We just wouldn't be Roma fans if we were content with a win. Instead of basking in the beauty of a two-nil victory, much of the day was spent contemplating Rudi's mobile maneuvers, Walter Sabatini's dead panned reaction to Daniele De Rossi's thunderous goal, and fretting over the difference between €30m and €35m.
Repeat this mantra: Its almost over, Its almost over, Its almost over.
So lets dive into the first day of the last full week of the mercato.
Two weeks distilled down to 24 hours; that's approximately how much longer Erik Lamela will be a Roma player...employee?...asset? However you classify him, he's gone, and it looks like final price will be €35m. No official word on whether or not that figure is inclusive of bonuses.
Could they have gotten more? Probably. Will he be worth it? That's Tottenham's problem now.
AS Roma Made Formal Offer for Ljajic
Walter Sabatini does his best work when his back is pressed against the wall and his cigarettes are down to the filters. With September fast approaching, it appears as though his eleventh hour magic will be put to the test once again.
The figure of his admiration this summer? Adem Ljajic.The latest reports seem to indicate that Sabatini is prepared to pony up nearly €10m for the young Serbian, some two million more than Milan's offer. Stay tuned.
This story turned out to be true, as Ljajic did not make the squad list in The Viola's victory over Catania. With Roma, Milan and Atletico Madrid all still in the hunt, and with the player having been issued a Tuesday ultimatum to decide his future, this is sure to be the most exciting 24 hours of his young career.
Man Utd Set €13m Nani Price Tag
For a player as maligned as Nani, he sure seems to have some substantial suitors, with Roma, Juventus and even PSG reportedly on his tail. Perhaps smelling the blood in the water, Manchester United has slapped a firm €13m price tag on the Portuguese winger. No word on whether the Gervinho signing precludes this probable move, but the whispers have certainly died down since then.
While we can quibble about what quantifies a "star player" in this day and age, Massimo Cellino certainly believes that Radja Nainggolan and Davide Astori merit this label, to the point that he refuses to part with either player. Presumably the need for Nainggolan was made redundant by getting Kevin Strootman, but the ever present doubts about Leandro Castan might pique your Astori interest
Abel to AS Roma: Not Even for €20m
If you had some spare Euros laying around and wanted to contribute to Roma's kickstarter campaign to get Abel Hernandez from Palermo, save them. Buy some counterfeit denim instead. Hernandez has been connected to Roma for what seems like forever, but he's young, full of potential, and prone to injury.
I think we have one of those already.
Love him or hate him, he loves Roma. With Sunderland ready to part with €10m for Michael Bradley's services, it appears as though Michael will stay put, much to the chagrin of many around here. The term "unsellable" has even been bandied about in recent times. But, with Strootman's return date still uncertain, and with Demba Ba-DDR stops still circulating, he does indeed have a role with Roma.
If You Can't Beat Them, Take a Loan From Them
Fresh off their 2-0 spanking from Roma, Livorno are keen to take Gianluca Caprari on loan for this season. He's gotta play somewhere, and, as you saw last nite, it shouldn't be hard to crack Livorno's rotation. So, why not?
Couple of quick hits in this one, the newest of which sees Roma connected to Bulgarian young 'un, Todor Nedelev. I know nothing about him, but Dimitar Birbatov is Bulgarian, and he's pretty good. Nedelev should cost around €6m, and Roma would have to fend off Chievo for his services.
I think this is, like, the 15th one of these I've done, so for the sake of my sanity, wrap it up, Walt.