Roma have made a number of interesting additions this summer, with Eusebio Di Francesco shaping his squad for the forthcoming Serie A season. The 48-year-old was keen to give his side an increasingly youthful look, although, success this season could come thru one of the previous summer’s signings: 22-year-old Patrik Schick. Schick carved out a reputation as a natural goalscorer at Samp and could be the man to help fire Roma to glory.
The Giallorossi finished third in Serie A last season and were comfortably clear of their city rivals, Lazio. Their title challenge fizzled out mid-season and they ended the campaign 18 points shy of Juventus, prompting a need for reinforcements this summer. They are available at 15/2 in Paddy Power’s football betting odds to end the Bianconeri’s dominance in 2018/19. Pre-season has been a mixed bag so far and Eusebio has told reporters that he is still seeking another defender before the transfer window slams shut.
Schick has already netted five times in friendly matches and will be keen to hit the ground running when Roma travel to Turin to face Walter Mazzarri’s Torino on the opening day of the season. The forward began his preparations early, telling reporters that he would be taking just a week off this summer in a bid to be ready for the forthcoming campaign and his diligence appears to be paying off.
The Prague-born frontman has 13 Serie A goals to his name plus a further three in the Coppa Italia and at just 22 years old, he should continue to develop and benefit from plenty of game time at Stadio Olimpico. He has also claimed five assists during his brief stint in Italy and he is likely to receive significant playing time despite the presence of Edin Dzeko.
He may have endured a stop-start campaign last year due to not featuring regularly in the starting XI, but he will surely have benefit from getting a full pre-season under his belt. He has returned to the club with plenty of determination and appears to be on a mission to put a disappointing 12 months behind him. He netted two goals in his last five matches of last season and was starting to show signs of quality in the box.
Roma have also added some experience this summer, with PSG’s Javier Pastore arriving at the club and Schick has told Roma TV that he is looking forward to working with the talented midfielder. The 29-year-old will be joined by fellow recruits Robin Olsen, who transfers from FC Copenhagen and impressed at the 2018 World Cup for Sweden. Ajax’s Justin Kluivert arrives in the Italian capital and will bring plenty of raw talent and energy to the table and is an exciting addition. Atalanta’s Bryan Cristante arrives after an impressive campaign whilst Ante Coric is another promising player who will be looking to make a name for himself in Italy.
Schick is looking forward to the season getting underway and his form in pre-season suggests he will be given a place in the XI on the opening day of the season. Dzeko will undoubtedly be the focal point of this side but Schick is likely to weigh in with plenty of goals and he could potentially have a memorable campaign in Serie A.
