Two weeks from now, Roma will begin the new season by hosting Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico. Two weeks. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Giallorossi will start a new season with a slate of Champions League matches ahead of them. While the club hasn’t lost any significant players and seems poised to spend another season battling for a spot in the top four, something is missing. Something that could finally be unlocked with a creative financial strategy.
A Creative Strategy for Mora
A layaway plan works at big-box stores, so why not in the transfer market? 25 million now, 25 million later could land Mora. And this something (no surprise) is a crafty left-winger capable of making life miserable for opposing defenses. Whether this something is an out-and-out winger who stretches the x-axis to its limits or an attacking midfielder who starts out wide and drifts into the channels to pressure defenses, Roma needs a legitimate threat to bring balance to Gian Piero Gasperini’s attack.
After swinging and missing on Mason Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, and Antonio Nusa, Roma added an intriguing name to their wishlist over the weekend: Porto's teenage sensation, Rodrigo Mora. A 19-year-old Portuguese attacking midfielder, Mora is a shifty, attacking midfielder with exceptional agility, creativity, and finishing.
However, as with Roma’s previous attacking targets, Mora may simply be too expensive for the Giallorossi’s taste. According to multiple reports, Porto are demanding €50 million for their prized asset, a figure that Roma hasn’t managed to cobble together for any of their previous targets.
To their credit, Roma is blazing creative paths to meet that price tag. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Giallorossi are exploring three packages to acquire Mora: 1) An initial €7-€8M loan with a €42-€43 million purchase clause, 2) €25 million up front, with the remaining €25 million in 2027, and 3) a €25 million purchase with a 50% sell-on clause.
Di Marzio has since updated the story, providing a glimpse into which of those three formulas Porto reportedly prefers: Could this quasi-layaway plan finally be the key to Roma unlocking their attacking riddle? Let’s hope so because THE SEASON STARTS IN TWO WEEKS!!
