Roma seal move for Konstantinos Koulierakis, Antonio Nusa next target

As reported by Corriere dello Sport, Roma have secured the signing of centre-back Konstantinos Koulierakis from Wolfsburg and are ready to focus back on their targets in the final third of the pitch.

The 22-year-old defender is one of a fair few promising players leaving the sunken Wolfsburg ship after their shock relegation at the end of last season. Left-footed and handy on set-pieces, Koulierakis is a rare profile of centre-back that is always in demand and will help the Giallorossi shore up their defence ahead of a crucial campaign.

With Koulierakis in through the door, Roma are set to target another attacker after missing out of Crysencio Summerville. They were keen on the Dutchman and had made an offer worth a little over €45 million, only for Al-Hilal to arrive virtually out of nowhere and take him to the Saudi Pro League by agreeing with West Ham a deal that could rise up to in €70 million in valuation.

Roma’s next pick is Antonio Nusa, who shone at the World Cup recently with Norway and is also trying to force an exit from his current club, RB Leipzig. However, while Nusa and Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini have reached an understanding, fee remains an issue. Leipzig want around €55 million, while Roma have brought their €45m threshold to this round of negotiations as well. With Premier League interest also in the mix, Roma may be priced out of a deal again.

Should they miss out on Nusa, Roma are expected to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Jean-Mattéo Bahoya and Paris Saint-Germain’s Ibrahim Mbaye.

The silver lining

Roma’s centre-back scoop will pay dividends not just on the pitch but in the transfer market going forward; left-footed defenders are always in vogue, as are those adept in dead-ball situations — Koulierakis is both.

Furthermore, there pursuit of Nusa after missing out on Summerville makes one things clear: they know what kind of forward they want. They’re keen on a wide operator who could play as part of the main front line as well as in the stead of the first-choice attackers.

That they have alternatives lined up already shows they are planning the right way, focusing on the profile and not just one player in particular, which is something that will bode well for them going forward.

Anshuman Joshi | GIFN