Roma outcast Rick Karsdorp is ever closer to leaving the club following his exclusion from first team football by Jose Mourinho since that fateful match away at Sassuolo.
Roma have paused their pursuit of Davide Frattesi and other potential additions to focus on the exits, which will be vital to determining the January budget. Rick Karsdorp and Eldor Shomurodov are on their way out. The Giallorossi prefer outright sales, but they might have to compromise to offload them.
With Rick Karsdorp likely to depart in January, Roma are in the market for a new right-back, and they have set sights on Hamari Traoré. His contract with Rennes expires at the end of the season. He could depart sooner for a low fee. Juventus are still keen on the Dutch reject.
Roma’s general manager Tiago Pinto discussed a few transfer market topics: "Our goal is to vie for a Champions League berth, but there’s a lot of competition. We have what it takes to pursue this objective until the end. We invested €150M to sign 14 players in the last 18 months."
Rick Karsdorp has been practicing regularly and participated in the recent friendlies after José Mourinho targeted him, but the issue is far from being solved. His lawyer Salvatore Civale dished on the matter: "When somebody of the coach's caliber speaks that way, it creates a hostile environment."
Juventus set sights on Ivan Fresneda a few weeks ago, but the timing will be crucial for their chase to be successful. The youngster has turned heads this season and is in the crosshairs of several clubs. The Bianconeri are after multiple options, but they don't have a big budget for January.
Both Roma and Juventus are looking to boost their defensive lines for the second half of the season, and an ideal situation could materialize to satisfy their respective needs.
Juventus have officially reached agreement with Samuel Iling Junior, who extended his contract until 2025. The Bianconeri struck a deal before things got hairy. His previous one would have expired in June. The brass plot to offer Roma a swap, but they could also elevate Tommaso Barbieri to deputize Juan Cuadrado.
Roma and Rick Karsdorp are far from being on the same page, with the Dutch fullback set to leave the club come January when the winter transfer window reopens.
Rick Karsdorp answered the call-up and resumed training with his teammates on Monday. He had refused to do so about three weeks ago after a falling out with José Mourinho and didn’t take part in Roma’s short trip to Japan. The fullback decided to show up to avoid fines.
Hector Bellerin has been linked to a possible move to Roma amid the ongoing Rick Karsdorp saga. However, he’s unlikely to transfer in January. Their director Jordy Cruyff hinted in a recent interview that they wished to keep everybody, even those that haven’t played all that much so far.
Roma wish to find a solution to offload Rick Karsdorp, but they don’t want to give him away or let him go on loan. The Giallorossi need a sale to fund some additions, especially his replacement on the wing or a midfielder, also due to the Financial Fair Play restrictions.