Sabatini claims Roma will keep both of their prized assets Radja Nainggolan and Miralem Pjanic, but doesn't know whether he will stay at Roma.
It is widely believed that at least one of the two midfielders will be sacrificed, as Roma struggle to balance their books and need some capital for their transfer campaign, but the sporting director disagreed.
Sabatini claims Roma will keep both of their prized assets Radja Nainggolan and Miralem Pjanic, but doesn't know whether he will stay at Roma.
It is widely believed that at least one of the two midfielders will be sacrificed, as Roma struggle to balance their books and need some capital for their transfer campaign, but the sporting director disagreed.
“Not Radja, he wants to stay. In fact, perhaps neither of them,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport, as part of an extensive discussion of the many players Roma own or are interested in. “If I can manage a certain move I'm planning, then maybe we can keep them both.
“And [Leandro] Paredes will return, but we'll see how long he stays. [Bologna's Amadou] Diawara? He's good, we like him.”
“[Medhi] Benatia is being offered to many Italian teams. The chances of him coming back are currently quite low.
“Acerbi is 29 years old, he's already been at Milan and back. That doesn't mean he'll never cut it at those levels, but it's something we have to bear in mind.
“[Edin] Dzeko wants to stay at Roma. If he doesn't change his mind, he's still a resource for us. After all, he struggled in his first year at Wolfsburg and City as well.
“[Mousa] Dembele has already been sold, and for a ridiculous price. [Michy] Batshuayi is far too expensive too. [Martin] Caceres is just an idea for now, but we do like him.
“[Kevin] Strootman is most definitely staying, and he'll be the real Strootman for the next 10 years. We'll also be signing [Antonio] Rudiger. I'd like to keep [Lucas] Digne too, but so far we have no agreement with Paris Saint-Germain.
“Gerson isn't playing very well right now, but I believe in him. He's extremely strong.”
Sabatini was then asked some more general questions, such as whether he would stay at Roma, or if he still believed that the team could come second in Serie A.
“I certainly believe that. All of football's wrongdoings were removed 10 years ago [in Calciopoli]. As for Sunday's game, I'm hoping for a miracle by Torino. Napoli will really struggle.
“Roma's financial situation? Ask me a different question.
“As for me, I can see my future here as far as June 30. Beyond that, I can't.”