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Rome-born midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini has completed his return to his boyhood club today, coming back to AS Roma from Sassuolo.
A former captain of the Primavera team, Pellegrini was a member of Roma's youth setup for eight years, before being sold to Sassuolo two years ago. There was much discussion in the press about Pellegrini's return, with Roma's buyback clause expiring today, but in the end the expected result ensued, and the player rejoined the Giallorossi. Fresh from impressing for Italy at the UEFA European Under 21 Championship, where he scored a spectacular bicycle kick against Denmark, the 21-year-old puts pen to paper on a five year deal with Roma. He made his senior Italy debut against Liechtenstein in the midfield alongside Daniele De Rossi earlier this month, a combination we will now see more of over the next couple of seasons. Roma's new number seven contributed six goals and seven assists to Sassuolo's Serie A campaign, also creating 26 chances. Defensively, he made 40 interceptions over the season. He will hope to continue to find consistent gametime at this higher level, and will look forward to Champions League participation after experiencing the Europa League with his head coach Eusebio Di Francesco last season. He stated that returning to Roma was his "objective from the moment I went to Sassuolo", declaring it an "incredible feeling" to have come back. Roma's fans seem largely happy with the move and will look forward to re-establishing their relationship with this promising young talent. Bentornato, Lorenzo!
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Roma have officially announced the signing of Dutch right-back Rick Karsdorp.
Joining from Dutch champions Feyenoord, the 22-year-old has signed a five-year contract after the two clubs agreed a 14 million euro fee, plus bonuses. He will wear the number 26 shirt, last worn by Morgan De Sanctis in 2015/16. Karsdorp has already been capped by his country, and had been linked with Arsenal in January, before Arsene Wenger denied any attempts to sign him. Speaking to Roma's official website, Karsdorp announced, "Coming to AS Roma is a great step forward for me." Benvenuto, Rick! With Mohamed Salah's transfer to Liverpool complete, Roma are already looking at potential replacements for the speedy Egyptian.
Yesterday Giallorossi Yorkshire brought you a list of four names to be linked to the club - Berardi, Gomez, Shaqiri and Ghezzal. Rumours have been circulating today of another player to be added to that list. Gerard Deulofeu has been an intriguing case of a football player. From a young age, his talent has been clearly visible. An adept dribbler, he has shown the potential to be an extremely frustrating opponent for full backs, with his array of skills and pace. However, certainly in his younger days, he has seemed to lack something in terms of mentality. Struggling to make an impact at Premier League club Everton, he was loaned to AC Milan in January, where he has flourished, putting past difficulties behind him. He scored four league goals in 17 games, and provided three assists, helping the Rossoneri to European qualification for the first time in three years. The Spaniard came through the ranks at Barcelona, who retained a buyback clause on the player when they sold him to Everton in 2015. After his positive end to the season at Milan, many are expecting Barcelona to exercise that clause and take him back to Camp Nou. Despite this, Roma have thrown their hat into the ring for Deulofeu's signature, with the player having proven himself in Serie A. Monchi previously completed a deal to take him to Sevilla on loan in 2014-15, and now may be looking to bring him to the Italian capital. Deulofeu's agent, Gines Carvajal, has told Romanews.it that Roma are "a great club and an option." It is understood that the winger does not want to be a squad player next season, casting doubt on the appeal of Barcelona. The right-footed attacker could well be a possibility for Roma if Everton and Barcelona are able to work out his situation. Everton boss Ronald Koeman has stated that he would be open to having Deulofeu return to Merseyside for pre-season, but it is less clear if the player himself would be willing to go back to England. Milan would also be interested in taking Deulofeu on a permanent basis, but Carvajal has said that that move would be "very difficult." Should an opportunity arise, Roma are ready to make a move for Deulofeu, who would cost around 15 million euros. However, any deal may take time, as his current situation needs to be resolved. A new era starts for Roma today - and a new era for the club's brand new head coach.
Eusebio Di Francesco has officially signed for Roma on a two-year contract, after five years with Sassuolo. Di Francesco won the Scudetto with Roma as a player in 2001, and has been building a reputation for himself since his turn to management. The 47-year-old has now completed the step up to Roma and will be looking to bring his exciting brand of football to the club. He is a promising candidate for the job, and was immediately identified by Monchi as the right man to lead the team forward. Roma President James Pallotta has stated that EDF will get the best out of Roma's first team and any youth players making the transition out of the academy. Di Francesco inherits a talented squad and comes with much needed fresh ideas. His arrival is positive for Roma, as they have appointed a young, Italian coach who knows how the club works. Here's to great success with Eusebio Di Francesco leading Roma for years to come. An unexpected rumour surfaced earlier - but then again, so did an unexpected transfer.
