Totti Renewal Set for Next Week

Stop us if you've heard this one before, but Francesco Totti's long awaited contract renewal is, once again, imminent. Two weeks after confirming that Totti will stay on for his 24th season at the heart of Roma, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Totti will finally bring this saga to a merciful end when he signs his new deal on Monday, coinciding with the arrival of club President James Pallotta.

The odd part of all this is, at least according to the GdS, that the club won't have a formal press conference until July or August, presumably to coincide with their tour of the United States. Can't you just picture Totti signing his deal under the St. Louis arch with a giant Budweiser sign in the background? He's the King of Rome and they're the "King" of Beers, so it's almost too perfect.

But I digress, after months of speculation and bitter headlines in the press, it appears as though Totti and Roma have sorted out all the particulars and Totti will receive the farewell tour he deserves. It will be interesting, however, to see the financial details of this deal, both in terms of his salary (which has been reported to be as low as one or two million) and the marketing/merchandising rights for this unprecedented swan song.

We'll obviously cover the official announcement when it comes, but for those of you planning on going on a Totti-spending spree this year, keep your fingers crossed for a decent kit because some of these mockups floating around...yikes.