José Mourinho has identified the centerpieces of his Roma team next season. The coach plans to lean on Rui Patricio, Tammy Abraham, Chris Smalling, Leonardo Spinazzola, Sergio Oliveira, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Henrik Mkhitaryan, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.
Notably missing from the list is Nicolò Zaniolo. His future is uncertain, considering he is on a short-term contract and Juventus are intensely pursuing him. Roberto Mancini jabbed him after the Turkey friendly: “He has quality, but he needs to learn to play with others. He has to use his power and skills to score.”
Jordan Veretout is on his way out. There are some contractual elements behind his demotion. According to Corriere dello Sport, the club proposed €3.5M wages to extend his contract, which runs out in 2024. The Frenchman turned it down and asked for €6M. Mourinho was informed of the friction between the Roma brass and the midfielder, who has not been a regular afterward.
The Giallorossi expect to strike a deal to keep Mkhitaryan. Chris Smalling, who is tied to the club for another campaign, could also see his pact prolonged while lowering his yearly salary, Corriere della Sera informs. Despite some doubts, Roma will buy out Sergio Oliveira or find an alternate way to keep him, as Mourinho requested.
Leonardo Spinazzola will soon fly to Finland for a consultation. He is hopeful that Lasse Lempainen, the surgeon that repaired his torn Achilles tendon, will give him the final greenlight. At that point, he could be back after a couple of weeks of ramp-up, Gazzetta suggests.