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Taking a Closer Look at Roma's Goalkeeping Conundrum

One of the more important issues that manager Luciano Spalletti will face this summer is who to put between the sticks next campaign. Roma has four options for TGIP to choose from, three of which which are already under contract.

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The Veteran

Morgan De Sanctis, aka Batman, is the first candidate up. Although his contract expires after this season and he recently turned 39, the ex-Napoli man has experience and would be cheap to renew. While De Sanctis might inspire memories of 2013-14, in which he went an incredible 745 minutes without conceding a goal, he wouldn't be more than a band-aid solution for the goalkeeper position at this point. Sadly Batman doesn't seem to be the long term answer for Roma.

The Failed Experiment

Woicheck Szzeszny

Wojciech Szzzesny

... the Polish dude who talks like a British chap, whatever. Szczesny was brought in last summer on a loan with an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season. The Arsenal reject hasn't exactly solidified his position within the Roma squad so far this season, showing fans the best and worst of his play, sometimes in the course of a single match. La Gazzetta dello Sport, in addition to many other sources in both England and Italy, reported over the weekend that Szczesny wants another year at Roma, presumably to make his mark and convince the Roma management that he's the long term solution to the team's goalkeeping woes. If the two clubs can work out a deal, Szczesny should be back in the capital next season, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be the starter.

The Phenom

Bren covered the confirmation of Alisson Becker's transfer from Internacional to Roma just last week, so it seems safe to officially add his name into the mix for the goalkeeper position next year. Becker obviously has skills, but it remains to be seen how quickly he'll adjust to European football. His ability to adapt will surely dictate whether or not he starts from day one at Roma. If Becker struggles, he'll likely be loaned out or provide backup for Szczesny until he's ready.

The Exile

Lukasz Skorupski was sent packing on a two year loan last summer, but looks set to make a surprise return to Roma this summer, so throw his hat into the ring as well. The news comes as a bit of a surprise, as Skorupski has been a regular in Empoli's starting lineup, showing remarkable improvement. The Polish international has nine clean sheets this season, which puts him right outside of the top five goalkeepers in Serie A in terms of clean sheets kept. He could be a dark horse for the starting goalkeeper spot this summer.