Reports: Lorenzo Pellegrini Agent Open to Premiership Offers

While 3/4ths of all the transfer rumors one reads are complete and utter bullshit, when Premiership money enters the equation the rumor, no matter how flimsy the story may appear, gains a certain amount of plausibility. On the surface, Lorenzo Pellegrini has little reason to leave Roma. Besides it being his home, he has cemented his status as an unquestioned starter over the past two months. Through his intuitive and steady play, Pellegrini has emerged as Roma’s playmaker-in-chief, and while Roma may be a selling club, they’ve shown little hesitation in extending new deals to their core players, so his future in Roma would seem secure.

But here is where the buts come into play. While Pellegrini seems destined to follow in the footsteps of Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi and Alessandro Florenzi, Roma lifers, we can’t simply assume that he’ll turn a blind eye to offers from abroad like his predecessors, but he seems to have settled into his new role as the future of the franchise...but his star is on the rise, which has led to increased interest from abroad.

Enter Manchester United, the former greatest club in the world. Since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson the Theater of Dreams has been anything but. With United still trailing the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and even Watford, the Mancs are getting desperate. With only 20 goals forced through 12 matches, United are seemingly desperate for a creative spark, leading many to speculate they’re taking a look at Lorenzo Pellegrini.

From Totti to Pellegrini

Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images

So what is it about AS Roma and Romans? Why does it matter so much when an actual Roman, birthed from the streets of the eternal city, suits up for this club? And how do the legacies of Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, Alessandro Florenzi and Lorenzo Pellegrini tie together?

While this rumor may not hold water, there are two complicating factors. First is his somewhat low release clause, €30 million, which, even given his lack of prior accomplishments, seems a bit low in this market place. However, release clauses are simply part of the negotiating process, part of the delicate dance of settling on a salary, so I’m not going to get too up in arms over it, but, for a club like United, that’s cup holder change; they can meet that without batting an eye.

The second factor, and the one that should scare us somewhat, is the fact that, per the Corriere dello Sport, Pellegrini’s agent, Giampiero Pocetta, has flown to England to meet with representatives from one or more Premiership clubs.

This could be legit, it could be part of a negotiating ploy to wring more money out of Roma, or it could simply be Pocetta doing his due dilligence on behalf of his client. We simply don’t know. One thing is for certain, though—the decision is ultimately Pellegrini’s alone.

A club meeting his release clause doesn’t automatically make Pellegrini an ex-Roma player; he still has to consent to the move. So, if you’re Roma and you’re desperate to hang onto to your budding star, what do you?

Pony up for a new deal with Pellegrini? Schedule a sit down between Pellegrini and Davide Santon to discuss how much life in England sucks compared to Italy, or will they cash on their next great asset?

We’re all too painfully aware what happens when big clubs start throwing cash Roma’s way, we simply have to hope that being the next link in the Roman chain means as much to Lorenzo as it does to us.