With three weeks before the season kicks off against Bologna, Roma's roster is finally starting to take shape. That is, unless you don't count the uncertainty surrounding Artem Dovbyk's future with the club, the lengthy negotiations for Verona defender Daniele Ghilardi, or even the Paulo Dybala to Benfica rumors that surfaced this morning.
There isn't much anyone can do to halt the rumor mill, even if the stories are more fantasy than fact. Still, now that Roma has signed, sealed, and delivered the likes
of Evan Ferguson, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley, the big-ticket items have been addressed, leaving Gian Piero Gasperini and Frederic Massara to round out the squad's edges.
While Gasperini's defense is more or less set (well, once they finalize Ghilardi), the club continues to work the phones in search of attacking depth. With the club flinching at Antonio Nusa and his €50 million price tag, they have reportedly turned their attention to Manchester City's Claudio Echeverri.
A 19-year-old attacking midfielder, Echeverri is among City's most promising young talents. Yet, despite a glowing reputation and underlying stats that would make Gasperini blush, Echeverri has been a non-factor for City, whose deep roster prevents a player as talented as the Argentine from breaking into the rotation.
Enter Roma.
Earlier this week, we discussed the possibility of Roma signing Echeverri on loan from City. While he might not immediately join Gasperini's starting lineup, few managers in Europe are better suited to develop his talent than Roma's new head coach. However, despite rarely stepping onto the pitch at the City of Manchester Stadium, Pep Guardiola and the Cityzens are loath to let go of Echeverri and prefer to send him on a dry loan rather than include an option to buy.
And there's the rub. Roma may value Echeverri's talents, but there's little point in negotiating if there's no hope of keeping the player long-term. However, according to Calciomercato, Echeverri may lend Roma a helping hand by refusing any other offers, including a pending loan move to Girona. Following their reasoning, Echeverri would turn down other options because he's attracted to Gasperini's brand of football and his track record with young attacking talents.
There's another month or so left in the transfer window, so this story may not be as dire as it seems. Still, with Gasperini already voicing his concerns about the pace of the transfer market, Massara had better get moving.
Echeverri is an up-and-coming talent, the kind City finds between the couch cushions, so they're not likely to miss him in the long run. But surely there's a middle ground here: a loan with an option to buy plus a right of first refusal for City, or perhaps a percentage of any future sale.
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