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Jordan Veretout has revealed that a phone call from Paulo Fonseca was the key factor that convinced him to join Roma.
The midfielder had a number of offers to leave Fiorentina this summer, including from AC Milan, but he eventually signed for Roma in a deal that could cost the club nearly €20m. At his first press conference as a Giallorossi player, Veretout told reporters: “I chose Roma because this is a huge club and I was impressed by what Fonseca said to me. Roma are playing in the Europa League this season and I see this as a step forward in my career. “Roma are a huge club who want to be playing in the Champions League every season. For now it's the Europa League but our aim is to get back in the Champions League. We're going to have to work very hard if we're to achieve that.” Echoing a sentiment from fellow new arrival Amadou Diawara earlier this week, Veretout says he is ready to adapt to the demands of Fonseca's 4-2-3-1 system. “I've played everywhere in midfield and learnt a lot from playing in the holding role. It's made me a more mature player because you have to think a bit more carefully. I still have plenty of room for improvement, though. “In a three-man midfield I have more freedom to get forward. With two I have to be more careful about providing defensive cover.” When asked for more detail on what Fonseca said to him, Veretout painted a positive picture of the coach. “He told me he needed someone with my skill set. He convinced me instantly and I never looked back from there. “The boss likes to play attacking football. He wanted me as a deep-lying playmaker but in that position you need to know how to defend too.” Veretout was responsible for set pieces in Florence, but Roma already have Diego Perotti to take penalties and Aleksandar Kolarov on free kicks. Nonetheless, the Frenchman laughed that he could end up overtaking them in the pecking order, as long as he had the right work ethic. “We'll see about free kicks and penalties further down the line. In the meantime I'll keep practising them!” Like the new Giallorossi Yorkshire Facebook page!
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All of Thursday's Roma transfer rumours in one place - including updates on Marc Bartra, Kevin Bonifazi, Patrik Schick and more.
Roma eye double Betis swoop Roma have been linked with two members of Real Betis' defensive department. First, goalkeeper Pau Lopez is named as a target by Sky Sport's Gianluca Di Marzio, with the same journalist also suggesting that the Giallorossi are interested in centre-back Marc Bartra - formerly of Barcelona. The offer for Lopez is €18m plus €2m in bonuses, as well as part of the sell-on fee for the Spanish club's striker Antonio Sanabria, which Roma were entitled to. As for 28-year-old Bartra, it remains just interest at this stage, although he is valued between €20m and €25m. Moving the other way, from Roma to Betis, could be Daniele Verde, after Real Valladolid decided not to exercise their €2m option to buy the winger. El Gol Digital believe Betis are strongly interested in the player. Bonifazi buyback makes deal difficult Another central defender linked with Roma in recent days is Kevin Bonifazi, who has impressed with SPAL and the Italy U21s. However, Torino have today exercised their buyback option on the player. Given their chairman Urbano Cairo's unwillingness to negotiate with Roma due to the Gianluca Petrachi situation, it probably means Roma's hopes of signing the 23-year-old are over. Schick swap suggested Patrik Schick has long been linked with a move to AC Milan, and with Marco Giampaolo having been confirmed as their new coach, it looks like the Roma striker could team up with his former Sampdoria manager again. Previously, a swap deal with Andre Silva had been suggested, but now, Patrick Cutrone is the name mentioned who could come to Roma as part of the deal (as per Gazzetta Dello Sport). Milan would have to pay Roma €15m plus Cutrone for the deal to go through. Raiola makes Pellegrini offer Having seen his ban from football overturned, agent Mino Raiola is ready to get active in the transfer market. According to Il Messaggero, he has offered one of his Roma-based clients, Luca Pellegrini, to Juventus. Roma want €20m for the young left-back, but Juve's offer will not exceed €15m in cash. Mattia Perin could be inserted into the deal to simplify the operation for the champions. Kolarov finds Fener agreement Another left-back who could leave is Aleksandar Kolarov, who has proven a divisive figure. With just one year left on his contract, it is now claimed by Haberturk that he has agreed personal terms with Fenerbahce ahead of a potential move. He is set to sign a two-year contract, with the option of a third year. A look at how Roma players performed on international duty last week.
