GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
When news initially broke of Roma making contacts with Leicester over a possible move for Riyad Mahrez, and that the price could be somewhere in the region of just 30 million euros, it seemed like a no-brainer to close the deal. However, as time has progressed, it has become clear that the Foxes are holding out for a much larger sum of money than what was first thought – a fee that would be much too large.
At the right price, Mahrez would have been a fantastic addition for Roma. With Mohamed Salah having departed for the Premier League in June, the club needed a right winger of similar qualities: a left-footed player with pace and skill, able to cut inside and create goals for his team. Mahrez – who was named PFA Player of the Year in Leicester’s title-winning 2015/16 season – is indeed a player of this mould. The Algerian international is a player of the high quality needed to properly replace Salah’s input to the team, not just to get by without him – and that is important for any genuine Roma attempt at winning a trophy this season. With some rumours that Mahrez has agreed a deal in principle with the Giallorossi, the move seemed to be making even more sense. It was reported that Mahrez wants Champions League football, and was willing to take a pay cut in order to push through the transfer. However, Leicester don’t appear to be as keen on letting their star player go so cheaply. Recent reports indicate that 30 million is a long way from Leicester’s valuation of the player, which is closer to 50 million. So, is it really worth spending that much on him? The answer is no. Whilst the other names suggested as targets for Roma in that position so far have not been quite of Mahrez’s level, there is enough capability in this current squad to thrive without actually adding anyone. Two of Roma’s summer signings, Gregoire Defrel and Cengiz Under, are comfortable playing on the right wing. Defrel was believed to have been signed as back up to Edin Dzeko, but having played out wide more often in training, he was selected on the right wing in last night’s International Champions Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur. Having worked under Eusebio Di Francesco at Sassuolo, he already understands the coach’s demands, and will adapt to the same system at Roma with relative ease. The money Roma would save from not signing Mahrez could then be used to buy another striker to compete with Dzeko, now that Defrel would be used as a winger instead – or the club could simply trust Sadiq Umar, who has got on the scoresheet twice in pre-season. Meanwhile, Under appears to be something of a hot prospect. A natural winger, the Turkish international could be a handful for Serie A defences this season, as they are less likely to know about his game. The youngster impressed at Istanbul Basaksehir last season, and looks eager to carry that forward into the upcoming year as well. Coming on as a substitute against Spurs, Under scored on his Roma debut, an accomplishment that will have his name in the minds of fans in the near future, in anticipation of what he can achieve with this team. In his first interview with the club, he declared, “My aim is to earn myself a regular starting berth as quickly as possible.” It is clear then, in Under’s mind at least, that he has the potential become a starter on the right wing for Roma this year. And lest we forget, there is another member of this squad more than capable of making the right wing position his own. Though currently sidelined, Alessandro Florenzi could excel in a more advanced position, which is where he is expected to be used under his new head coach. Florenzi will take time to return to top form after two ligament injuries last season, and being right-footed may have to adapt to Di Francesco's tactic of wingers cutting inside, but he remains the long-term future of this team. He is Roman through and through, a player who gives his all for the club when on the pitch – and it is only right that the club should return that, and put their faith in him when he is not on it. Florenzi, almost certainly a future Roma captain, must not be forgotten, or frozen out of the team before he can return. Roma shouldn't spend 50 million euros on a transfer that could damage one of their most popular player's chances of regaining a spot in the starting eleven. A place must be reserved for him until he is ready to come back at his very best, and that place may well be on the right wing. And until that day, Defrel and Under are more than capable of stepping up to the plate and delivering the goods for the red and yellow of Rome.
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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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October 2019
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