Roma are looking to beef up their squad for the Champions League next season by signing Newell’s Old Boys wonderkid Ezequiel Ponce.
Roma will be competing in Europe’s premier cup competition for the first time since the 2010/2011 season and are moving to improve the squad which led them to a second place finish last season.
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini traveled to Argentina to meet Pablo Sabbag, the agent who engineered the deal to bring Erik Lamela to Rome in 2011.
Up for discussion was Ponce, who I Lupi wish to purchase for a fee in the region of €4 million. The fee is seen as a fair price for someone who is not yet a starter for Newell’s, having made only 17 appearances for the club, but who is seen as having the potential to be a world class striker.
Ponce is a powerful 17-year-old Argentine striker who made his debut in October for Newell’s and is being widely touted as the next young superstar to emerge from the clubs youth system, following in the footsteps of former Roma hitman Gabriel Batistuta.
Roma have so far signed Seydou Keita to strengthen the midfield and may have to spend big this mercato if the likes of Mehdi Benatia and Kevin Strootman are sold.
