Roma Officially Signs Bryan Cristante

By now you’ve no doubt heard and seen that Roma have officially signed former Atalanta and Italy International midfielder Bryan Cristante to a deal potentially worth €30 million, a figure that seemed previously unreachable by the Giallorossi but is quickly becoming, well not commonplace, by fairly regular let’s say. After passing his medical examination, it was time for Cristante to meet Monchi and the boys.

But first Roma’s social media team had their say...

I mean, that’s amazing and quite frankly what my nascent Photoshop attempts looked like, which is precisely why I never attempted it again. By Roma standards that’s a pretty low-key welcome (compared to their efforts last summer) but it’s a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek takedown of a rampant internet trend, the awkwardly Photoshopped photo.

Anyway, as far as the particulars of the deal are concerned, Monchi managed to fenalge this deal like a snake charmer coaxing a cobra out of a wicker basket.

Cristante joins on an initial loan deal that will run from 1 July 2018 until 30 June 2019, for a fee of €5 million.

As part of the agreement, the Giallorossi have an obligation to complete the permanent signing of the player for an additional €15m – upon the completion of various sporting targets.

The overall agreement also includes a number of performance-related bonuses, based on the achievements of both AS Roma and the player, worth up to a maximum of €10m.

Cristante has reached an agreement with the Giallorossi on a contract that will run until 30 June 2023.

So while many have quibbled about the total cost of the deal, in the short run it won’t hamper their ability to pursue additional signings. It would be nice to know what those “sporting targets” and “performance-related bonuses” are—chances are they’re appearance based—but Monchi managed to land his guy while deferring, what, 5/6ths of the money? Can’t complain with that.

Upon signing his deal, Cristante revealed his Roma or bust plan:

I am very pleased, because coming to Roma was always my aim. There was a strong willingness, both on my part and from the club, to find an agreement, and we managed to do that very quickly.

I am confident that I will be able to do my best and make a big contribution to this club.

Cristante had plenty of suitors, so his fondness for Roma could point towards the club’s increased reputation among the games up and comers.

Cristante follows the signings of Ante Coric and Ivan Marcano in what has been an incredibly busy spring for Monchi and the boys.

Speaking of which, look at this fucking guy...

Roma just dropped €30 million on Cristante, but Federico Balzaretti is out there stunting like Paper Boi.