As the transfer window has now opened the Italian press are linking Roma with all sorts of players to be a part of Luis Enrique’s squad. There has been a lot of talk recently but there has yet to be any action and it leaves the Roma fans in a sense of anticipation and bewilderment.
One of the main stories that have come out in the press is that Roma have been linked with a move for Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic. The reports in the last two weeks said that the move was agreed and Bojan would move intitially on a season long loan with a fee of £10m payable to the end of the season. But no news has come out from either party.
Roma are looking at a left back and was linked with a move for Arsenal’s Gael Clichy. But the French defender has also been linked with a move to fellow Premiership club Liverpool and the French side PSG. But it looks like Roma will lose out on the race for the French left back as the player is likely to make Manchester City his ultimate destination
Ever since the end of the season Roma have been linked with two talents to come out of South America, Erik Lamela and Ricky Alvarez. Ricky Alvarez currently plays for Velez Sarsfield and Erik Lamela is with relegated giants of South American football, River Plate.
But it looks like that Roma will lose out on Ricky Alvarez as Inter Milan and Arsenal are front runners for the tricky winger. As River Plate were relegated after they lost a relegation play off against Belgrano, coupled with crippling debts and playing in the second tier in Argentine football, Erik Lamela looks a certainty to be on his way. Roma apparently head the queue ahead of Napoli, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid, but River Plate are holding out for a large offer before selling.
Roma are in the hunt to sign Palermo starlet Javier Pastore. The fee that Palermo’s mad mad mad president Maurizio Zamparini has set is €50m. There are a few clubs in for the talented playmaker, most prominently Barcelona and Chelsea. To further add to Roma’s woes, Pastore’s agent has come and stated that the player is likely to move to Premier league or La Liga. Though Argentine team mate Nicolas Burdisso stated that Pastore wants to join him at Roma.
Roma are also in the market for a goalkeeper and they are looking at the Ajax and Dutch star Maarten Stekelenburg. The fee that the Dutch club have set is £12m, and Roma have stepped up the interest in the player who apparently wants to join the club. However with little concrete interest from other clubs, Roma are looking for a significantly lowered transfer fee which is proving to be a stumbling block for the deal to go ahead.
There are two young players that Roma are highly interested in, Bologna’s Gaston Ramirez and Sporting Gijon left back Jose Angel.
Apparently Bologna are considering a final bid of £10m for the Uruguayan youngster, while Roma and Barcelona are competing for the young left-back. A move to Barcelona was on the cards for Angel before the Champions League Final, with negotiations at an advanced stage but since then no progress has been made and Roma have stepped in and are front runners as they see him as an ideal choice to replace John Arne Riise whose future at Roma is cloudy to say the least.
With Roma being linked with all these players and have as yet failed to make any progress, but they have made two signings. One is the permanent signing of Marco Borriello from Milan for a fee of £10m. The other signing is of the French Right back Loic Nego from Nantes on a free transfer. Benfica and Cesena were recently linked with the talented youngster but Roma who came out on top and have their man.
The next couple of weeks are going to be interesting for Roma in the transfer market an many Romanista are eagerly anticipating a successful season at the Olimpico.
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