The first season at a new club can be a difficult one for any player, but when you’re 20 and you’ve been brought in to help fill a void left by Mohamed Salah, it’s going to be extra difficult.
That’s what happened to Cengiz Under, whom AS Roma spent around €15m on in the summer.
The young right winger struggled at first, used very sporadically by Eusebio di Francesco, until the new year when he burst onto the scene, becoming a key element of the first-team and scoring a handful of goals along the way.
This emergence has apparently really caught the eye of a number of teams, according to Corriere dello Sport on Friday, including Chelsea.
The Italian newspaper believe his value has now doubled since his arrival, a fee the Blues would have no problem spending on a talent if they really wanted him, but AS Roma are prepared to stand in their way.
As well as Antonio Conte’s side, Atlético Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Monaco are all keeping an eye on his situation.
In Roma’s eyes, there’s a good chance he could repeat his heroics next year, at which point he would become a target for ‘top clubs’ such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United, meaning a far bigger profit.
That’s why Monchi is keen to renew the new Chelsea target if possible, helped by the fact Under is himself keen to continue to grow at Roma rather than make the jump to a new club.
Wise beyond his years, it seems.
