Stephan El Shaarawy has proven to be a valuable contributor this season thanks to his versatility and effectiveness. He starred either as a left wing-back or an attacking midfielder, bagging five goals and providing two assists across all competitions. Despite being a backup, he has appeared in 32 matches already.
Per La Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma touched base with his brother and agent Manuel in Turin to begin discussing an extension. The contract of the 30-year-old expires in June. He’s keen on staying, but the Giallorossi want to reduce his salary. He currently makes €4M, which is partially a product of the lofty wages he previously had in China.
El Shaarawy participated for a few minutes in the meeting with director Tiago Pinto Friday night. The forward is willing to take a pay cut, but its amount remains to be determined. The parties are leaning toward sticking together.
The ex-Milan winger has been particularly precious when José Mourinho benched both Tammy Abraham and Andrea Belotti to utilize Paulo Dybala as a false-nine, Sky indicates. They have won all four matches with such solution, versus Inter, Juventus, Bologna, and Torino. In addition, he’ll be particularly valuable in the coming matches since Ola Solbakken is expected to miss time with a shoulder sprain.
Our Take on El Shaarawy and Roma
Depth and subs are key in today’s football, and he’s a weapon in multiple positions thanks to his pace. They’ll have to make the numbers work, but they should definitely hold on to him.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |