Editorialist and market man for Tuttomercatoweb, he is a speaker and host for Radio Sportiva. Market expert for Rai Sport
September 4, early morning. Mats Hummels and his palmares approach the check-in counter at Munich airport. It is the first time he has left his home country of Germany as a club player and when he holds his passport up to the ground assistant, it reads thirty-five. Profession: footballer. Club: free agent. A few days earlier Mario Hermoso from Madrid, his whole life in Spain, had taken the same route, the same gestures, with the same characteristics on the document. Without a team, a defender, in search of a new ambition and a new life. Kostas Manolas was negotiated by Roma, with Daniele De Rossi’s approval. Then he slowed down, he denied it, but there were contacts even if they ultimately led to nothing. September 5. Roma finalized the squad and defense five days after the end of the transfer market. And this should never happen in a company that invests so many millions, in a strategy that seemed more improvisation than planning.
The Dybala case, the pursuit of the defender, the exchange with Milan
Without beating around the bush, Roma had given the green light to the sale of Paulo Dybala and Paulo Dybala had given the club the green light to negotiate the economic details with Saudi Arabia. Then what comes from the Capital is that the offers from the Arabian peninsula would have been different than expected and, also for family reasons, the player also decided to backtrack. But net of the Libro Cuore, Roma’s decision was clear: Dybala had been sold. The chase for the defender, the sale after the end of the market of Chris Smalling, the dance of Tiago Djalò, the Kevin Danso issue, all sensationally on the last day of the market, are just another chapter in Roma’s summer planning disaster. And the exchange with Milan, with Tammy Abraham without official offers, is a new page…
This is not planning. But the product…
And to think that Enzo Le Fee in midfield, then the choice of the centre forward, were a promising start. All about the pichichi of the Liga, convinced about Artem Dovbyk for the post Romelu Lukaku. When the technical and management departments have the same strategy, the percentage for the success of the project rises dramatically. For now the Ukrainian is struggling but must integrate into the game and ideas of De Rossi. Let’s give him time. However, Matias Soulè was taken for Dybala’s legacy, Manu Konè arrived (what a blow) too late and with the impression of having managed to close the deal only because suddenly other dominoes had fallen. Florent Ghisolfi is capable of choosing players and recognizing talent, Lina Souloukou has great skills in business management but the feeling is that between the two components there is still a lack of a trait d’union who knows how to seize the moment and plan ahead. Because the overall impression is that the newly born Roma is the result of improvisation, of strategies born at the last moment, and this is difficult to digest in a club like the Friedkins that invests and will do so again (with the stadium, for example). They both have, as mentioned, strong specific, decisional, managerial skills. However, something is still missing from the project, the timing and methods of the summer confirm it, denying it (even for themselves) would only be an own goal. Then it is clear: it is not certain that this group of players will not become an excellent team. But the credit, in that case, will mainly go to the skill of De Rossi. Who had three very hot requests: Federico Chiesa, Davide Frattesi, Raoul Bellanova. How many have arrived?