Since his arrival to the capital this past summer, the Special One has been repeatedly reminding anyone who’d listen of two things. First, José Mourinho loves Roma. Second, José Mourinho doesn’t like the depth of his Roma squad.
At one point, the Portuguese tactician proclaimed that he’ll continuously deploy the same 13 players throughout the season, as the rest don’t meet the required standards.
Of course that was following the humiliating defeat in Norway at the hands of the mighty Bodo/Glimt, but of course he ended welcoming some of the outcasts back to the squad out of necessity.
However, Mourinho does have a point, as the Roma squad lacks quality and quantity in several departments.
So let’s have a look at four player who would make for great Christmas presents from Santa Claus, also known as sporting director Tiago Pinto.
Center Back: Daniele Rugani (Juventus)
In the last few weeks, the Giallorossi have adopted a 3-5-2 formation, meaning that more center backs will be needed.
Chris Smalling, Gianluca Mancini and Roger Ibanez remain the main choices, but the young and unproven Marash Kumbulla is their lone replacement.
According to the latest reports, Daniele Rugani is looking for a way out of Juventus due to his lack of playing time.
While Maurizio Sarri will try to reunite with his former defender at Lazio, their crosstown rivals can sabotage the move and add an experienced but relatively young defender to the fold.
Right-Back: Wilfried Singo (Torino)
While Rick Karsdorp is a decent option for Mourinho on the right flank, Roma didn’t cope well during his absence.
The young Bryan Reynolds is yet earn his manager’s trust, which meant that Ibanez had to be deployed as a right wingback against Inter, and the result was far from satisfying.
Therefore, Torino’s Wilfried Singo would be a great option for the Romans. The young Ivorian has garnered some Serie A experience in Turin and is developing into an all-round wingback.
According to Transfermarkt, his value is around 7 millions euros, but Urbano Cairo would probably ask for a higher figure.
Central Midfielder: Allan (Everton)
The middle of the park has been one of the most depressing departments for Mourinho who has been far from impressed with the likes of Amadou Diawara and Gonzalo Villar who could be on their way out of Roma.
Bryan Cristante and Jordan Veretout have been starting the vast majority of the matches when fit, but backups are urgently needed.
Roma will most likely miss out on Denis Zakaria who’s also chased by Liverpool and Juventus, but perhaps Allan would be interested in a return to Italy.
The Brazilian made a name for himself during his stints at Udinese and Napoli, and could jump ship amid Everton’s disappointing campaign.
Second Striker: Alexis Sanchez (Inter)
Last January, a swap deal between Inter and Roma involving Edin Dzeko and Alexis Sanchez was said to be a done deal before eventually collapsing.
Nevertheless, the Bosnian ended up joining the Nerazzurri in the summer, so could the Chilean make the switch to the capital after all?
The former Manchester United man was considered to be a hefty flop at Old Trafford, but it wouldn’t be the first time where Mourinho reunites with a former player and let bygones be bygones – His reconciliation with Henrikh Mkhitaryan at Roma is a prime example.
The Giallorossi have their fair share of wingers and attacking midfielders, and in Tammy Abraham, they posses a wonderful hitman, but Eldor Shomurodov is yet to take the capital by storm.
Therefore, a vastly experienced second striker with all the tricks and flicks would be the perfect foil for Abraham.