Football Presse

Roma's internal crisis puts transfer planning on hold as contract decisions loom

Β·By Paul Lindisfarne
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The ongoing standoff between club advisor Claudio Ranieri and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has brought Roma's summer planning to a standstill.

Il Messaggero is reporting that the club's sporting director FrΓ©dΓ©ric Massara, the Friedkin ownership and Gasperini have yet to sit down together to discuss incoming or outgoing transfers.

The most pressing issue concerns a cluster of players out of contract on 30 June. Paulo Dybala, Zeki Γ‡elik and Stephan El Shaarawy are all expected to leave, an outcome Gasperini is understood to oppose.

The renewals of Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante, meanwhile, have been frozen β€” talks had reportedly reached agreement before the ownership imposed a halt to all signings until the club's final league position and internal structure become clear.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is perhaps the most complicated case. The captain is a free agent and could leave without a fee, particularly if Gasperini departs.

If the coach stays, Pellegrini would prefer to remain in the capital. Mario Hermoso β€” regarded as a key player within Gasperini's system β€” could also leave within weeks unless the club activates the extension option written into his contract.

To compound matters, the club has no clarity on pre-season either.

A mini-tour of Australia was initially considered but has been dropped, and the only subsequent enquiry β€” regarding a Germany-based preparation camp β€” has also stalled without further developments.

Pellegrini himself acknowledged the uncertainty, saying his focus for now is on the final five matches.

"The coach is even more fired up than before," he added, referring to Gasperini.

The Friedkins are expected to make a decision on the club's structure before the end of the season, with Sabatini's words from earlier in the week β€” that the Ranieri-Gasperini rift is irreversible β€” hanging over Trigoria.