AS ROMA Transfer Season: LUIS ENRIQUE manager etc

Since everyone must be dying for an update here's some confirmed moves for AS Roma under the new American ownership. It's still around a couple of weeks before all the legal papers are finalized so the new ownership won't be making any official announcements but there are some pieces already firmly in place:


Direttore generale: FRANCO BALDINI (de facto -- he's already making decisions and has been for a while but when he's actually working from Roma depends on England's national team to which he's still under contract until September)

Direttore sportivo: WALTER SABATINI (supposedly signed a 3 year contract in April)



Allenatore: LUIS ENRIQUE (supposedly has already signed on with the official announcement coming with the PC when the actual takeover is 100% complete)

Now the manager of Barcelona B, Enrique has recently rebuffed offers from Sevilla and Atletico Madrid but seems pretty much set to be Roma's manager. Guardiola seems to have been pretty instrumental in facilitating this move but it seems to make sense in that the new ownership seems intent on building the team with youth and improving what's already a pretty top notch youth system.
The move also makes sense as Roma's built/stronger playing a 4-3-3 with TOTTI as a false punta, David PIZARRO as deep lying registra, DE ROSSI as a box to box defensive mid and Mirko VUCINIC as a fluid passing attacking left winger.
My concern is obviously the horrible track record on offensive minded Spanish coaches in Serie A where so many struggle heartily with the defensive nature of the league in which even the lower tier teams keep impeccable defensive shape and hurt much stronger sides that open up too much offensively on counters. But I guess we'll see. . .



Calciomercato: (fairly firmly grounded rumors):

ERIK LAMELA (Attacking Winger -- River Plate -- Argentinian w/ Italian passport)
once said to be a Roma lock I hear a lot of new interest (Arsenal, Napoli) is arriving. Lamela is young but a huge talent that many feel will surpass PASTORE. Such a versatile attacker would address a huge need for Roma in paring with Totti and Vucinic but also filling either of their spots as well.

RICKY ALVAREZ (Attacking Midfielder -- Velez Sarsfield -- Argentinian w/ Spanish passport))
said to be almost a done deal. this is exciting as Alvarez seems to be just the kind of slick passing attacking midfielder we've been missing to work with De Rossi and Pizarro and even spell Pizarro at times taking over as registra.

FEDERICO BALZARETTI (LB -- Palermo -- Italian)
LB who's really coming into his own as evidenced in the great season he's had at Palermo and becoming a fixture on the Italian National team. ISLA (Udinese-Chilean) and CRISCITO (Genoa-Italian) are also rumored fullback targets but it seems Balzaretti may be more likely at this point.

Gregory VAN DER WIEL (RB - Ajax -- Dutch) -- Sabatini supposedly in negotiations to share time with RIISE and be the RB moving forward.


Other needs with a few less substantiated rumors:

STRIKER: ABEL HERNANDEZ (Palermo-Uruguay) seems to be Sabatini's first choice but may be difficult to get from Palermo. Denis Stracqualursi from Tigre is another possibility

GK: STORARI, MARCHETTI, HANDANOVIC, CURCI ??? -- would be nice to upgrade GK but who knows which direction we'll go.

CB: Roma needs a replacement for Philippe Mexes: these names have been mentioned but I have no real reason to believe it will really be any of them: Rafael Toloi (Goias-Brazil) or Simon Kjaer or (Wolfsburg-Denmark) or Salvatore Bocchetti (Rubin Kazan - Italy)

MF: There's also some indication that we'd like a tougher MF presence to share some of the heavier lifting with De Rossi and one name that would be great since I'm American that's been rumored recently is MICHAEL BRADLEY . I would love for Bradley to play for Roma and playing in Serie A aside De Rossi could potentially do wonders for his development. I would say though the more likely option here is SANDRO (DM--Tottenham -- Brazilian)