Serie A heavyweights Roma are on the verge of completing a crucial signing to bolster Daniele De Rossi’s defensive options. According to Calciomercato, Mario Hermoso could become a new Giallorossi player by the end of the day.
Hermoso ended his five-year association with Atletico Madrid at the end of last season. During that time, the 29-year-old became one of the most highly-rated center-backs in Europe, let alone La Liga. Diego Simeone polished the Spaniard’s talent, turning him into a household defender.
And now, Roma will reap the benefits of the Argentine’s work. Despite Galatasaray’s relentless effort to hijack Hermoso’s move to the Stadio Olimpico, the player’s desire to play in Serie A has prevailed. He has turned down a €4.5 million per season salary to join De Rossi’s side.
Roma couldn’t compete with Galatasaray’s financial prowess. Yet, they’ll hand Hermoso respectable wages, with the ex-Espanyol man expected to earn around €3.5 million a year in the capital. He’ll be the club’s seventh summer signing after Matias Soule, Artem Dovbyk, Alexis Saelemaekers, Manu Kone, Saud Abdulhamid, and Enzo Le Fee
But this is perhaps the most significant piece of business, considering how desperately Roma needed a new top-class center-half. The former Europa League winners came close to signing Kevin Danso from Lens, but the deal collapsed at the 11th hour.
It forced Roma to look elsewhere, bringing Juventus outcast Tiago Djalo on the club’s radar. However, the move fell through, leading the Giallorossi to pursue Hermoso’s signature in the dying moments of the summer transfer window.
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