Friedkin in Italy, Deal for Roma Expected in Early February

While the Romaverse has been primarily concerned with the uncertain future of Matteo Politano, that story, as romantic as it might be, pales in comparison to the behemoth bubbling underneath the surface: the impending Dan Friedkin takeover. The Texas-based Toyota billionaire has been working in the background to acquire our beloved Associazione Sportiva Roma since at least October.

The dearth of updates on this story belies its true magnitude. For the second time in less than a decade the club will change hands. While we can chalk some of that up to the predilections of the billionaire class, football clubs changing hands that frequently isn't a common occurrence, at least outside of Italy, where common sense and sports seldom walk hand in hand.

Since we picked up on this story in late November, updates have been sparse. The absurd notion that Friedkin could conclude the deal prior to New Year's Day proved to be, well, absurd. It was a nice thought, but wrapping up a deal of this size before any artificial deadline was probably asking too much.

With the New Year's Day deadline dead in the water, we soon caught word that Friedkin would be in the capital in early January, attending the Torino match on the 5th and potentially closing the deal for the club on the 26th.

And, well, it appears as though that deadline will leave us wanting us well. However, according to recent reports there is hope on the horizon. Per our friends at RomaPress, Friedkin has actually been in Europe for several days, bouncing back and forth between Milano, Torino and London to iron out the final details of the deal, one that is expected to be completed in early February.

CdT didn't exist in our current form the last time the club changed hands, so I can't say for certain if this transaction is any shorter or longer than Thomas DiBenedetto's takeover, but Friedkin's presence in Italy is certainly a positive sign.

We'll pass along updates as they become available.