Manolas, Ünder and Pellegrini Each Attracting Transfer Interest From Abroad

With not much actual football to report on and the January transfer window fast approaching, rumors have begun flying fast and furious during this international break. Unsurprisingly, when a team has a reputation like Roma’s to buy and flip players at an incredible rate, its name comes up in a lot of rumors; both believable and slightly less so. Let’s take a look at the rundown of some that have popped up over the last few days or so.

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Manolas Linked with Juventus Again

As we mentioned yesterday, Kostas Manolas is an attractive target for some of the bigger clubs in Europe; both because of his on the field performances, but also because of the affordable €36 million release clause in his current contract. The name that continues to pop up in connection with Manolas is that of Juventus. According to Corriere dello Sport, Juve are seeking a long-term replacement for the likes of Mehdi Benatia and Andrea Barzagli. Dutchman Mathjas De Ligt is their primary target; valued at €50 million by AJAX. Meanwhile, the more affordable Manolas is their first alternative.

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Ünder Attracting Plenty of Interest from Abroad

There’s no question that Cengiz Ünder has developed into a dangerous attacking option for Roma in just over a season. The young Turk went from looking lost in his new environment to, at times, the most dangerous man on the pitch; doing some of his best work in the Champions League. This development hasn’t gone unnoticed and now some of Europe’s biggest clubs are sniffing around Trigiora with Ünder in their sights. According to reports, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and Bayern Munich are all said to be considering a January move for him. Ünder currently has a €60 million Euro clause in his contract, which is a fairly hefty sum. However, when it comes to the aforementioned big boys, money often is no object.

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United & Juve in on Pellegrini

It’s no surprise that Lorenzo Pellegrini’s rapid development over the past month or so is turning heads. The young Roman has gone from struggling for a starting place to becoming one of Roma’s most influential players. This off course means that interest in starting to grow for his services. Pellegrini is apparently now on the radar of... wait for it... Juvenutus and Manchester United. Pellegrini, like Manolas, has a very affordable release clause in his contract. Pellegrini’s clause is valued at €30 million, which could make a him a realistic target for a team looking for a midfield upgrade. Roma will be keen to ward off interest for their young star.

Monchi Working on New Contracts

In the past it’s been mentioned that Monchi is working on new contracts for players like Captain Daniele De Rossi, whose deal expires at the end of the current season. In addtion, Stephan El Sharaawy and Edin Dzeko have also been linked with new deals, as their current deals expire in June 2020. Now a few more players are being linked with restructured deals, even though their current ones don’t expire for a few more seasons. The players being mentioned, unsurprisingly, are the three mentioned above; Manolas, Pellegrini, and Ünder. With Roma being powerless to stop a club from activating the release clauses of each, Corriere dello Sport is reporting that Monchi is working to alleviate the issue.

None of the players are necessarily in line for an extension, as all of their current deal expire in 2022. With Pellgrini and Manolas, Monchi could look to raise the release clauses substantially in exchange for a raise in wages. Both players are currently on club friendly deals and both could receive more favorable deals to ensure they stick around. CdS says that Ünder is a bit of a different scenario, as he wants more from the club, because he currently has one of the lowest salaries on the team. The club is willing to raise his wages to keep him happy, keeping the €60 million Euro clause in his contract to guarantee a significant plusvalenza.