sidelines. That leaves Paulo Fonseca with very limited options for his preferred 4-2-3-1 system against Wolfsberger, with Justin Kluivert, Nicolo Zaniolo and Javier Pastore the only fit players to have played so far this season who are comfortable in the attacking midfield roles. Hence, all three are practically guaranteed to start, although there could be an outside chance for Mirko Antonucci, who was retained after a decent pre-season but is yet to play competitively under Fonseca. Meanwhile, Chelsea loanee Zappacosta is back after an injury setback of his own, and will be ready to provide competition for Alessandro Florenzi or Leonardo Spinazzola at right-back. Perhaps the latter could switch to the left flank, to afford Aleksandar Kolarov some much-needed rest. Chris Smalling - one of the few players in the squad to have won this competition before elsewhere - could make his European debut for Roma, having seriously impressed in his first two outings in Serie A. His presence in the starting lineup on Thursday is not guaranteed after successive 90 minutes, but if called upon, his experience on this stage will be a boost. Both sides began the Europa League campaign with resounding 4-0 wins - for Roma, it was a comfortable evening's work against Istanbul Basaksehir, while Wolfsberger caused a surprise by demolishing German favourites Borussia Monchengladbach. With Israeli striker Shon Weissman in red-hot form, Roma must be wary not to underestimate their opponents, despite them being the bottom seed for the group. It will be the first time Fonseca has led Roma in a competitive game outside of Italy, with the Portuguese coach hoping to continue his positive record on the road. His side are yet to taste defeat on their travels under his reign. Meanwhile, Wolfsberger remain unbeaten on their own patch since Sturm Graz beat them at the start of August, but in truth, a side of Roma's stature are yet to visit. The game kicks off at 5:55pm UK time.
As Roma's Europa League campaign gets underway, there is a general sense of optimism that the club will take the competition seriously and be among the contenders for the trophy.
Paulo Fonseca has already confirmed that Roma have "big ambitions" for the competition, with the coach having previously reached the quarter-finals with Braga in 2015-16, before being knocked out by his next club, Shakhtar Donetsk. Over the summer, Roma assembled an experienced squad, with the lineup now featuring several players who have good history in European competition. Here is a brief look at the furthest stage each player has reached in both the Champions League and Europa League. Davide Zappacosta Champions League best: Round of 16 (Chelsea, 2017-18) Europa League best: Winner (Chelsea, 2018-19) The first of five former Europa League winners in Roma's squad, Zappacosta got his hands on the trophy at the first time of asking last season. The previous year, he had seen his new Chelsea side qualify behind Roma in their Champions League group before being eliminate in the Round of 16. Having never competed in Europe before leaving Italy to join Chelsea, he now has the opportunity to make his mark with a club from his homeland.
Bryan Cristante Champions League best: Quarter-final (Milan, 2011-12) Europa League best: Round of 32 (Atalanta, 2017-18) The Champions League gave Cristante his professional debut as a 16-year-old, with the midfielder featuring for Milan in a group match. The Rossoneri reached the quarter-finals that year, but he played no further part. He was more involved when Atalanta reached the Europa League Round of 32 in his final season in Bergamo, scoring three goals as he played in all of their eight games in the competition. Only Josip Ilicic scored more for them in Europe that year. Juan Jesus Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Round of 16 (Inter, 2012-13; Roma, 2014-15 and 2016-17) One of several players to follow on this list whose best European run came with Roma, Jesus was a starter in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final loss to Liverpool. It was the Europa League that gave him his first taste of European football, though, when he reached the Round of 16 in his first full season with Inter - a feat he has repeated twice with Roma since. Chris Smalling Champions League best: Runner up (Manchester United, 2010-11) Europa League best: Winner (Manchester United, 2016-17) An unused sub in both games when his Fulham side faced Roma in the 2009-10 group stage on their route to the Europa League final, Smalling went one better by winning the competition with Manchester United in 2017, playing all 90 minutes of the final. At the start of his United career, he had even come close to winning the Champions League, watching from the bench as his side lost to Barcelona at the end of his first season there. He had played nine games on their journey to the final.
