Lukaku after Pruzzo and Batistuta, the center forwards in Rome

It was enough for the word to spread – “Roma is aiming decisively at Lukaku!” – and the Giallorossi city immediately (and rightly so) went mad with joy. Because a group full of qualities – from Dybala to Pelegrini and Aouar – lacked the center forward to make you dream. Capable of adding himself to the club’s gallery of great strikers. Yes, because the tradition is very rich, as is the list of players who – from Totti down – have made the history of the club with goals.

From the formidable characters of slightly more distant eras to those who – in the last 40 years – have chased each other in their very different way of being and discovering themselves as protagonists. And, without mentioning them all, here is therefore a roundup of great interpreters, to whom Roma have thought of trying to add Lukaku as well. From Pruzzo to Voeller, from Balbo to Montella, from Batistuta to Dzeko, it’s a festival of excellent names that have made the Olimpico sing. What is certain is that Lukaku, for Mourinho’s new Roma, certainly represents that added value of strength, power that is needed in today’s football as it has been fundamental in the most successful moments of the last 40 years. When the ram led directly to the Scudetto.

Yes, because many have been important, some phenomenal, but it is with Pruzzo and Batistuta – as is now the case with Lukaku – that Roma has found its maximum expression, reaching the title. Because Pruzzo – with the 176 centimeters of once that made him a formidable reference – was the spearhead of a team that abounded in quality. And in which Bruno Conti, or rather Brunoconti in one go, represented that slingshot that is Dybala today. The elf capable of populating sleeping opponents, turning them into nightmares, and of making one-two-three feints to then serve in the best possible way what has not by chance gone down in history with a simple name: the bomber.

And then Batistuta, the other 9 by profession, capable of knocking down the opponent’s goals, with the energy, the charisma, the personality that the nascent Rome wants to ask of Lukaku. And since there is always UN Dybala to make history, the genius of that Italian Champion team – his launching pad – could not have been absolutely stronger. The inimitable and unattainable Totti, the light as Mourinho would say today, capable in any case of contributing 13 goals, to be added to Batistuta’s 20, to the yellow and red climb.

In short, there is always – and the plans must be the same this time too – a perfect combination of quality and physical strength. And if the class was already there, here’s the need – as happened with Pruzzo and Batistuta – to close the circle with the man capable of going straight to the goal. To allow Roma to climb the hierarchy of predictions and to take on the sweet responsibility of trying to win. Because the Friedkins brought Mourinho in the first year, Dybala the second and the third year they decided to beat the competition and get to Lukaku. Standard bearers of a Rome that, despite the false start between Salernitana and Verona, the fans want to be the protagonist.