Thanks to the fickle nature of football clubs, many professional footballers can be seen as world travelers, riding the wave of the transfer market as they journey across the globe collecting kits and scarves like so many stamps. Case in point: Over 11 seasons as a professional footballer, Angeliño has played for nine clubs, including Manchester City, New York City, Mallorca, Eindhoven, and Roma, among others.
After such a well-traveled career, the 27-year-old Spanish full-back seemingly found a home in the Eternal City. Arriving in the winter of 2024, Angeliño was little more than a passing curiosity for Daniele De Rossi, who took over as Roma's coach two weeks before Angeliño arrived on loan from RB Leipzig. After finding his footing under DDR, Angeliño established himself as the club's top full-back under Claudio Ranieri, starting 36 league matches last season.
(Here comes the but)
But... with a new manager, come new tactics, squad rotations, and preferences. While Angeliño has certainly filled various roles for the many managers he's played under over the past decade, he might not be suited to play as a wing-back in Gian Piero Gasperini's system. Or, more accurately, he's the player they can sell for the highest profit while remaining easily replaceable.
Before the Club World Cup, Angeliño appeared ready to make a big-money move (€20 million or more) to Saudi club Al-Hilal, who regarded the Spaniard as Plan B behind Milan's Theo Hernandez. While Al-Hilal decided to pause discussions during the Club World Cup, with rumors that Hernandez is warming up to the Saudi club, Roma might be left holding the proverbial bag.
With the threat of Financial Fair Play looming, Roma might have to sell more prized assets, like Evan Ndicka, if they can't find a new buyer for Angeliño. However, there could be promising news ahead. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Atlético Madrid may be preparing an offer for Angeliño, while Sportitalia reports that newly promoted Sunderland is interested in signing Roma's spitfire full-back.