Since they have got promoted to Premier League, Fulham have been making big leaps in the summer, in terms of the transfer. They have been linked with a few players, over the window, and are looking ideal to get a few signed and sealed as well.
First, it was Thomas Strakosha, then Al Musrati and William Carvalho, and now they have been linked to a relatively big star of Milan, Alessio Romagnoli. The 27-year-old Italian defender is the skipper of AC Milan, and as things stands he might soon become the former skipper. There have been a number of clubs, lining up bids to seal his move. Be it Barcelona or Juventus, or the English giants such as Manchester United- all have been linked with the Italian star, but to no success.
Recently, another Serie A side has been heavily linked with Romagnoli, and it is Lazio who are after the soon-to-be free agent. Yes! His contract expires in a week, and it seems as if he will be moving out of AC Milan after spending 7 years at the heart of San Siro. Romagnoli’s link to Lazio, however, seems to have cooled down a bit in the past few days. Easing up for other teams to sneak up in this transfer race!
Milan have not offered a new contract for the 27-year-old. And it seems, the likes of Kalulu, Kjaer and Tomori have all moved above Alessio , in the pecking order. So, it seems that the 7 year bond between the club and the defender will end before the start of the new season.
Meanwhile, Fulham have been caught getting linked to the player. And in all truth, it could be a bargain deal for the Cottagers if they are able to land him, given he will be available to be up for grabs for free.
ALESSIO ROMAGNOLI’S BACKGROUND
The experience, talent, work rate, and leadership qualities, how often do you see the player with all of these talents? Well, Alessio Romagnoli has been doing it in Milan for the past 7 years to say the least. And now, he also has a Scudetto to show for all those abilities!
247 appearances for the Rossoneri, bagging 10 goals and 3 assists in the process, Romagnoli is a name that goes by often, too easily. It is true that the Italian lacks pace when it comes down to tracking back the runs of the opposition’s forwards. But, he is the kind of a defender who could well and truly be a fit for a conventional sweeper system.
In layman’s terms, Romagnoli knows his weak area is pace, so he uses his other key areas of the ball where he can distribute it as far as the half of the length of the pitch, with an accurate darting pass. Or, he can even make perfectly timed interceptions/tackles, that could really help avert the danger.
It is almost impossible to teach a defender the perfection of tackling, but it seems as if Romagnoli has mastered that art. And yes, defending is, indeed, an art!
AUTHOR’S TAKE
If Fulham gets their hands on someone like Alessio Romagnoli, it will be a defence solidification in the truest of sense. Although, it is agreeable that there are better and younger defenders than Romagnoli, but we must not overlook the fact that he is a free agent. Making it a bargain and a half for any side, who can get him to sign for the club.
As for the Cottagers, and Silva’s plans for the Premier League, if they can get Romagnoli to sign for them, they would not just get a defender they will also get a leader at the heart of the defence. And this is what makes him the value for money signing. Barring any major downfalls, he must be one of the players to look out for as the transfer window heats up.
