Roll up, roll up, the AS Roma sales are on and there’s something for everyone.
Over the past few weeks it’s become clear the Roma pot is empty and if the club want to sign players this month then others need to go out. In fact, the thirst for money now seems to go well beyond finding funds for purchases.
At the beginning of last week there was a clear brief to the Italian media that Emerson Palmieri is for sale, after similar had happened with Bruno Peres and Kevin Strootman was also dangled to the market. The price for Emerson was set at €25m and the first club tried was Liverpool.
It was so clear Roma were trying to sell, that we stated: ‘It may be worth Klopp having a glance at Roma’s squad and seeing if there’s anyone he fancies.’
Chelsea appear to have done exactly that. It’s not too difficult to conclude Emerson was offered to the Premier League champions rather than the other way, and with Roma’s situation being clear, then will have come the Edin Dzeko idea.
Saturday’s Gazzetta dello Sport covers the Roma January sales, and highlights Emerson, Dzeko and Radja Nainggolan as the ones getting attention right now.
It’s thought that as well as Emerson, who is seen as very much expendable and who Gazzetta believe is in the process of a potential Chelsea move, one of the big guns of Dzeko or Nainggolan may also go, which has left people ‘bewildered’.
There were fan protests at Roma last week over a perceived lack of backing from the club’s owners, and they made an effort to placate the support. This now looks like a big two fingers up to that, and things could get messy.
As far as Chelsea are concerned, Gazzetta says Emerson ‘is ready to be closed around 20 million plus 5 bonus in the early days of next week.’
Dzeko is said to be very happy in Roma but if the club want to sell they’ll push him out. Chelsea are ready to offer €25m, Roma want €35m, a ‘solution could be found’ at €30m plus bonuses.
If Roma can sell Nainggolan to a Chinese club for €50m then they can ‘save’ Dzeko. It’s perhaps a shame at this stage that Chelsea invested so much in Bakayoko, because Nainggolan could be a treat in the Premier League, as long as he could cope with the higher price of cigarettes.
Gazzetta believe that despite there being big doubts over Antonio Conte staying beyond the end of the season, Roman Abramovich doesn’t want to block the market and sees an opportunity in Rome.
The Michy Bathsuayi loan is talked down.
Saturday’s updates have seen Roma transfer guru Monchi make it clear the club will evaluate offers, and Francesco Totti joke with Dzeko about a train to London.
Transfers are possible here, and not just for Chelsea.