Lorenzo Pellegrini Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Group stage (Sassuolo, 2016-17) Pellegrini was a member of the squad that got Roma further than ever before in the Champions League era, starting the second leg of the semi-final against Liverpool in which his side came within a whisker of another extraordinary comeback. Preparing him for that adventure, and his time at Roma as a whole, had been a two-year stint at Sassuolo, where he helped Eusebio Di Francesco's side qualify for Europe for the first time, before they were knocked out in the group stage. Diego Perotti Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Winner (Sevilla, 2013-14) Brought to Europe by future Roma sporting director Monchi in 2007, Perotti worked his way through the ranks at Sevilla, with his time with the La Liga club culminating in victory in the Europa League in his last year with the club - although at the time, he was out on loan at Boca Juniors. It was the first of three consecutive triumphs in the competition for Sevilla, but Perotti wasn't able to play in Europe again until joining Roma in 2015. He scored in the first leg Champions League semi-final defeat to Liverpool, giving some late hope of a Stadio Olimpico comeback. Edin Dzeko Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Quarter-final (Wolfsburg, 2009-10) For someone who spent four-and-a-half years with high-spending Premier League giants Manchester City, it may come as something of a surprise to learn that neither of Dzeko's best runs in each of Europe's two competitions came while at the Etihad Stadium. Instead, it was as part of a successful Wolfsburg side that he reached the Europa League quarter-finals, having dropped down from the Champions League the year after winning the German title. Nearly a decade later, he was the only Roma player to score in both legs of the CL semi-final against Liverpool. Aleksandar Kolarov Champions League best: Semi-final (Manchester City, 2015-16; Roma 2017-18) Europa League best: Round of 16 (Manchester City, 2010-11 and 2011-12) Another part of the unfortunate Roma side to lose in the Champions League semi-finals, Kolarov was the only member of that squad for whom the last four wasn't uncharted territory. Man City were edged out by eventual champions Real Madrid in the semi-final in 2016 - certainly a higher calibre opponent than the ones who had curtailed their furthest Europa League era ventures, with Dynamo Kyiv and Sporting CP being responsible for their Round of 16 exits in Kolarov's first two years at the club. Pau Lopez Champions League best: Group stage (Tottenham Hotspur, 2016-17) Europa League best: Round of 32 (Tottenham Hotspur, 2016-17; Real Betis, 2018-19) Despite being Roma's most expensive goalkeeper signing of all-time, Pau Lopez is yet to fully convince in his short time at the club. Unless Fonseca opts to rotate, the Europa League could be where Lopez comes into his own, but he has limited international pedigree. He never played in his sole season at Tottenham, where their European record was poor, meaning his Europa League debut only came last season, with Real Betis. They conceded six goals over two legs as they lost to Rennes, despite having won their group with just two goals conceded. Mert Cetin Champions League best: N/A Europa League best: N/A Roma's least high-profile summer signing, Cetin has never featured in European competition - and is unlikely to change that this year, having been left out of the squad for the group stages. Cengiz Under Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Play-off round (Istanbul Basaksehir, 2016-17) Under has grown into one of Roma's most important players over the last two years, but is yet to feature in the Europa League group stages. His only previous taste of the competition came when Fonseca's Shakhtar beat Istanbul Basaksehir - one of Roma's Group J opponents this season - in the play-off round. He secured his move to Roma the year after, playing his part in the run to the last four of the Champions League in his first taste of the competition. Davide Santon Champions League best: Winner (Inter, 2009-10) Europa League best: Quarter-final (Newcastle United, 2012-13) The only Champions League winner in Roma's squad isn't even a regular starter. Santon made one appearance on Inter's road to the 2010 final, where they beat Bayern Munich 2-0. He returned to Inter in 2015, a couple of years after reaching the Europa League quarter-finals with Newcastle. Nikola Kalinic Champions League best: Round of 16 (Atletico Madrid, 2018-19) Europa League best: Runner up (Dnipro, 2014-15) Roma's new back-up striker won the UEFA Super Cup in 2018 (as an unused sub), but was not part of the Atletico Madrid side that qualified for the event by winning the previous year's Champions League. Instead, his best ever CL run came last season, when Atletico, like Roma, lost in the Last 16 despite winning their first leg match. He has scored in a European final though, giving Dnipro the lead in the 2015 Europa League final, which they weren't able to defend against Sevilla. Federico Fazio Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Winner (Sevilla, 2013-14; 2015-16) Kalinic's Dnipro couldn't topple Sevilla in that game, which was sandwiched between the two Europa League titles that Fazio won with the club. In 2014, he played all of the final as Sevilla beat Benfica on penalties in Turin, while having returned to the club on loan from Tottenham for the latter half of the 2015-16 season, he was not used as the Spaniards beat Liverpool - who exacted their revenge on Fazio at Roma two seasons later in the Champions League semis.
