New Roma signing Matias Soulé has failed to justify his price tag at the Stadio Olimpico so far and fans on social media have already compared him to Juan Manuel Iturbe.
Soulé was one of Roma’s biggest summer signings. The Argentinean moved to the Capital from Juventus on a permanent €25.6m deal plus potential €4m add-ons.
The 21-year-old received a hero welcome at the Stadio Olimpico less than two months ago, but his first outings in the capital have left fans unimpressed. Soulé hasn’t yet scored or assisted in seven appearances across all competitions.
The Argentinean started five games, four in Serie A and one in Europa League. On Thursday, he received the lowest ratings from Italian sports papers after a 1-0 loss to Elfsborg.
Soulé fails to impress at Roma amid Iturbe comparison
Soulé joined Roma under Daniele De Rossi and was supposed to play as an attacking winger in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
However, in his final game as Roma’s coach against Genoa, De Rossi switched to a three-man defence, leaving Soulé on the bench for the whole match.
Just three days later, De Rossi was sacked and replaced by Ivan Juric. The Croatian tactician’s favourite system is a 3-4-2-1 formation, and he’s recently said that he sees Soulé as an “attacking midfielder.”
The Argentinean’s poor performances in the capital already led Roma fans to prematurely compare him to Iturbe, a notorious Roma flop who moved to the Stadio Olimpico from Hellas Verona for €24.5m in 2014 but only scored five goals in 68 appearances with the Giallorossi.
Time will tell if Soulé can fulfil his potential during his stay at Roma, which, on paper, ends in June 2029.
Roma’s next Serie A match is away at Monza on Sunday, October 6.