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Today's quick smattering of Roman rumors is just that--a smattering. With the season weeks away and actual tactics and formations being put into motion, the rumors appear to have subsided, as the same sampling of names are being mentioned in connection with Roma.
At this point, there is precious little to settle; Roma needs a keeper, a striker, possibly a fullback and obviously your requisite teenager to organize Pablo Osvaldo's social calendar.
So let's take a break from celebrating DDR's Dirty 30 and digest today's rumors...
Daniele De Rossi's may turn 30 today, but the next few years of his life may be settled within the next ten days. De Rossi returned to Trigoria ostensibly to train with his new teammates, but the order of the day appears to be a meeting with new GM Baldissoni. With Chelsea still interested in his services, one would imagine that Daniele's possible departure for London is the prime objective of this summit.
This is really the shit or get off the pot moment for Roma and De Rossi. At age 30, De Rossi's market value isn't likely to increase, so if they're going to sell him, they'd be best served to do it...do it now! But, he's still an incredible player, so if Roma's stated ambitions are true, DDR is precisely the type of asset a team with its eyes on Europe needs at its disposal.
And all this goes down with a friendly against Chelsea looming on the horizon..talk about fortuitous timing.
Every year there seems to be a player or two that our manager du jour desperately (if not inexplicably) wants. In the past its been such luminaries as Bojan and Panagiotis Tachtsidis, this summer Rudi Garcia seems to be transfixed on Gervinho. If nothing else, he'd be the latest in a long line of interesting hair styles to saunter their way into the Olimpico
Of course, if one largely unwanted striker is coming in, one fan favorite/lothario must go. With his wages reportedly the stumbling block in the much rumored Alberto Gilardino swap, Marco Borriello might find himself playing for Walter Mazzarri and Inter this coming season. Marco scored a dozen goals in 28 appearances last year, so his one skill (on the pitch) is still very much alive.
AS Roma Turn Down € 12 million Valencia Offer for Osvaldo
This one came down yesterday, but Walter and Friends are apparently holding firm to their €20m valuation of a player for whom they seemingly have no use nor patience. Unless he accepts a move to Southampton, that twenty million figure might remain a pie in the sky.
De Sanctis Move Drawing Closer
With Napoli reaching a deal with former Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina, Morgan De Sanctis is free to leave, presumably for Roma.
With Roma and Nacional Montevideo seemingly at an impasse over the Nico Lopez late fees/Gonzalo Bueno loan fiasco, Walter has turned his eye for youth towards class of '94 Swiss playmaker Endogan Adili. So if you have the hankering for a Swiss Sebastian Giovinco, Adili, who stands a mere 170cm, might be your man. But he also has some Turkish in him, so let's pretend he's Mesut Ozil instead.
Well, we'll chalk up his willful neglect of his own church to his inability to read English.