Monday 10th June Patrik Schick started and scored a penalty in Czech Republic's 3-0 win over Montenegro. Aleksandar Kolarov played all 90 minutes as captain as Serbia beat Lithuania 4-1. Robin Olsen played all 90 minutes as Sweden lost 3-0 to Spain. Tuesday 11th June Edin Dzeko scored as Bosnia and Herzegovina lost 2-1 to Italy - for whom Alessandro Florenzi, Stephan El Shaarawy, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante were unused substitutes. Friday 14th June Elisa Bartoli and Allyson Swaby went head to head as Italy beat Jamaica 5-0 in the Women's World Cup. Swaby gave away the penalty that led to Italy's opener. The Azzurre are yet to concede while Bartoli has been on the pitch at the tournament so far. Sunday 16th June Lorenzo Pellegrini scored an ice-cool penalty as Italy beat Spain in their UEFA U21 Euros opener. Nicolo Zaniolo also started the game, but had to be subbed off injured in the first half. It appears to be nothing serious. Giallorossi Yorkshire looks at how Roma's players have been performing on international duty over the weekend.
Friday 7th June Patrik Schick scored a brace for Czech Republic in their 2-1 comeback win against Bulgaria. After the game, the striker said he felt more involved with the play with the national team than he does at Roma. Aleksandar Kolarov started as part of a back three in Serbia's 5-0 loss to Ukraine, captaining the side. Robin Olsen kept a clean sheet in Sweden's 3-0 win over Malta. It's only his second clean sheet of 2019, and his first since the January Coppa Italia win over third-tier side Virtus Entella. Luca Pellegrini, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Cagliari, played all 90 minutes for Italy in their U20 World Cup quarter-final win over Mali. Saturday 8th June Cengiz Under scored in Turkey's 2-0 win 0ver world champions France. Edin Dzeko captained his country as Bosnia-Herzegovina lost 2-0 to Finland. Teammates Alessandro Florenzi and Kostas Manolas came up against each other as Italy beat Greece 3-0. Lorenzo Pellegrini came on as a substitute for the Azzurri. Sunday 9th June Roma Women captain Elisa Bartoli came on as a half-time sub in Italy's World Cup opener, a 2-1 win over Australia. Italy were losing before she entered the action for her first ever World Cup appearance. Allyson Swaby and Trudi Carter also made their Women's World Cup debuts as Jamaica lost 3-0 to Brazil. A summary of all if Thursday's transfer rumours involving Roma - including updates on Pedro Obiang, Yannick Carrasco and Aleksandar Kolarov.
Agent rules out Roma switch for winger The agent of Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey has poured cold water on links with Roma, telling Bild that a lack of Champions League football means the winger won't be joining the Giallorossi. Roma back in for ex-Sampdoria midfielder According to Il Tempo, Roma have revived their interest in West Ham midfielder Pedro Obiang. The 27-year-old previously played in Serie A with Sampdoria. Kolarov open to Turkey switch One player heavily linked with a move away from Roma is Aleksandar Kolarov. Already of interest to Red Star and Inter, the full-back is now also a target for Fenerbahce, according to Turkish correspondent Sercan Hamzaoglu. Roma offer escape route for CSL winger Yannick Carrasco is desperate to return to Europe after one-and-a-half years in the Chinese Super League, and according to Corriere Dello Sport, Roma are interested in the Belgian. Genoa prodigy Christian Kouame is also under consideration, per the report. Shakhtar set Fonseca price Paulo Fonseca is close to being appointed as Roma's next coach, and according to Gianluca Di Marzio, his current club Shakhtar will only ask the Giallorossi for €3m for him, rather than his full €5m release clause. Striker targeted after Fiorentina snub With Edin Dzeko set to leave Roma after four years, the club are in need of a new striker, and while reports linking them with a move for Mauro Icardi may be a touch ambitious, one more realistic target could be Luis Muriel. The Sevilla forward is available for €15m, say Leggo, after Fiorentina decided not to take up their option to buy him. Torino set Lyanco price tag With the impending arrival of Gianluca Petrachi as sporting director, he could raid his old club Torino for new signings. However, one of his targets, centre-back Lyanco, has been valued at €25m by the Granata, according to La Repubblica. Petrachi is also thinking of Sampdoria left-back Nicola Murru. Sirigu coy on Roma links Another player who has been tipped to follow Petrachi from Torino to Roma is Italy goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu. However, when asked by Rai Sport if his club had received an offer, he said he did not know. All of Tuesday's Roma transfer rumours in one place - including updates on Alessio Cragno, Kostas Manolas and Gregoire Defrel.
