Roma have seen their initial bid to sign Marcel Sabitzer on loan with an option to buy immediately rebuffed by Bayern Munich. According to La Repubblica, as cited by Tuttomercatoweb, the perennial Bundesliga champions have no interest in borrowing their star again.
Houssem Aouar’s arrival from Lyon on a free transfer isn’t enough to quench Jose Mourinho’s thirst for a new midfielder. The Frenchman comes in as a replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, who has returned to his parent club Paris Saint-Germain after a season-long loan at the Stadio Olimpico.
But the Roma boss is desperate to recruit at least one more midfielder to secure more quality and strength in depth in the engine room. Sabitzer is among potential candidates to join forces with Aouar next season after being deemed surplus to requirements by Bayern. Still, the Bavarians won’t accept pennies on the dollar despite their readiness to sell.
Sabitzer had a decent short-term loan at Manchester United in the second half of last season. They had even contemplated his permanent stay before acquiring the services of Mason Mount from Chelsea. United’s withdrawal from the race should clear the road for Roma.
As with several other transactions they’re looking to complete, the Italians insist on a loan deal. However, Bayern would rather offload Sabitzer permanently. It’s uncertain whether Roma can afford to splash out around €15 million to sign the Austrian midfield, a price the Bavarians paid RB Leipzig two years ago.
More importantly, it will be interesting to see if Roma want to allocate that figure for a player nearing his 30s. Man Utd’s Scott McTominay is another target, but his wages could be a stumbling block.
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