Roma director James Pallotta flew in today to reportedly attend the club’s latest – and rumoured final – round of contract talks with Daniele De Rossi.
Roma director James Pallotta flew in today to reportedly attend the club’s latest – and rumoured final – round of contract talks with Daniele De Rossi.
Pallotta spent the day at Trigoria and on a tour of the club’s training facilities met with staff and players, including De Rossi, before then reportedly sitting in on the midfielder and his agent’s latest round of contract negotiations with Franco Baldini and Walter Sabatini.
One of Roma’s four American directors, Pallotta’s arrival is seen as raising hope that the saga surrounding De Rossi’s future will be put to an end. So far, the 28-year-old has stalled on signing a new deal with reports indicating that the parties cannot agree a basic wage or the size of a suggested minimum fee release clause. With his current contract expiring in the summer, De Rossi is now free to negotiate with other clubs about a potential Bosman move in July.
In addressing the Press upon his arrival on Friday and ahead of allegedly sitting in on talks with the ‘Future Captain’, Pallotta commented on the situation, but refused to confirm his presence in the capital was geared towards convincing the No 16.
“There no financial problems, we’re working on the renewal but there’s no news yet.”
Sky Italia are since reporting that the club has now handed De Rossi a final offer of a new deal on Friday. The claim is that the Giallorossi have put forward a five-year deal paying basic wage of €6m – believed to be the amount De Rossi was asking for – and made it clear that this is the final proposition that they will make to the Italian international.
It follows earlier reports from the week that quoted general manager Baldini as saying that the club wanted a decision before the end of January.