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Juan Jesus praised the mentality of Roma's new-look squad as he sat down with Roma TV to preview his fourth season at the club.
The Brazilian defender has played a part in every pre-season game so far under Paulo Fonseca, and as he becomes one of the more experienced players in the squad, he vowed that he would like to remain with the club as long as possible. "Let's hope to do another 10 [years]," he said. "I came here to do great things, I still have much to give and learn." Only Alessandro Florenzi, Edin Dzeko and Diego Perotti (plus technically Lorenzo Pellegrini, who returned from Sassuolo one year after Juan's arrival) have been at Roma longer than Jesus now, meaning he will enter the new season as part of a very different group to the one he joined in 2016. The 28-year-old addressed the new faces in the squad, and was asked to pick out his most hard-working teammates. "It's a new group, we've changed a lot. Those who arrived did so with the right desire. The coach gives his best and we have started to notice certain things that will be fundamental. "The group is new and young, there are guys who want to learn. To work well we must be calm and happy. "There is a nice group, everyone works well. Cristante, Diawara, Perotti, Fazio, Mancini, I could say everyone. They all work hard." Jesus also commented on new head coach Paulo Fonseca, who will be the fourth manager of his time at Roma. And the defender has already noticed a difference in the way the Portuguese tactician asks his players to react after losing the ball. "He is calm and serious. The group is behind him and this is important. "Usually you run away, but the coach says to delay as long as possible. This helps us to have a higher press. If you are short, you can be reactive and get the ball first." Jesus needs 14 more appearances to reach 100 for Roma in all competitions - a landmark that only Florenzi, Dzeko, Perotti and Federico Fazio have surpassed in the current squad.
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Juan Jesus has urged his Roma teammates to remember their Champions League victory against Barcelona as inspiration for their push for the top four this season.
Yesterday marked the first anniversary of Roma's extraordinary victory over the La Liga giants, as they outplayed the five-time competition winners to overturn a three-goal first leg deficit. Jesus was one of the standout performers on the night. Tasked with man-marking Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Roma's number five completely nullified the threat posed by the Argentinian. Now, the centre-back has taken to Twitter to assure the fans that they will be using the memory of that game to inspire them in their bid for a top four finish this season. He wrote: "A year ago, at this very moment we were in the changing room about to take on an impossible challenge. Never forget that. "We must keep that in mind as we pursue our objectives right now. For the fans, for ourselves - but most of all for this club." It's certainly a fair comparison, as the task of finishing in the top four this season has, at times, seemed as difficult as beating Barcelona last year. Roma were as far down the table as 10th at Christmas, but a good week has seen them gain ground on their rivals for UCL qualification, with the side now just one point away from fourth position. Jesus is likely to start as a full-back in Saturday's match against Udinese, with Aleksandar Kolarov suspended and Davide Santon and Rick Karsdorp injured, while Alessandro Florenzi remains a doubt. Roma are interested in Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, according to reports in Spain.
Cillessen has played second fiddle to Marc-Andre Ter Stegen for most of his time at Barcelona, and wants first team football next season. According to Mundo Deportivo, Roma are considering Cillessen in case Alisson leaves this summer. Respected Roma journalist Alessandro Austini recently confirmed his prediction that Alisson will go to Chelsea in this transfer window, but he said that PSG's Alphonse Areola would be the replacement, not Cillessen. Barcelona want around €30m for the Dutch keeper. Meanwhile, Roma look to have missed out on an Ajax midfielder. Donny van de Beek is reported to have rejected a move to Italy, as he looks to continue his development in Holland. The 21-year-old wants to stay at Ajax, according to Belgian publication Algemen Dagblad. Elsewhere, Gazzetta Dello Sport and Sky Sport Italia claim that Bruno Peres is nearing a return to Brazil. The Roma right-back was thought to be heading back to Torino, but a move seems to have fallen through. Instead, Sao Paolo could take him off Roma's hands, with the club wanting around €7m for him. Finally, Juan Jesus has responded to a report from Gianluca Di Marzio claiming Porto and Zenit St Petersburg are interested in him. Via Twitter, the centre-back indicated that he knew nothing of the rumours, and he said that neither of the clubs are as strong as Roma. Radja Nainggolan has been made available for transfer, according to La Repubblica.
Nainggolan has generally excelled in his time at Roma, but has endured a difficult season, which was topped off by his omission from the Belgium World Cup squad. Now, the 30-year-old has reportedly been told he can leave the club, with Luciano Spalletti keen for a reunion with the midfielder at Inter. It will take a bid of €40m for the Nerazzurri to capture him. If Nainggolan does leave, a replacement could be Niccolo Barella. The young midfielder has shone for Cagliari this season, and according to La Nuova Sardegna, is of interest to Roma. The Sardinian club want to take Leandro Castan from Roma on a permanent basis after a loan spell, and Monchi could ask for Barella to move the other way. Corriere Dello Sport report that Stephan El Shaarawy could be exiting the Stadio Olimpico, as Fiorentina are keen to sign him. The winger has been hot and cold for Roma this season, and may relish the opportunity to play every week at a good level in Florence. La Viola may be concerned about a departure for Federico Chiesa - for whom Roma recently had a bid rejected, according to sources. The same paper also believes Roma have an edge over Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Justin Kluivert. The forward would prefer the move to Rome as he believes he would get more game time. Roma are reported to have bid around €25m for his services. His Ajax teammate Hakim Ziyech could also make the same move, as De Telegraaf claims Monchi has met with his agent to discuss a deal. Roma are willing to offer a five-year contract to the Morocco attacking midfielder. On the depatures front, Bruno Peres could be leaving Roma after two unsuccessful seasons. Calciomercato claim that Porto are set to agree a €9m signing of the full back, who may be a replacement for the potentially Manchester United-bound Diogo Dalot. Turkish source Fanatik believe Besiktas are interested in taking Juan Jesus from Roma. The Super Lig club would seek a loan with an option to buy. On Saturday it was reported by Tuttosport that Torino are also keen. Juan Jesus is wanted by Walter Mazzarri at Torino, according to Tuttosport.
The Brazilian defender joined Roma from Inter two seasons ago, but has been in and out of the team. He reportedly earns over €2m a year. As part of the deal for Jesus to move to Turin, Daniele Baselli could be offered to Roma, who are looking to upgrade their midfield. Monchi has already added Ante Coric, who joined from Dinamo Zagreb, for the position. Corriere Dello Sport claim Roma are set to complete two more signings soon. Bryan Cristante should be on his way from Atalanta, and Domenico Berardi is set to sign from Sassuolo. The latter has apparently already agreed personal terms for the move, which would see him link up with his former coach, Eusebio Di Francesco. The valuation is rumoured to be between €20m and €25m. Sassuolo's director general, Giovanni Carnevali, has told the same publication that the club have received no official offers for the winger yet, but they would consider a sale if the right offer came along. Reports in Turkey suggest Monchi is tracking Borussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin. The German club have not offered him a new deal, say Fanatik, so will look to sell him before his contract expires in 2019. Another player who is entering the final year of his contract is Athletic Bilbao winger Iker Muniain, and according to Corriere Della Sera, he is one of the players Monchi has flown to Spain to discuss. Muniain has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, but is a great player on his day, and is still only 25. One player who could be leaving Roma is Gregoire Defrel, who failed to impress in his first season at the club. According to Il Messaggero, Atalanta are interested, with the player possibly forming part of the deal to bring Cristante to Rome. However, Sampdoria are also keeping tabs on the striker. |
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