First Cragno offer rejected Roma have had an €18m bid for Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno rejected, according to La Nuova Sardegna. The bid for the Italian shot-stopper included the loans of a couple of Primavera players - including Luca Pellegrini, who spent the second half of the season in Sardinia - but Cagliari are holding out for €25m. Any negotiations over Pellegrini will come separately. Dragowski a goalkeeping alternative If the Cragno asking price is deemed to be too high, then Roma will set their sights on Bartlomiej Dragowski from Fiorentina, who impressed on loan at Empoli last season. Il Romanista observe that the player is keen on the move, but Brighton and Southampton are also interested. The future of Robin Olsen must also be resolved, with the Swede more likely to leave on loan (to a club in England) than permanently, due to the risk of making a loss on the €8.5m that was spent on him last summer. Perotti makes intentions clear Diego Perotti has pledged his future to Roma in an interview with Fox Sports Argentina, in which he declared: "I want to respect my contract with Roma." His deal runs until 2021. Three players to be sold to balance books After their failure to qualify for next season's Champions League, Roma need to raise around €45m to balance the books. According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, that will be accomplished with the sales of three big names - Kostas Manolas, Edin Dzeko and Cengiz Under. Inter considering Roma raid Antonio Conte is set to revamp his newly inherited Inter squad, with several Roma players linked. Dzeko is the closest to making the switch, with a €13m offer in the pipeline, while full-backs Aleksandar Kolarov and Alessandro Florenzi have also been linked. Sport Mediaset now add a fourth name to the list, claiming that Manolas could make the move to San Siro. Kolarov denies Red Star move Another club linked with Kolarov is his childhood team Red Star Belgrade, but at a press conference on international duty, the former Manchester City man said there was no truth to the rumours yet. Shakhtar waive Fonseca fee Roma are closer to making a decision on their next manager, with it apparently being a two-horse race between Paulo Fonseca and Roberto De Zerbi. According to Corriere Dello Sport, the former could be allowed to join Roma for nothing by his present club Shakhtar, despite the €5m release clause in his contract. The Ukrainian giants will not begrudge him the opportunity to work in a bigger league after three successive league titles. Dalic agent alert suitors Fonseca, however, is waiting for reassurances from Roma, meaning other candidates are not out of the equation just yet. A new contender is Zlatko Dalic, who guided Croatia to the semi-finals of last year's World Cup. His agent, Sokol Haxhia, has confirmed to Il Tempo that he is trying to arrange for the 52-year-old to coach at an "ambitious" Serie A club. Former midfielder could return as coach Due to Fonseca's doubts, Tuttomercatoweb claim that former Roma midfielder Luigi Di Biagio is rising up the list of potential managerial targets. He is currently in charge of the Italy U21 side. Ten Hag approach turned down One man who will not be taking over as coach is Erik Ten Hag, with Dutch paper De Telegraaf claiming that Ajax have rejected Roma's approach to speak to him due to Monchi's failed negotiations for Hakim Ziyech last summer. The report claims that last season's Champions League semi-finalists feel Ziyech was mistreated by Monchi when a deal was not agreed between the clubs. Defrel decision depends on coach Pagine Romaniste assess the futures of the players Roma sent out on loan last year, and claim that Gregoire Defrel, who enjoyed a productive spell at Sampdoria, will not be sold until the new coach arrives. Optimism remains that, despite his woeful first season at Roma, he could still be a part of the project. However, another striker who has had a fruitful season away from Trigoria, Ezequiel Ponce, is likely to be sold. Arnautovic under consideration According to The Sun, West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic could make a return to Inter this summer. However, Roma are also considering a move for the Austrian forward. All of Tuesday's Roma rumours in one place - including updates on Aleksandar Kolarov, Mattia Perin and a new candidate for the head coach's role.
Roma star linked with boyhood club With Roma preparing to say goodbye to several of the older players in the squad, Aleksandar Kolarov - whose contract expires next year - has been linked with a move to Red Star Belgrade. The team he supports, the left-back previously played in their youth ranks. Espreso.rs claim that Kolarov could rescind his contract a year early to move back to his homeland. Goalkeeper agent meets with Giallorossi Juventus back-up Mattia Perin is increasingly being linked with a move away, and according to Gazzetta Dello Sport journalist Nicolo Schira, the goalkeeper's agent has contacted Roma ahead of a potential transfer. Striker to be used as makeweight for Zapata With Edin Dzeko nearing a move to Inter, Roma are looking for a new striker, and that man could be Duvan Zapata. The Colombian could follow Gian Piero Gasperini if the coach signs with Roma, but a deal for the striker would be financially complicated for the Giallorossi. However, Corriere Dello Sport say that Gregoire Defrel, returning from a successful season with Sampdoria, could be offered to Atalanta in a cash-plus-player bid for Zapata. Ex-Napoli striker a cheaper alternative If the deal to sign Zapata - or Torino's Andrea Belotti - proves too expensive, then Leonardo Pavoletti, currently with Cagliari, could be an alternative, according to Leggo (via Calciomercato). Former Roma man Gasp alternative Roma are awaiting the outcome of the meeting between Gasperini and Atalanta to see if the Italian will carry on coaching the Champions League newcomers. If Gasperini does not move to Roma (and it appears he will not), then the new alternative, say La Repubblica (via ForzaRoma), would be Sinisa Mihajlovic, who inspired Bologna to an impressive top half finish after taking over mid-season. Manolas makes future admission One big name who may be sold after Roma missed out on the top four is Kostas Manolas, with Juventus, Napoli and Arsenal interested in activating his €36m release clause. When asked if he would be staying at Roma, the Greek defender replied: "I don't know." Petrachi could bring Torino defender If Gianluca Petrachi takes over as Roma sporting director, he could bring Lyanco with him from Torino, say Calciomercato. The defender has spent this season on loan at Bologna. Aleksandar Kolarov has claimed that Roma will soon start to feel the void left by Daniele De Rossi when the captain departs.
