The pair visited Rome together, where sporting director Frédéric Massara held a face-to-face meeting with Semin Alajbegovic. Pjanic, who spent several seasons at Roma and trained at Trigoria, was used as an informal bridge to make the city and the project more tangible for a player who has never played in Italy.
The Corriere dello Sport reports that initial contacts began in late March and the Friedkin ownership group has already approved a potential investment in the player.
Alajbegovic is a 2007-born ambidextrous winger who spent last season at RB Salzburg after Leverkusen sold him in the summer for €2 million while retaining a buy-back clause of €8 million — a clause the German club have since triggered following his rapid development.
He scored 12 goals across all competitions for Salzburg and helped Bosnia and Herzegovina qualify for the 2026 World Cup, converting penalties in back-to-back shootouts and setting up a goal against Wales in the semi-final.
The transfer fee is expected to fall between €25 and €30 million, a figure that could rise further depending on the World Cup.
Roma are working to move quickly because Napoli and Milan are both actively pursuing the same player. The reported salary would sit below €1 million per year initially, with progressive increases built in.