New Roma signing Tommaso Baldanzi admits it’s going to be exhilarating to have his idol Paulo Dybala as a teammate. ‘I will have so much to see and learn from him.’
The transfer was completed on deadline day from hometown club Empoli for €10m plus €5m in bonuses and a 15 per cent cut of his future fee.
He had his medical tests and put pen to paper in the final hours of the January window.
“I am very excited, it is immensely satisfying to play for an historic club. I hope to do well for my teammates and the fans,” Baldanzi told the official Roma website.
“When I found out this was a possibility, I wanted it so much, I was happy to receive interest from such a prestigious club. I set off straight away and am very pleased to be here.
“I want to thank the Friedkins, who believed in me, just like the director and the coach. I am honoured to be here.”
However, the Giallorossi are in flux, as director of sport Tiago Pinto already announced he is leaving the club once the transfer window is concluded.
Daniele De Rossi was drafted in last month to replace sacked Jose Mourinho and is reported to be one of the main figures pushing to have Baldanzi mid-season.
“I spoke to the coach and he told me I will be working with good people. We’ll get to talk some more over the next few days.”
When Baldanzi made his Serie A debut, he confessed that his hero was Dybala, so now he gets to be teammates with La Joya.
“It’s going to be very exciting. I will have so much to see and learn from him. I am happy to be here, I can improve so much with him.”
The 20-year-old will be part of the squad when Roma face Cagliari on Monday at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.45 GMT.
“It’s going to be such a strong emotional moment. It was already exciting being there as an opponent. I can’t wait.”