Roma wish to finish off their impressive summer with an addition to the midfield. As rumored, their primary target Granit Xhaka extended his contract with Arsenal. He wanted to join earlier in the window, but the Giallorossi did not come to terms with the Gunners.
José Mourinho sent a signal in the opening match, suggesting that Bryan Cristante and Jordan Veretout are the only players he trusts in the role. Amadou Diawara and Gonzalo Villar, coming off a knee sprain, spent the game on the bench. The gaffer fielded youngster Edoardo Bove ahead of them in the final minutes. Ebrima Darboe was not part of the game-day squad list.
However, Roma need to part ways with either Diawara or Villar before bringing in a new player, Il Messaggero informs. The 24-year-old Ghanian midfielder was on Wolverhampton’s radar, but he was not keen on the destination. Instead, Torino quickly rejected a proposed swap with Rolando Mandragora. Paulo Fonseca was a big fan of the young Spaniard, while Mourinho is not too high on him.
Roma could end up standing pat if they could not offload one of the two. Over the weekend, foreign sources suggested that they were in advanced talks to sign Denis Zakaria for Borussia Moenchengladbach for €20M. However, the front office denied the rumors, Il Romanista reports. He is on their shortlist, but he is not on the verge of joining. The management is also tracking Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz, Fulham’s André Zambo Anguissa, and AZ’s Teun Koopemeiners, the local outlets add.