“We want to get more explosive wingers who can communicate with him (Dybala, ed.) even when he drops back, as he usually does, as long as the team moves accordingly.”
Daniele De Rossi’s statements set Roma’s summertime objective, which is to bolster their squad with players who can support La Joya and speed. This remark was made in response to the Giallorossi’s 1-0 summer friendly loss to Toulouse earlier this week, which marked their second straight game without winning against a significantly lower ranked opponent.
In fact, tension has been rising quite a lot in the capital. Before this past weekend, new sporting director Florent Ghisolfi had been able to sell several players and slash the wage bill, but only acquired French midfielder Enzo Le Fee on a costly transfer for the club – relative to their usual transfer spending. The exodus has not yet concluded though, and Tammy Abraham has been continually linked with a move to Milan or back home to England, Edoardo Bove has been mentioned with a similar destination, and Nicola Zalewski’s future is far from certain. Romelu Lukaku returned to Chelsea following his loan move and Rick Karsdorp is being shopped to Turkish clubs.
Things are getting hotter now. Roma signed Matias Soule in a blockbuster deal; Artem Dovbyk will probably follow suit after president Dan Friedkin intervened to express the club’s wish to have both Soule and De Rossi’s direct contact. Samuel Dahl, a relatively unknown player, has been signed as a left defender. However, if one had to write down a starting lineup, they would see that every position save the right wing forward is top-heavy and lacking in depth.
De Rossi finished the interview above by adding: “There are some positions to fill, but the feeling is that they will come. We will try to improve on the 34 points made in 17 games and in September we will have a strong team… you can’t have everything straight away.”
away? Ghisolfi has to come up with a plan to satisfy De Rossi’s demand for speed in addition to Dybala if he can only sign two players. Regardless of the formation, Soule will be used to support and play close to his compatriot because he rarely plays on the left. Since Lorenzo Pellegrini is a makeshift winger and Stephan El Shaarawy, who is just 31 years old, is the only player on the left, it will be necessary to add a quick left wing forward who can outpace Dybala or the center forward as they look to receive the ball and play in overlapping teammates.
Since Federico Chiesa delayed his decision, there have been few rumors involving left wingers related to Ghisolfi. However, it’s possible that Ghisolfi would search his native country for a less well-known player in Ligue 1.
Speaking of links, Roma supporters would find it unsettling to learn that Leandro Paredes may decide to return home for the summer of 2019 in order to play for his childhood team, Boca Juniors. Strangely enough, back in 2014, he joined Roma from there for his first time in the city. Paredes was a late addition to the team last summer, and while he was useful under Jose Mourinho, he really took off under De Rossi, contributing significantly to the stability of the midfield.
In the event that the captain-turned-tactician chooses to defend with two midfielders in an anchor system and attack while holding one genuine defensive midfielder, Paredes will require support this season and in the not too distant future. Given that De Rossi developed a fondness for the youthful defensive midfielder during their time together at SPAL the previous season, Matteo Prati is an excellent option in this situation.
However, the right flank is one of need, while the defensive midfield is one to be observed. Karsdorp does make way, therefore the only other returning starter from the previous year is Mehmet Çelik. Rasmus Kristensen has also left after his loan expired. The Turkish international is merely a backup, and he appears happy enough with that after the rumors about him returning to Turkey died down.
The most intriguing name being mentioned is Raoul Bellanova, as part of a possible swap deal with Zalewski. His pace would greatly contribute to De Rossi’s attacking 4-3-3, providing Dybala with cover and an exterior option. Almeriai’s Marc Pubill has also been targeted, who would be the muscle for Dybala, in a relationship not unlike Rodrigo De Paul’s with Lionel Messi for Argentina. While the Spaniard is busy representing in the Olympics, Rennes’ Lorenz Assignon has been thrown into the mix. One thing all three players have in common is that they are under 25-years-old, which will help Roma down the long run.
If Roma can manage to strengthen these two positions, they will be in much better shape come next summer to balance the roster with more quality signings, as they will surely have made a deep push in the Europa League, if not qualified for the Champions League. But first, get your star player the support he needs with a counterpart to the left, and protection off his shoulder.
