Roma Continue Pursuit of Belotti, Face Competition From Sevilla

Just when you thought Roma had moved on from Andrea Belotti, reports out of Italy suggest that Tiago Pinto and José Mourinho just can't shake their crush on the Torino striker. Belotti, 27, has one year remaining on his deal, and while that should ostensibly make this transfer far easier, things are seldom as easy as they seem when dealing with Torino President Urbano Cairo, who seems to think we're stuck in 2017 when he was shaking off €100 million offers for Belotti with a stick.

Despite Cairo's intransigence, Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla suggests the road between Roma and Torino isn't completely closed:

According to Pedulla, Roma has reopened negotiations (or are at least keeping the lines of communication open) for Belotti, who Cairo reportedly values at €30 million despite the fact that he'll be free to negotiate with clubs on his own come January 2022. With Cairo slowly accepting that reality, Pedulla suggests that Torino may be willing to part with Belotti for approximately €20 million; a realization that has Roma and Sevilla competing for Cairo's good graces.

Pedulla believes Roma is willing to go as high as €18 million to acquire Belotti, who is also a rumored target for Monchi's Sevilla and Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta, so there may be a deal in the cards if the two clubs can broach that two million difference.

While Mourinho is reportedly satisfied with the Edin Dzeko and Borja Mayoral pairing in attack, he's made no secret of his desire to acquire a third forward to compete with the Giallorossi's incumbent strikers. If Belotti proves too difficult to acquire, Roma may turn their attention to Zenit's €18 million rated striker Sardar Azmoun, who is being pursued by Bayer Leverkusen.

Both Roma and Mourinho have pined for Belotti for several years now, and that combination, plus Belotti's expiring contract, could finally bring the rooster to Rome.