Jordan Veretout Champions League best: N/A Europa League best: Round of 32 (Saint-Ettiene, 2016-17) One of the least experienced members of Roma's squad in terms of international activity, midfielder Veretout has only played in the Europa League once before. His Saint-Ettiene side topped their group after navigating the qualifiers in 2016-17, but were the first knockout victims of Smalling's Man Utd, who beat them 4-0 on aggregate in the Last 32. Nicolo Zaniolo Champions League best: Round of 16 (Roma, 2018-19) Europa League best: N/A Zaniolo's Roma debut actually came in the Champions League, before he had even played in Serie A. The midfielder made the most of his opportunities and became the youngest Italian player to score a CL brace in the Round of 16 first leg against Porto. The return leg did not go to plan, however, as Roma crashed out of the competition. Now, he will have his first chance to play in the secondary competition, the Europa League. Gianluca Mancini Champions League best: N/A Europa League best: Round of 32 (Atalanta, 2017-18) Mancini had the chance to be part of Atalanta's first ever Champions League side this season, and thus to make his debut in the competition, but sacrificed it to move to a bigger club in Roma. Another player upon whom expectations will be high despite a lack of European experience, Mancini did not play in any of the games when Atalanta reached the Round of 32 in his first season there. The year after, he played three times, scoring once, as they lost in the play-off round on penalties to Copenhagen. Alessandro Florenzi Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Round of 16 (Roma, 2014-15 and 2016-17) A loyal player whose only permanent home has been boyhood club Roma, Florenzi will be hoping to captain Roma to success this season. In the past, when serving as a vice-captain behind Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi, he reached the Europa League Round of 16 on two occasions. Roma lost to Fiorentina and Lyon respectively, before he was part of the first post-Totti side, which instantly reached its furthest ever stage in the Champions League era. Javier Pastore Champions League best: Quarter-final (PSG, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) Europa League best: Group stage (Palermo, 2010-11; PSG, 2011-12) For a player of his pedigree, Pastore's record in Europe makes for rather disappointing reading. The attacking midfielder was part of a PSG side still finding their feet on the continent, as they lost in the quarter-finals in four successive seasons. In the Europa League - which he will be playing in for the first time in eight seasons - he has never made it beyond the group stage, as both Palermo and PSG finished third when he was involved with them. Leonardo Spinazzola Champions League best: Quarter-final (Juventus, 2018-19) Europa League best: Round of 32 (Atalanta, 2017-18) Despite being at Juventus since 2012, a series of loan spells meant Spinazzola's European debut was delayed until 2017, when he helped Atalanta to the Round of 32, playing in six games. His form in Bergamo was rewarded with a Juventus return the next season, but they couldn't beat Dutch giants Ajax in the quarter-finals. He played just one game in the tournament, but will have more opportunities in Europe with Roma. Amadou Diawara Champions League best: Round of 16 (Napoli, 2016-17) Europa League best: Quarter-final (Napoli, 2018-19) One