Roma confirmed earlier this week that De Rossi would not be offered a new contract despite his 18 years of service to the club, a decision which has enraged supporters, who have been protesting outside the club headquarters today. In an interview with DAZN, Kolarov has revealed his thoughts on the situation of his captain. "I consider Daniele a brother," he said. "The first match I played with Roma was in Bergamo against Atalanta. Sometimes before certain matches captains give a speech, but Daniele always does so and when I heard him talk and the emotion he transmitted I thought to myself how good this guy is. "I’ve been through a lot in my career, but I’ve never seen someone so passionate about a club. "I’m a Red Star supporter and didn’t have the good fortune to spend my entire career there because the ambitions were different. He was lucky enough to play for the club he loves. "We often talked in the dressing room about our careers because I'm almost 34 and in July he will be 36; we have our better years behind us. He said he wanted to finish here, but we all saw what happened. I think in 3 or 4 months when the next season starts, everyone will realise what Daniele De Rossi was for Roma." The pair have a good relationship, with De Rossi stepping in to heal the rift between Kolarov and the Giallorossi supporters earlier in the season - after which, it should be noted, the Serbian's performances have vastly improved. Kolarov also reserved words of praise for Alessandro Florenzi, who will be the next Roman to carry on the spirit of the club following De Rossi's exit in the summer. "He was lucky enough to play with Totti and De Rossi and has had excellent examples, but this also involves huge responsibility because we all know how Totti and De Rossi are considered in Rome," explained Kolarov. "He is a smart guy, he will know how to react in the right way." Want more Roma news on your timeline? Like the new Giallorossi Yorkshire Facebook page! Roma could turn to Fiorentina left-back Cristiano Biraghi in their search for a long-term replacement for Aleksandar Kolarov, according to reports.
It's set to be a summer of rebuilding for the Giallorossi, and left-back is one of the positions with the most urgent need for reinforcements. Kolarov's form has been mixed this year, and the 33-year-old has just one more year left on his contract. Luca Pellegrini is set to return from his loan spell at Cagliari, but the youngster is not ready to be a regular starter at a high level, so new additions will be required. La Nazione claim that Italy man Biraghi is of interest to Roma, having impressed this season for La Viola. The 26-year-old has made 34 appearances in all competitions, while also assuming the starting left-back spot for the national team, ahead of Leonardo Spinazzola, Domenico Criscito and former Roma man Emerson Palmieri. Biraghi has one goal and four assists in Serie A this season. Want more Roma news on your timeline? Like the new Giallorossi Yorkshire Facebook page! The full back positions have been an area of concern for Roma over recent seasons, but Monchi has already been hard at work to improve them this summer. Last month, he added Feyenoord's Rick Karsdorp on the right, and now it has been announced that Aleksandar Kolarov has signed from Manchester City for the left side.
The Serbian international has spent the past seven years in the Premier League with Manchester City, winning the Premier League with them twice. He also won the FA Cup once, League Cup twice and Community Shield once. He is clearly a player who knows how to win a trophy. At 31 years of age he comes with the experience that Roma need, which will perfectly supplement Emerson Palmieri once he returns from the sidelines. However, unlike 30+ full backs of recent years such as Maicon and Ashley Cole, his best years are not behind him, and he still has a lot to contribute at the top level. Defensively, he is competent, which is an upgrade on previous full backs to represent the club recently. He is also effective going forward, possessing great crossing ability and decent goal output for a player of his position. His Champions League experience will be vital for Roma this season. He has signed a three-year contract after his €5 million move from the Premier League. He said he was "extremely happy" to have joined the club. Benvenuto, Aleksandar. |
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