Roma Tracking Giugliano and Hegerberg

As we discussed earlier this week, don't let the complete and utter lack of coverage fool you: summer is silly season in Serie A Femminile as well. While there isn't a flurry of coverage (yet), it doesn't mean Roma haven't been working angles and signing deals in the background. While they didn't release an official PDF or scarf photo, Agnese Bonfantini's appearance in Roma's away kit social media campaign yesterday was proof positive that Roma's dynamic younger winger is back in the fold; granted, we don't know if this is merely an extension of the loan or a permanent move, but it is nevertheless a welcomed sign.

But Roma's clandestine dealings don't end there. Thanks to Il Tempo we now know who is actually calling the shots for the Giallorosse's transfer campaign. Massimo Tarantino, a 48-year-old former defender for a host of clubs (most notably Bologna), is double dipping with Roma, running both the youth sector and the women's team, and it appears as though Tarantino has set his eyes on several key targets for Betty Bavagnoli's squad.

According to Il Tempo's Filippo Biafora, Roma are tracking AC Milan midfielder and World Cup standout Manuela Giguliano, whom we've been tracking pretty steadily over the past ten days or so, and if you're one for reading in between the lines, Roma may be making significant progress—Giugliano was a no-show for Milan's kit unveiling late last week.

Another interesting name floated by Il Tempo was Andrine Hergerberg, older sister of Ballon d’or winner Ada. Hergerberg, a 26-year-old midfielder recently of PSG, is currently out of contract and reportedly deciding between Roma and Milan. Andrine isn't quite the footballer her younger sister is, but would seem to be a decent depth option for Roma, who are, according to that piece, sending Flaminia Simonetti on loan.

On that last point, color me a bit confused. Simonetti, a 22-year-old midfielder and Roman, scored five goals in 17 appearances last season, while playing several positions along the way. Now, unless they have an equal or greater midfielder coming in conjunction with the prospective moves mentioned above (or unless they feel Hegerberg can break through with Roma—she was a bit player with PSG), jettisoning Simonetti would strip the club of a versatile and effective attacking player, so we'll have to keep tabs on this one—Simonetti was vital in the second half last year.

In addition to those moves, Biafora was able to confirm the departures of Martina Piemonte and Luisa Pugnali as well as affirming Roma's interest in Slovenian rightback Kaja Erzen. Biafora, via Twitter, speculates these rumors could be made official within the next 10 days.

As Il Tempo points out, these moves are being made with one goal in mind: taking the league. If Tarantino can land the white whale (Giugliano), Roma will be instantly better but the manner in which he rounds out the squad, particularly adding depth in defense and finding a top striker, should be the real dividing line between contender and also-ran.