of the players who could benefit from Fonseca's rotation policy in Europe, Diawara's only previous experiences in continental competitions came with Napoli. In his first year there, they reached the Round of 16 of the Champions League, the furthest the club has ever been in the tournament. After coming third in their group in each of the last two seasons, they dropped down to the Europa League, losing to RB Leipzig in the Round of 32 in 2018, and reaching the quarter-finals in 2019, where they were beaten by Henrikh Mkhitaryan's Arsenal without scoring. Mirko Antonucci Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: N/A Only included on Roma's secondary squad list for the group stage, the Italian youngster came on as a last-throw-of-the-dice sub in the second leg against Liverpool in the Champions League two seasons ago. Daniel Fuzato Champions League best: N/A Europa League best: N/A Signed from Palmeiras last summer, Fuzato is yet to make his senior debut for Roma, and has not been included on the squad list for this year's group stages. Henrikh Mkhitaryan Champions League best: Quarter-final (Shakhtar, 2010-11; Borussia Dortmund, 2013-14) Europa League best: Winner (Manchester United, 2016-17) The last Europa League winner on this list, Mkhitaryan started and scored in Man Utd's 2-0 win over Ajax in 2017. After moving to Arsenal, he should have had the chance to play in another final last season, but political tensions between host venue for the final, Azerbaijan, and Mkhitaryan's home country, Armenia, meant he did not travel as his side lost to Chelsea. In the Champions League, he has reached the quarter-finals on two occasions. In 2011, after beating Roma in the Round of 16, Mkhitaryan's Shakhtar lost to Barcelona. Later, the Dortmund side he joined in 2013 had reached the CL final the season before, but weren't able to repeat the feat.
Antonio Mirante Champions League best: Round of 16 (Roma, 2018-19) Europa League best: Group stage (Sampdoria, 2008-09) Veteran keeper Mirante made his Champions League debut with Roma last season, playing once in the group stage versus Viktoria Plzen and then in the first leg of the Round of 16 against Porto. Roma won that leg, but when Robin Olsen returned in his place for the second leg, it was an extra time elimination for the Giallorossi. This year, Mirante may be given the chance to play in the Europa League for the first time in over a decade, having previously kept goal for Sampdoria on three occasions over two seasons in the tournament. Justin Kluivert Champions League best: Round of 16 (Roma, 2018-19) Europa League best: Runner up (Ajax, 2016-17) Kluivert had to watch on as a spectator as his former Ajax side marched to the semi-finals of last season's Champions League, having moved to Roma last summer. He could only reach the Round of 16 with his new side, but it was still better than the qualifying eliminations he had experienced in his previous two seasons with the Dutch side. The first of those led them to the Europa League final, where Kluivert stayed on the bench as Mkhitaryan helped fire Man Utd to the trophy. Now, the duo are teammates, and with both having unfinished business in the competition, they will be hoping to go far with Roma.
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.
Roma brought in four players on loan towards the end of the summer transfer window, deals which could prove to be shrewd operations.
