Rumor Roundup: Cavani Offer, Smalling in Doubt for Europa League, Thestrup Says Goodbye and More

Now, this feels like normality, doesn't it? Days after watching Roma drop a winnable match on the road, we've dropped gently into the supple hands of the transfer market. Just like the lion doesn't concern itself with the opinions of the sheep (R.I.P, Jaime Lannister), the transfer market pays no attention to reality, refutations or rational thinking; it just exists for it's own sake. But, let's be real, that's what keeps us coming back—the what ifs.

We still have two more days before Roma takes the pitch again, so let's take a quick whip through the Romaverse and see what's what.

Atletico Drops Pursuit of Cavani, Roma Makes Three-Year Offer

Perhaps no transfer rumor is more emblematic of what we just discussed than Roma's out of nowhere pursuit of Edinson Cavani, who is now officially an ex-PSG player. Late last week word broke from Uruguay (from one journalist in particular) that Roma were prepping a relatively massive offer for the 33-year-old forward from Salto, Uruguay.

Roma were quick to deny they made contact with Cavani, but this rumor just won't quit. That same source, Gonzalo Ronchi of Sport 890, claims that Roma have offered Cavani a three-year deal that, when taken with the news that Atletico Madrid have dropped their pursuit of Cavani, puts the Giallorossi firmly in the driver's seat for Cavani.

This is a bit of a shortsighted rumor in that it doesn't really take Edin Dzeko into account, so unless Ronchi has the inside scoop on Dzeko's future as well, I'm not entirely sure this holds water.

Moving along....

Amalie Thestrup Won't Return Next Season

Roma's 25-year-old forward and Danish international Amalie Thestrup is leaving Roma after only one season with the club. After torching the Danish league to the tune of 32 goals over the past two seasons, Thestrup struggled to repeat that form in Serie A, bagging only three goals in 12 appearances.

Despite her lack of punch up top this season, Thestrup was a tireless worker and did all the other little things managers need from strikers. She was fun to follow, so let's wish her luck at her next stop.

United May Hold Smalling Out of Europa League with Roma

Under normal circumstances, June 30th—the official end to most year-long loans—is a day of reckoning for players on season-long loans in Europe. However, thanks to the pandemic putting football on the shelf for a few months, most teams agreed to two-month loan extensions without much debate. In fact, Roma was able to do just that with Chris Smalling, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Davide Zappacosta, as all three players have been granted permission to complete the current domestic season with Roma.

But the Europa League? That's another matter entirely. Especially when the current and parent clubs are still alive in the competition, as is the case with Manchester United and AS Roma. With both clubs likely to miss Champions League qualification via the league table route, winning the Europa League is really their only hope of making Europe's biggest tournament next season.

According to reports, United are reluctant to allow Smalling stay on with the Giallorossi past the end of the Serie A season and may call him back completely before Roma's August 5th fixture against Sevilla.

Now, if the two sides agree to a permanent transfer or another full-year loan extension, then this won't matter, but it's something to keep an eye on—United probably won't due Roma any favors in what is quickly becoming an incredibly consequential JV tournament.

More Stadium Delays

No real shocker here. According to Il Tempo, Mayor Virginia Raggi has received enough documentation from the engineering firms to bring the project to another council vote, but has yet to do so. And with another election on the horizon, the project runs the risk of further delays—shocking, right?

We'll end this quick update with some good news...

Less than six months after tearing his ACL, Nicolo Zaniolo has returned to training with the senior team. There's no indication that a return to the pitch is imminent, but could you have imagined this a few months ago?

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