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Here it is, nearly four months in the making, but at long last Edin Dzeko is officially an AS Roma player. Although the move was near complete last week, the club still had to free up a Non-EU roster spot to sign the Bosnian, and with Antonio Sanabria completing his loan move to Sporting Gijon, Roma achieved just that. Dzeko was unveiled to the media moments ago.
L'#ASRoma annuncia il numero di maglia di Edin #Dzeko http://t.co/JwSOELg9ss pic.twitter.com/sKEqD80iTV
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) August 12, 2015
Dzeko, as expected, will wear the number nine shirt, but what was unexpected was the price of this deal. What was initially quoted, lo those many months ago, as €30 million straight sale turned out to be a €4 million initial loan with an €11 million buyout option, which appears to be tied to certain, unspecified, performance bonuses.
#Dzeko in Rome: 19 great pictures http://t.co/xZgt39uXc5 pic.twitter.com/1P7AfZdUpx
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) August 12, 2015
Either way, this was a master stroke by Walter Sabatini and Roma. Dzeko was always an ideal fit for this Roma squad, but to acquire him at half the stated cost was just the icing on top of the cake. Now that this deal has been made official, Dzeko should finally be able to take the pitch with his new teammates when Roma takes on Sevilla this Friday.
#DareToDzeko is finally a reality