Nikola Kalinic joined from Atletico Madrid with an option to buy, while Chris Smalling - the second English player in the club's history - Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Davide Zappacosta all came in on dry loans. However, not all the loan deals Roma have made in recent years have been successful. Excluding loans that involved an obligation to buy (such as the ones to sign Gianluca Mancini and Jordan Veretout this summer), here are the last 10 temporary signings Roma have made, and how well each one went. 2018 - Jonathan Silva High up a very long list of bad and bizarre decisions made by previous sporting director Monchi, Jonathan Silva was chosen as the replacement for Emerson Palmieri, who had just joined Chelsea, in January 2018. The difference between the two players could not have been greater. Roma desperately needed a reliable left-back to provide competition for Aleksandar Kolarov, who had made a blistering start to his Giallorossi career, but was starting to show signs of fatigue. Silva, however, was not that man. Thanks in part to injury, which made his signing even more questionable, it took until late April for him to make his club debut. His next appearance for the club would be his last. Naturally, Roma declined their option to buy him - which would have worryingly become an obligation had he made more than 10 appearances. 2017 - Clement Grenier January loan deals have not tended to be kind to Roma. Grenier arrived 12 months before Silva, but his impact was only slightly greater. It was thought that the former Lyon man could add some creativity to Luciano Spalletti's attack, which was in danger of becoming a bit one-dimensional, but he only made one start in Serie A. There were signs that he still had some quality, as he provided an assist for Stephan El Shaarawy on that start, against Palermo, but injuries seemed to have caught up with him, and in the end, it was just the wrong fit. He has since returned to his native France, spending a season at Guingamp before joining Rennes last summer. 2016 - Thomas Vermaelen There was a fair weight of expectation when Vermaelen arrived at Roma on a season's loan from Barcelona in 2016. The Lupi needed defensive reinforcements, and Vermaelen was a player with bundles of experience who, on paper, should have been a valuable asset. In the end, that was not the case. Often struggling with injury, but also finding difficulty in adapting to the tactics of the Italian game, the former Arsenal man was more of a liability than a help. Things started negatively when he was sent off for two yellow cards just 41 minutes into his debut, in the Champions League play-off tie against Porto. And his situation did not improve from there, with it eventually being a no-brainer to pass on the option to sign him. 2015 and 2016 - Wojciech Szczesny One of the more successful loan spells of recent times for Roma, Szczesny got his career back on track in Italy after stagnating at Arsenal. At first, it was not clear whether he would be first choice or if Morgan De Sanctis would retain the gloves, but the Polish shot-stopper quickly established himself as number one. Overall, he did well enough in the 2015-16 season to see Roma extend his loan for another year. For his second season, Szczesny continued as first choice, despite the arrival of Alisson Becker. Looking back, that hierarchy looks bizarre, but at the time it made complete sense. Szczesny improved further in his second year with Roma, whereas Alisson was still something of an unknown quantity in Europe. Hence, it was quite disappointing to see Szczesny join Juventus on a permanent deal at the end of the season, as his service had been important in a critical position - but little did Roma know the value of his understudy, who was ready to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world the following season. 2016 - Federico Fazio After two unsuccessful years at Tottenham, the last part of which was spent on loan back at Sevilla, Federico Fazio needed a change. Coming to Roma gave him the perfect chance to get away and start afresh. The Argentine, despite lesser expectations, was practically an instant hit. The 3-4-2-1 system being used by Spalletti was perfect for the defender, and as a result, he was one of the strongest players of the season. At €3.2m, the option to buy him permanently looked like a bargain, and even if he has never quite replicated the form of that season, he has still been an important member of the squad - enough to earn a contract extension recently. 2016 - Diego Perotti Arriving half a season before his compatriot Fazio, Perotti helped replenish a Roma attack that was beginning to look short of ideas - having only managed to score more than one goal in three of the last 10 matches before he joined. Brought in on loan from Genoa, Perotti proved useful as either a left winger or a false nine, and like Fazio, remains at the club today after his loan was bought out. Perotti has since passed 100 appearances for the club, while his role as first-choice penalty taker has seen him score 26 times for the Giallorossi. 