The Atletico striker takes his time, there continues to be confidence in Trigoria. But sporting director Massara is looking around in the meantime
They expect him in Rome tomorrow, at the latest for Epiphany day. With or without coal, it will remain to be seen, certainly in Trigoria they know they have taken all the right steps to bring Giacomo Raspadori home. That evening he will still be with Atletico Madrid, in San Sebastian, in the Basque Country, where at 9pm Diego Simeone’s team will face Real Sociedad for the 18th matchday of the La Liga. Raspadori, however, will almost certainly go to the bench and will not even come on during the match. Precisely because there is an open negotiation with Roma, but also because there is interest from two other Italian clubs on the horizon. Sarri’s Lazio, but above all Conte’s Napoli, who in the last few hours have taken some steps to understand if they can bring the national team player back home (where he played in the last three pre-Madrid seasons). In order to do so, however, the Azzurri must necessarily sell someone significant in terms of salary, because the balance of the cost of labor for De Laurentiis’ club in this market will ultimately have to be at zero cost. The suspects, in case sporting director Manna decides to speed up, are mainly two: Lucca and Lang.
the situation
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In Rome, however, they have little doubt about the final outcome of the operation. The Giallorossi sporting director Massara has virtually closed his deal with Atletico already 48 hours ago, with a formula that provides 2 million for the loan and 19 for a conditional right of redemption linked to the player’s appearances between now and next June (no team objectives such as qualifying for the next Champions League). Raspadori, however, still has to collect some bonuses (accrued in these first six months in Spain) from Atletico and at the moment the problem would be precisely this, as well as the fact of still having to iron out some economic details with Roma. In short, above all the money issue needs to be resolved, also because the player asked Massara for a higher salary than what he gets in Spain: 3.8 million euros plus bonuses compared to the current 3.5. One would have to say details, in the sense that for 300 thousand euros of difference if you want to conclude the operation, the meeting point will be found in the end.
I unlock it
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The next few hours will therefore be decisive in understanding where Jack will go to play. Also because after tonight’s match Atletico will travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where on January 8th they will play the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup, in the eagerly awaited derby with Real Madrid. “Giacomo must continue to work with the same responsibility he has always had since he arrived here in Madrid – Diego Simeone, coach of the colchoneros, said yesterday in the press conference of today’s match at Real Sociedad -. His way of training does not suggest his departure. We are open to anything that may happen.” Here, Roma sincerely hopes to close the deal before Atletico moves to Arabia, also because then it would mean waiting more or less mid-January and then the Giallorossi’s plans could also change. In short, if Raspadori were to really take more time, Massara could turn elsewhere. Yesterday, in fact, further information was requested on the Brazilian Giovane from Verona, in whom Roma had already expressed interest in the last month. A sort of plan B, if in the end the operation with Atletico does not go through.
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