“Desperate times call for desperate measures” goes the old saying. As we’ve reached June 30th without any significant sales, it could be desperate times for Roma and the Friedkin group. We’ve discussed at length Roma’s need to bring in a plusvalenza of around €50 million by today to satisfy the 2022 FFP agreement. However, without any of Roma’s big names having been shown the door to this point--most notably Soulé or Koné, the rumored sacrificial lambs--the Giallorossi are in danger of failing to satisfy their agreement with UEFA.
With that, could Roma consider selling one of its “untouchables”? If the rumors are to be believed, then Juventus is ready to test Roma’s resolve with a player that has repeatedly been deemed off the market: Mile Svilar. Svilar has become a centerpiece of the current Roma side, which has finally qualified for the Champions League for the first time in nearly a decade. And Gian Piero Gasperini would be loath to deprive himself of one of the key men who made that return possible.
Svilar has led from the back with numerous point-saving stops. The last time Roma had a keeper who could do what the Serbian shot-stopper has done, the Giallorossi made a shock run to the UCL semifinals. We all know what happened to Alisson after that. He was sold to Liverpool for a record signing fee, and the Giallorossi lost all stability in net. It can be argued that his sale was the beginning of the end, as Robin Olsen’s numerous blunders cost Roma a UCL return and the downward spiral began.
That’s something Roma can’t afford to let happen again, but with the clock ticking, could the temptation to satisfy the financial agreement in one €50 million swoop be too much for the Friedkins to ignore? After all, Svilar was signed on a free transfer by Tiago Pinto, so any sale would be pure profit for Roma.
With the hours ticking away, ForzaRoma suggests that the Friedkins will no longer negotiate from a weak bargaining position and will instead face the FFP music. The report indicates that the Friedkins hope to get away with a €10-12 million fine that would satisfy the agreement once and for all. That seems more palatable than selling a prized player from a position of weakness, a la Mo Salah of yesteryear. Keeping the squad together and keeping Gasperini happy are priorities over the potential financial consequences of not being able to sell before today’s deadline.