Roma Continues to Press for Wijnaldum Loan, Deal Could Close This Weekend

We've seen this movie too many times over the years. Whether it was Arkadiusz Milik a few years ago or Adrian Mutu back in the early 2000s, Roma fans know all too well to never make transfer market assumptions. Roma chases a specific transfer target, with all the major media outlets tracking the progress along the way, providing incremental updates, and assuring that a deal is close to completion, only to see it wither and die on the vine.

While midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum remains a PSG player, for now, the 31-year-old Dutch midfielder has been absent from most of the Parisiens pre-season preparations, fueling speculation that his rumored transfer to Roma is imminent. Despite the increasing threads connecting Wijnadlum to the Giallorossi, there is no white smoke billowing from the chimneys at Trigoria...yet.

As we head into the weekend, the Italian press, most notably the Corriere dello Sport and the Gazzetta dello Sport, are gently assuring Roma fans that Wijnaldum will sign with Roma this weekend—and in fact, he may be in Rome already. According to these reports, while PSG prefers to sell Wijnadlum outright, Roma is pressing for a loan with an option or obligation to buy.

Earlier today, the Corriere provided details on this deal: a one-year loan with a €10 million obligation to buy based on a certain number of appearances and Roma qualifying for the Champions League next season. But that's the easy part. According to both sources, the real sticking point remains Wijnaldum's salary, which, at its current rate, could be prohibitive for Roma—at least during the loan portion of the deal. If the two sides can strike a deal, Roma will sign Wijnaldum through 2025, spreading his salary and using the Growth Decree for additional savings.

With Mourinho using the personal touch by calling Wijnaldum earlier this week and the Dutchman dropping several not-so-subtle clues on social media, this transfer seems nearly done. It's simply a matter of Pinto and his PSG counterparts coming to terms on a salary structure for the soon-to-be 32-year-old midfielder.

No matter how long this deal takes, Wijnaldum, Manchester United defender Eric Bailly and possibly former Torino striker Andrea Belotti may be the final pieces of the puzzle for Mourinho and Roma.