Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Roma was celebrated as a major coup for the club that many felt would see them challenging for silverware. Upon arrival both the Special One and the capital club’s executives asserted their objective was to finish in the top four and qualify for next season’s edition of the Champions League. But as we approach the final weeks of the season, the Giallorossi find themselves eight points behind fourth-placed Juventus.
According to the experts at Oddschecker, who provide free bets from sites like Ladbrokes, Roma are a longshot to catch the Bianconeri. Though, Roma still have a chance to capture silverware given they recently advanced to the quarterfinals of the Conference League.
Nonetheless, the Giallorossi are expected to continue their squad overhaul this summer—these are the main candidates that are expected to exit the Italian capital this summer.
Jordan Veretout
Before this season, midfielder Jordan Veretout was widely considered one of the key pieces within the Roma squad after thriving during his first two seasons under Paulo Fonseca. After joining from Fiorentina in 2019 for a total of €18 million, the Frenchman quickly emerged as one of the best box to box midfielders in Serie A. However, Mourinho’s recent switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation saw the 29year-old relegated to the bench. As a result, he’s expected to move on this summer with Newcastle United and Marseille interested in his services.
Carles Pérez
Spanish winger Carles Perez joined Roma in 2020 for €12 million, a price which many saw as a bargain after seeing him display flashes of his potential at Barcelona. Unfortunately, as with his time with the Catalan giants, Perez hasn’t been able to consistently earn a place in the starting eleven and has primarily featured from the bench during his two years at the club. He’s tallied 7 goals and 7 assists in 69 total appearances, which isn’t a bad return given his limited playing time. However, a return to Spain could be in the works this summer as the 24 year-old searches for a club that can provide him consistent opportunities.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
The move to bring Ainsley Maitland-Niles to Roma on loan from Arsenal considered a coup and a transfer deal that suited all parties. Arsenal were more than willing to offload an unhappy player while Roma were happy to add another talented Englishman to their ranks. Maitland-Niles grew frustrated under Mikel Arteta and was frustrated that the club blocked a potential summer transfer to Everton as he rarely played under the Spanish technician. It’s true that he’s been provided much more playing time than he was afforded in London, however, the Englishman’s performances have been incredibly underwhelming during his three months in the Italian capital. The Arsenal academy product was brought in to strengthen Roma’s right flank but he hasn’t been able to upend first choice right back Rick Karsdorp. Even though he joined on a dry loan deal, the clubs initially agreed to discuss a potential permanent deal in the summer. But given his inconsistency, it’s unlikely Roma would be interested in splashing the cash needed to make the youngster’s move permanent. A return to London appears to be a certainty, though, how long he’ll be there remains to be seen. Several clubs expressed interest in Maitland-Niles before he ultimately decided to join the Giallorossi earlier this year.
