While his latest underwhelming stints in England took its toll on the famed manager’s reputation, José Mourinho is once again shimmering in Roma. The Portuguese is absolutely adored by the Giallorossi faithful, especially after guiding the club towards its first continental trophy. But while the Europa Conference League surely was a great start, it isn’t enough to satisfy the Special One’s appetite for silverware. Therefore, reinforcement arrived in the summer.
Roma sporting director Tiago Pinto relentlessly worked on bolstering the squad. So did he succeed in providing his compatriot with a stronger team compared to last season’s? We’ll try to answer the question by analyzing each department on its own.
Goalkeepers
In: Mile Svilar
Out: Daniel Fuzato
With Rui Patricio offering a safe and experienced pair of hands, no major shakeup was needed between the sticks.
Daniel Fuzato joined Ibiza on a free transfer (lucky guy!), while 22-year-old Mile Svilar should act as an understudy for Patricio. The young Belgian rose to the scene at a young age during his time at Benfica, but it remains to be seen if he’ll ever be able to fulfill his initial promise.
Verdict: Moderately stronger.
Defenders
In: William Bianda
Out: None
Since Mourinho plays with three at the back, we expected more significant business in the centre back department. Nowadays, the club heavily relies on the undisputed starting trio of Gianluca Mancini, Chris Smalling and Roger Ibanez, with the struggling Marash Kumbulla as the sole genuine backup.
Moreover, Mourinho – similarly to his predecessor Paulo Fonseca – resorts to Bryan Cristante as an emergency option.
At the end of the day, the only addition to the Roman defenses was William Bianda who returned from a loan spell at AS Nancy, but is it enough?
Verdict: Stronger but could have done better.
Wingbacks
In: Zeki Celik
Out: Davide Santon, Ainsley Maitland-Niles
In Zeki Celik, Roma now have another solid option on the right alongside Rick Karsdorp, and as we know, competition for places within a squad is always a healthy aspect.
Although no arrivals were registered on the left flank, the recently-healed Leonardo Spinazzola almost feels like a new signing, but he’s forced to earn back his spot in the hard way by warding off the rapidly-developing Nicola Zalewski.
Verdict: Stronger.
Midfielders
In: Georginio Wijnaldum, Mady Camara, Nemanja Matic
Out: Henrick Mkhitaryan, Jordan Veretout, Sergio Oliveira, Amadou Diawara
Even though the experience and vision of Henrick Mkhitaryan are sorely missed, the capital side replaced the Armenian by making some interesting dealings in the middle of the park, like reuniting Mourinho with his old favorite Nemanja Matic.
Georginio Wijnaldum was supposed to be the star signing in the midfield, but unfortunately for the on-loan PSG star, an early injury will rule him out possibly for the majority of the campaign.
But kudos to the management for reacting swiftly by signing a capable alternative in the form of Mady Camara.
Verdict: Undoubtedly stronger.
Forwards
In: Paulo Dybala, Andrea Belotti
Out: Felix Afena-Gyan, Carles Perez
Paulo Dybala and Andrea Belotti were teammates during their early days at Palermo, but then became crosstown rivals in Turin. But in an unforeseen twist of fate, the two forwards reunited once again in the Italian capital.
As depicted by his astonishing presentation, the former Juventus number 10 was one of the biggest coups of the summer – arguably the biggest in Italy, especially when considering his free agent status.
As for the ex-Torino captain, he had fallen on tough times recently. Yet, his arrival must be perceived as a major boost for the frontline, as he should be able to lift some of the burden off Tammy Abraham’s shoulders.
Finally, maintaining Nicolò Zaniolo’s services is another significant accomplishment for the club, as we’re talking about one of the most talented Italian players in his generation.
Verdict: Extremely stronger.
Conclusion
Based on our assessment, Roma have improved every single department in their squad, even if in varying degrees.
I Lupi now possess one of the most formidable attacking units in Serie A as well as an impressive midfield that features physically–strong players which is always appreciated by Mourinho.
While the management should have arguably added an additional defender who can pull the weight and provide more options for rotation at the back, the situation should remain under control if the starting trio manages to avoid injuries.
All in all, Pinto is arguably the architect of the best transfer campaign in Italy last summer, and it’s now up for the Special One and his men to do their talking on the pitch.
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