Cristante Lands in Rome to Finalize Deal

What’s been rumored for weeks is now close to becoming a reality, Bryan Cristante has landed in Rome ahead of his medical examination and contract signing, which should occur at some point in the next 24 to 48 hours. While some have quibbled with Monchi’s moves, credit him with this much, he moves fast—when he has a target in mind, it moves from rumor to awkward scarf photo in days, not weeks or months.

Hmm, compare these photos to the ones of Ante Coric a few weeks ago and it certainly seems like the quality of the scarf is commensurate with the player’s ability. Cristante’s has a more resplendent red and much, much finer stitching than Coric’s did. I can’t even imagine how luxurious the silks would have been for Walter Sabatini’s mystery-he’ll-bring-12,000-people-to-the-airport-signing. For what it’s worth, I’ll always remain convinced that was Zlatan, but I digress.

Presuming this medical goes off without a hitch, Roma will be on the hook for €30 million for the 23-year-old midfielder, though the exact apportionment of that fee remains a subject of debate. While it’s largely believed that Roma will only pay €5 million up front, the remaining €25 million remains a mystery—is it a lump sum, or is a portion dependent on performance clauses?

Cristante is coming off a career year, but as we mentioned this morning, nothing that preceded this year indicates he’s a one year wonder, but this signing is indicative of one thing: the escalating cost of the calcio business.

Did you ever in your wildest imagination envision Roma spending €30 million on what is essentially a luxury? Cristante may indeed prove to be a pivotal player for Roma, but in the here and now he wasn’t strictly necessary, so there will surely be anxious days ahead as we wait for the corresponding move.

However, as it stands, Cristante joins a pretty impressive group of midfielders, and the thought of he and Lorenzo Pellegrini playing side by side for the next eight to ten years should certainly put a smile on your face.