Reports: Roma and Barca Working on €8M Deal for Adriano

Roma's gaping hole at fullback may have found a temporary solution, thanks in part to Barcelona's perpetual embarrassment of riches. With the likes of Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique, Jeremy Mathieu and Thomas Vermaelen, among others, fit and capable of playing multiple positions, Barca's veteran fullback, Adriano, could be looking for playing time abroad.

Purchased from Sevilla in 2010 for €9.5 million, Adriano took time to settle into Pep Guardiola's side, but once he found his niche, he proved to be an effective and remarkably versatile player for the Catalans, playing in literally every outfield position during his five seasons in Spain. Oh, and he also won every single competition Barca competed in at one point or another.

However, due to a heart ailment, Adriano never really figured into Luis Enrique's plans, featuring little beyond cup matches. Of course, as is often the case with these mega clubs, there's always someone younger, better and cheaper waiting in the wings. In Adriano's case, that would be the aforementioned list of cosmopolitan Catalan footballers. Making matters worse, Barca's 19 year old prospect Alejandro Grimaldo may rob Adriano of his utility role.

All of this has led to some private dealings between Roma and Adriano's agent, with the two sides, and stop me if you've heard this one before, having agreed to personal terms. There remains a set of sizeable obstacles to this deal, however.

As always, there is the price. Given his age and one year remaining on his deal, Roma aren't willing to move past €8 million, a fee deemed insufficient by Barca thus far. Then there is the small matter of Barcelona's transfer ban, which I don't believe prohibits them from making sales, but with no avenue to bring in an immediate replacement, sources say Barcelona is hesitant to make this deal and might prefer to let Adriano move in January 2016.

Considering Roma's budgetary concerns and their forgettable fullback performances over the past few years...decades, sorry...this would be an ideal transfer, buying Roma some time to find a long term solution on the flanks.