Pjanic Plays Coy on Juventus Rumors

I sit here on a Saturday morning, slowly digesting my weekly allotment of Dunkin Donuts bagels and iced coffee, perusing the day's daily rumors while ignoring my real world responsibilities--why is my lawn growing so fast, is my cat going senile, should I shave today--feebly trying to decide which rumor is worth talking about. And as I bounce from site to site, I can't help but notice the interconnectivity of these rumors, bullshit or otherwise.

Miralem Pjanic says "we'll see" to the rumored Juventus offer, while at the same time Chelsea ups their Radja Nainggolan offer to €42 million, but then, what's this? Axel Witsel publicly espouses his desire to play for Roma? But...but...won't that clog Roma's midfield?

Ah ha, my dear friend, never fear, Leandro Paredes is going to Zenit to take his place. That is, unless, Liverpool gets him first...or Bologna...or AC Milan. Yeah, but Leo is so young, so full of potential, how would we replace that? Well, does Piotr Zielinski catch your fancy? Amadou Diawara?

They call it silly season for a reason, right? Whether the rumors are steeped in logic or pure rubbish, the interdependence of these fictional moves are astounding; now is that a product of intrepid "journalism" or the way the actual market works? Chances are a bit of both--rumor mongers know enough about the game to connect the virtual dots. If Roma loses a midfielder, it's only natural they'd pick up a replacement, but the amount of corresponding and interconnected moves being bandied about--and remember, the transfer window isn't even open--is astounding.

Now, onto the rumor du jour, Miralem Pjanic's masterstroke of ambiguity.

I still have two years on my contract with Roma. If a formal offer reaches Roma, then we'll see.

Those 19 seemingly innocuous words are anything but; millions of dollars the near-term future of the entire franchise hang in the balance. We say ambiguous rather than ambivalent because I don't think any among us doubt Pjanic's love for the club, the city and his teammates, but Pjanic playing it coy certainly shakes your faith, doesn't it?

But can you really blame him? A professional athlete's career is always one tackle or one loose piece of sod away from ending, so you have to make as much money as you can while you can. So rather than seeing this as Pjanic toying with fans collective emotions, this could easily be a negotiating tactic with Roma--if they think the Juventus threat is real, then Pjanic has infinitely more leverage to renegotiate his wages with Roma.

Pjanic doesn't seem like the type to jump ship, but if Roma has any sense about them, and if this really is a Pjanic vs Nainggolan choice, then, for the love of god, sell him abroad.

In the twisted web of Roma transfer rumors, Pjanic appears to be the main thread. If Pjanic is sold, Radja Nainggolan stays, which means Axel Witsel must find another means by which to escape Russia, Leandro Paredes inherits Pjanic's role with Roma, Zielinski ends up somewhere else and Gerson...I have no idea.

But hey, at least I'll always have iced coffee.