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June 30th may seem like an insignificant day, just another random day under the sweltering summer sun, but the final day of June is a rather important date on the calendar in the world of business, finance, and, as it turns out, football. June 30th, otherwise known as the final day of the fiscal year, usually leaves people crammed into tiny cubicles in a panic as they rush to finish up their financial reporting for the current fiscal year.
In the footballing world, June 30th is no less significant, as the final day of June means one thing: contracts expire. From the Lionel Messis of the world, who are set to enter the lucrative free-agent market, to the Robin Olsens of this earth, who now find themselves slinking back to their parent clubs, June 30th has likely been circled on their calendars for months.
With respect to Serie A Femminile, where contracts are barely worth the paper they're printed on, June 30th can often mean the beginning of a free-for-all; the start of a month-long scramble in which players are basically free to come and go as they please. With very few exceptions, most of the athletes in Serie A Femminile work on a year-to-year basis—though that will likely change once the league achieves full professional status sometime in 2022—so we tend to see a flurry of moves this time of year.
Roma has managed to avoid a mass exodus during their first three summers, seeing only marginal players leave the capital while signing several big-ticket free agents like Manuela Giugliano, Andressa, Andrine Hegerberg, and even Elena Linari this past winter.
With the new fiscal year several hours away, the Giallorosse and their new manager Alessandro Spugna have reportedly landed their first big fish of the summer:
ESCLUSIVA ICF -
— Il Calcio Femminile (@ilcalciofemm) June 30, 2021
Bomba #RomaFemminile, in arrivo #Thaisa dal #RealMadrid!
✍️ Luca Bendoni@realmadridfem @ASRomaFemminile @MorenoThaisa https://t.co/90p0uIUTRP
According to Il Calcio Femminile, Roma is set to sign Brazilian midfielder Thaisa de Moraes Rosa Moreno, known simply as Thaisa. A 32-year-old box-to-box midfielder, Thaisa would bring a wealth of experience to Roma, having played in her native Brazil, in the U.S. with the club formerly known as Sky Blue FC (since reimagined as Gotham FC), in Italy with AC Milan and, most recently, with Real Madrid in Spain.
A jack of all trades midfielder with a trophy cabinet bursting at the seams, including a runner-up medal in the 2013-2014 Champions League, Thaisa figures to be a like-for-like replacement for Vanessa Bernauer, who has been rumored to be leaving Roma for several weeks—though nothing definitive has leaked out quite yet.
With a new manager and new expectations after winning the Coppa Italia last month, Roma's transfer market operations suddenly carried added weight. With professionalization looming, Roma will need to do something to stand out from the crowd in what will surely be a pitched battle for top talent next summer.
Landing Thaisa and adding her to the likes of Giugliano, Andressa, Hegerberg and Giada Greggi in midfield will go a long way to ensure that Roma is able to sustain and improve upon their 2020-2021 successes.
We'll pass along word once this signing becomes official, but something tells me this won't be the only marquee signing the club makes this summer. Stay tuned!