2016 - Ervin Zukanovic It may come as something of a surprise to find out that Zukanovic was still owned by Roma as recently as June 2018. The Bosnian's addition from Sampdoria in January 2016 felt like an emergency measure, as Roma were desperately short of defensive options. Zukanovic was steady enough to fill in the gaps when needed, but managed just 10 appearances in total. The option to buy him was exercised, but he was immediately loaned out to Atalanta, and never played for Roma again. 2016 - Stephan El Shaarawy Like Perotti, El Shaarawy was brought in to create a more dangerous attack for recently-appointed Spalletti. He certainly succeeded in that task, scoring a backheel flick on his debut against Frosinone. It was a sign of things to come, as the Italian put his unsuccessful spell with Monaco behind him by adding a further seven goals before the end of the season. The decision to purchase him outright from AC Milan was one of the easiest Roma have had to make in recent times. However, over the next couple of seasons, he struggled to recapture that initial spark of form on a consistent basis. Last season, he finally returned to delivering his potential, before he was sold to Shanghai Shenhua to the frustration of many fans. 2015 - Lucas Digne Roma made Leonardo Spinazzola their third most expensive signing of all-time this summer, behind Patrik Schick and Gabriel Batistuta, but they may not have needed to if they had continued their association with Lucas Digne. The French full-back had only been used as a rotation player in his two years at PSG, and needed a new environment to accomplish his potential. As for Roma, their free signing of Ashley Cole the year before had not gone to plan, and Jose Holebas had moved to Watford, meaning a new left-back was required. Coming to Roma gave Digne the opportunity to reunite with Rudi Garcia, who had been his manager at Lille, where he started his career. The duo picked up from where they had left off, with Digne nailing down the starting spot ahead of Emerson Palmieri (who is not included in this list because his loan from Santos became an obligation to buy after he made 10 appearances for the club). Digne finished the season with three goals from 42 appearances, and declared his desire to stay - but Roma failed to exercise their option to buy him, making the questionable decision to replace him with Mario Rui, while watching the Frenchman secure a move to Barcelona for an initial €16m - a figure probably greater than the one PSG had pencilled in with Roma when negotiating the option to buy. 2015 - Norbert Gyomber Most of Roma's business that summer was conducted through loan deals, including ones that brought Mohamed Salah, Antonio Rudiger and Edin Dzeko to the club - all of which were made permanent. Continuing chronologically backwards, though, brings us to another player who was bought at the end of his loan spell - in far more confusing circumstances. Slovakian defender Gyomber had made just six appearances after arriving on temporary terms from Catania, who had just been demoted to the Lega Pro as part of a match-fixing scandal. Despite his failure to make an impact, Roma signed him permanently for €1.5m. Like Zukanovic after him, he did not play for the club again, joining Pescara, then Terek Grozny, then Bari on loan. He now plays for Perugia having secured a permanent move last summer, but his original contract he signed upon completing his permanent move to Roma would have only expired two months ago. Roma will be looking for redemption when they take on fierce rivals Lazio in the first Derby Della Capitale of the season on Sunday.
It's a game that gives Roma the chance to right two wrongs - that of being beaten 3-0 the last time the two sides met, which proved to be Eusebio Di Francesco's last Serie A game in charge, and not being able to beat Genoa on the opening day of the season. Both rivals have made some interesting changes over the summer, with the red side of the city bringing in new coach Paulo Fonseca and sporting director Gianluca Petrachi, not to mention a whole host of new players, while the blue side have brought in the likes of Manuel Lazzari and Denis Vavro. Simone Inzaghi's side won their first game of the season, against Di Francesco's Sampdoria, whereas Roma have a point to prove in what is technically their first away game of the season, despite it being played at Stadio Olimpico. Roma's opening game saw them pegged back three times by Genoa, despite some promising performances from the likes of Bryan Cristante, Lorenzo Pellegrini. However, no places are guaranteed, with Fonseca confirming at his press conference that Jordan Veretout and Amadou Diawara are ready to compete for the starting berths in midfield. It could be a baptism of fire for any of the new additions, ready to be thrown into the cauldron of one of the most competitive and passionate rivalries in world football. Davide Zappacosta could make his first start for the club after coming on as a substitute against Genoa, with Alessandro Florenzi pushing to the left wing, while new signing Chris Smalling will be involved in the squad - although the Englishman may not start. The game kicks off at 5pm UK time and will be shown live on Premier Sports 1. Expected lineup: Lopez; Zappacosta, Fazio, Mancini, Kolarov; Pellegrini, Cristante; Under, Zaniolo, Florenzi; Dzeko |
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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