After failing to acquire Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios, Roma quickly shifted their focus to their secondary option, former Lens midfielder Neil EL Aynaoui, who the club announced yesterday as the first signing of the Gian Piero Gasperini era. While we hesitate to say that Roma's midfield is complete, the rumor mill has shifted its focus to other areas of the pitch, namely the wider spaces up front.
According to Il Messaggero, Roma has turned its attention to Sassuolo forward/winger Armand Lauriente.
The 26-year-old Frenchman feasted on Serie B defenses last season, scoring a career-high 18 goals along with five assists to help the Neroverdi return to the top flight this season.
However, rather than sticking with Sassuolo as they rejoined Serie A, Lauriente was bound for another newly promoted club: Sunderland AFC, which is returning to the English Premier League next month after a ten-year absence. Unfortunately for the Black Cats, Lauriente's move fell apart after they failed to agree to personal terms with the French winger, who reportedly sought a five-year deal with the club.
But could Sunderland's loss be Roma's gain? Il Messaggero certainly thinks so, claiming that the Giallorossi are now kicking the tires on Lauriente, viewing him as an ideal winger for Gasperini's tactics. However, at a €20 million price point and with his previous deal at Sunderland collapsing for financial reasons, this won't be a straightforward negotiation.
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