Dortmund Eyeing Paredes

After the events of the past 48 hours, I find myself incredibly conflicted about Roma’s current state of affairs. While Monchi is correctly lauded for being one of the games’ finest architects, and while he did a hell of a job getting fifty million for Mohamed Salah, seeing the litany of names lining up to leave Roma leads me to believe it’s more of a meet the new boss, same as the old boss scenario.

Now, don’t take that as a slight against Monchi—chances are the directives are coming from above—its simply that, despite all the boasting and bragging about the club’s forward direction, Roma remains firmly a selling club. with very few exceptions, if you tempt them, they will bite.

The latest carrot dangling in front of James Pallotta’s eager eyes is none other than Lovely Leo Paredes. With a midfield jam packed with talent, one that will hopefully include Lorenzo Pellegrini, some speculate that Paredes will find playing time hard to come by this year, never mind the fact that he was a crucial part of the puzzle down the stretch.

Paredes is undoubtedly one of the most talented midfield prospects in the game, and the list of teams lining up to take advantage of Roma’s shortsightedness is testament to his reputation and seemingly limitless potential as a deep lying playmaker. While Juve was long presumed to be his biggest suitor, Borussia Dortmund has reportedly jumped the queue.

BvB is widely regarded as one of the finest purveyors of young talent in the world, so, again, the fact that they’re willing to throw down a reported €25 million for Paredes speaks volumes. While Leo may not seem an ideal fit for EDFs 4-3-3, the rate with which Roma changes coaches, his talent and his age suggests that this is someone Roma should hang onto at all costs.

The Roma supermarket is a maddening place.