The agent of former Roma striker Marco Borriello has hinted that he may come back to the club this summer, to serve as back up for Edin Dzeko. Speaking to Rete Sport, Andrea D'Amico commented that Borriello is "in love with Roma" and the team "remain in his heart." The 34-year-old enjoyed a positive season in front of goal, contributing 16 Serie A goals for Cagliari, who finished 11th in the league. He also scored four goals in the Coppa Italia. D'Amico stated that linking his client to the club who owned him between 2010 and 2015 was "only a suggestion", but Roma should be in the market for another striker this summer, with Dzeko the club's only recognised centre forward. Borriello may be a cheap and capable option, but the Giallorossi still may look elsewhere. This afternoon, Roma have completed their first signing of the summer - and hence the first signing of Monchi's reign as sporting director.
Mexican defender Hector Moreno has put pen to paper on a four year contract, signing from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. He primarily plays as a centre back, but can also play at left back, and is the first Mexican international to ever play for Roma. Moreno scored the joint highest number of league goals for a defender last season, finding the net seven times in total in the Eredivisie. His transfer fee is believed to be in the region of 5 million euros. Speaking to the club's official website, he said, "This represents an important step up in my career. I hope I can show my individual qualities and contribute to the overall success of the team." Reports have linked Barcelona midfielder Denis Suarez with a summer move to Roma.
The 23-year-old played 26 times in La Liga for the Spanish giants last season, although just 12 of those appearances were starts, and he could be available on loan with an option to buy. He has been signed by Monchi before, joining Sevilla on loan in 2014. His career has also seen him play for Villarreal, and he was on the books at Manchester City for two years. Whilst his main position is central midfield, he can also play further up the pitch in an attacking midfield or left wing role. Roma face competition from Napoli for his signature. Once every summer, a transfer window comes along. For Roma fans, that usually means three months of intense agony, as the club's top players are linked with big money moves to top European clubs.
This summer is no different, as Roma need to make money before the end of June in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations. The man mainly linked with a move away is popular Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah - although we could also see Antonio Rudiger (linked with Inter) and Leandro Paredes (linked with Zenit) leaving the capital. Salah is heavily rumoured to be joining Liverpool this summer; while reports yesterday suggested that the Premier League side had turned their attentions to Sporting Lisbon's Gelson Martins, some believe this is merely a negotiating tactic to make Roma lower their asking price for Salah. The website of transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio suggests today that a potential replacement for Salah would be Milan's Suso, who had a breakout season for the Rossoneri in 2016/17. While it seems unlikely that Milan would be willing to sell, the article notes that the Spaniard hasn't agreed a renewal of his current contract at this moment in time. His deal expires in 2019, so it may be an interesting transfer to pursue. Despite the (probable) imminent departure of one of Roma's most exciting players in Salah, it seems that the club may be holding on to at least three other coveted names this summer. Kevin Strootman has recently signed a new contract with the club until 2022, and despite Gazzetta dello Sport's indications that this contract has a release clause, the midfielder has made it clear that Roma is where he wants to be. Kostas Manolas is also on the verge of signing a new contract, and Radja Nainggolan hopefully will continue his commitment to the Roma cause. Transfer windows can be intense for Roma fans, but, with Monchi on board for his first window, this one could well turn out to be one of more excitement than despair. The team's most talented players, for the most part, seem ready to stay and succeed with the club. Clement Grenier's agent has confirmed that Roma have not exercised their option to buy the midfielder from Lyon after his loan at the club this season.
The French player is on a slow road to recovery after injury troubles, and his gametime was limited this season. When he played, he made a good impression, but ultimately didn't manage to contribute greatly to the team and found himself low down the pecking order. Roma had the chance to sign him for a pre-agreed fee, but had to do so before 31st May. Now, if the club would like to sign Grenier, they will have to negotiate with Lyon again. It is unclear whether this will occur - the player has expressed a desire to stay at the Olimpico, but the club may not be keen on signing him. According to Tuttomercatoweb, Roma will be interested in signing England goalkeeper Joe Hart in the summer.
This is because it is uncertain whether Wojciech Szczesny will join Roma permanently after two years of loans at the club from Arsenal. There is no buyout clause in the loan deal, and Juventus and Napoli have both been linked with the Polish international. Hart has spent the season on loan at Torino after being exiled by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola (a former Roma player, of only four league games). The club conceded 66 goals in Serie A this season; despite finishing 9th, only three teams conceded more goals. Hart is a seasoned professional, but can be prone to errors, and wage demands may be problematic for any potential transfer. It should be noted that even if Szczesny does not return to Roma, the club still have an adept keeper in Alisson, who has done reasonably well between the posts in cup competitions this season. |
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