AS Roma’s search for defensive reinforcements continues following recent setbacks in the transfer market. After Austrian defender Kevin Danso failed to pass his medical and returned to Lens, the club opted not to pursue Portuguese center-back Tiago Djalo, who remained with Juventus.
Calciomercato report how Sporting Director Florent Ghisolfi has now turned his attention to two free agents: German veteran Mats Hummels, formerly of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, and Spanish defender Mario Hermoso. Hummels, 36, is also reportedly attracting interest from Real Sociedad, while Hermoso, 29, is being courted by Turkish side Galatasaray and several Saudi Arabian clubs.
Meanwhile, Roma’s current defensive stalwart Chris Smalling is weighing offers from Saudi Arabia. The 35-year-old English defender, formerly of Manchester United, has until Monday, September 2nd to make a decision, coinciding with the closure of the Saudi transfer window.
Roma face a tight deadline of their own, with Tuesday, September 3rd at midnight marking the cutoff for submitting their Europa League squad list to UEFA. This timeline adds urgency to their pursuit of defensive reinforcements, especially if Smalling decides to depart.
