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Since Ljajic joined AS Roma in 2013 we had a bunch of nicknames in store for him. The most famous one was/is of course Nutella thanks to a certain priest named Dhaw. But for Dutch people, his first name sounds special. You see, Adem means 'breath' in Dutch. It's a vital thing in life, without it we almost certainly die (yup, I have a Master of Science in Biology)... But will Roma die if they sell their own Adem?
Ljajic' Roman career is one of ups and downs, like most of the players who joined us in recent times. But unlike a Bojan, Cicinho, Yanga, Iturbe, Borini or Destro, Adem always had this aura, this special thing over him. The stamp of an eternal talent. He's still only 24, and thus entering his prime. Perhaps one of the most skillful players that joined our ranks since the Americans took over... A player who could form a formidable partnership with the likes of Totti, Pjanic and Strootman. I say could...
After a very decent 2014-2015 (32 games, 8 goals in Serie A), Roma inexplicably decided to loan their top scorer to Inter last Summer. Yes, not one of our best moves I must admit. In Milan he didn't really thrive like in Rome, with only 3 goals in 25 games and a lot of criticism. And so Adem returns to Roma once more but his future looks set to be in Turin this time. Thank God not at Juventus like a certain other traitor did, but at the little brother of the Old Lady: Torino.
Why? Who knows. Could be a financial reason, or a chance to improve the relationship with Torino, as it might come in handy in the negotiations for Peres or Zappacosta. Unlike Falque who is also destined to go to Torino but on loan, Adem will be sold to the Granata, ending his Roma career 100%. A dead shame. I believe a lot of tifosi would have loved to see Spalletti work with Ljajic in his 4-2-3-1 line-up, in the hole or even as a false nine, exchanging passes with Salah, Radja and El Shaarawy... The thought of it makes me drool.
Maybe Adem wants to leave because he doesn't see a future in Rome with a limited amount of playing time. Perhaps we need to sell Adem in order to finance the deals of Digne, Kovacic, Vermaelen or every other player we're linked with. But why him? We still have others who can be sacrificed like Iturbe, Doumbia, Sadiq and Sanabria. Ljajic has already proven himself in Serie A and Rome and can play in every position in Luciano's frontline. He deserves one more chance in pre-season to show his worth to Spalletti. It's a cheap option who can compete with Perotti for a starting place.
Alas, I guess this plea comes too late. We'll never know the true potential of Ljajic in giallo e rosso. And so, with Adem's departure, AS Roma loses its breath.
Let's hope they don't regret it and suffocate next season.