After locking down a deal for Santiago Castro, it was expected that all of Tony D’Amico’s efforts would turn back to finding a left wing that Gian Piero Gasperini has been yearning for. However, it appears that the next Giallorossi signing for the time being won’t be Antonio Nusa or Abde Ezzalzouli to fill that need. Instead, reports indicate that Roma’s next signing won’t even play that far up the pitch.
In a move that came out of nowhere, Roma is expected to sign 22-year-old Greek defender Konstantinos
Koulierakis of Wolfsburg. The deal was first reported by Ugo Trani of Te la do io Tokyo and is now being corroborated by Fabrizio Romano and others. The amount being bandied about is €15 million, and it’s expected that Koulierakis would fill the role of vice-Hermoso.
Koulierakis is a left-footed center back who brings considerable experience for his age. He’s made 59 Bundesliga appearances over the last two seasons, 35 appearances in the Greek Super League, and another 9 Europa Conference League appearances with PAOK prior to that. He’s also already made 22 appearances for the Greek national team.
Koulierakis was purchased by Wolfsburg from PAOK for just under €12 million two summers ago. After proving his worth in Germany, Roma is ready to bring him to Italy to add depth to its rearguard. Perhaps most importantly, he is a left-footed defender in a back three dominated by right-footed players—aside from Hermoso, to whom Koulierakis will likely be an understudy.
Koulierakis is a fairly tall center back at 6’2” and defends well in the air. He’s known for being a progressive passer, which makes him a good fit in Gasperini’s system as a left-sided defender. He’s also proven to be composed on the ball and comfortable defending in tight spaces. Koulierakis has chipped in 4 goals and 3 assists during his time at Wolfsburg. At just 22, he’s got plenty of room for development under Gasperini’s tutelage.
If Roma is able to pull off this signing for the reported €15 million fee, it could be shrewd business in the long term given his technical ability, experience, and room for growth.
