If we are planning on strengthening our strike force for next season, the man who looks most likely to arrive at the London Stadium would be AS Roma’s Edin Dzeko, after the Giallorossi reportedly began targeting his successor amid links between us, Inter Milan and the Bosnia-Herzegovina captain.
Roma looking to capture Boca Juniors forward Dario Benedetto, after reports emerged recently suggesting we had agreed a contract with Dzeko, would surely have been seen as a massive boost back in Stratford, but that appears to already be off the table.
Calciomercato are now reporting that Roma Sporting Director Frederic Massara intends to request owner James Pallotta extends the 33-year-old’s contract in the Italian capital, before it enters its final 12 months on June 30.
Massara has only been back working in the Sporting Director role at the Stadio Olimpico since March 8, having vacated the position for Monchi back in 2017, and acted as the club’s secretary in between, following a one-year break.
Among other topics on discussion at Roma’s upcoming summit, beyond player contracts, includes what role LOSC Lille Sporting Director Luis Campos could occupy in their sporting structure.
Should the 54-year-old Portuguese dethrone Massara in Rome, he may not be as keen to reward Dzeko with a new deal given his age, and offer us the chance to swoop back into the position we were previously thought to have reached.
Dzeko, for his part in all of this, does not appear to have made a final decision on where he would like to be next season, however.
Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, noted in their Rome edition on Monday that the 101-cap international is still ‘hoping’ he is offered a new contract with the Giallorossi, but accepts that he may have to relocate if the Serie A outfit deem it necessary.
The Italian newspaper also add that Roma are now open to selling Dzeko at a reduced fee, with a €15million (£12.9m) price mentioned after previous claims suggesting they would hold onto their forward unless someone offered close to €25m (£21.5m).
Dzeko scored Roma’s only goal of the game on Saturday, as the Giallorossi beat Udinese 1-0, to stretch his tally for the season to eight goals in the league and five in the Champions League – ending an eight-game goal drought for club and country.
