Roma are facing a dilemma with their star striker Edin Džeko. The Bosnian has reportedly fallen out with Head Coach Paulo Fonseca. Now, the club has a decision to make about this uneasy situation.
Roma Face Dilemma With Edin Džeko Situation
The Departure of Team Manager Gianluca Gombar
The former Manchester City forward reportedly confronted Roma boss Paulo Fonseca over the departure of team manager Gianluca Gombar on Monday. The decision to fire Gombar over the making six substitutions error was reportedly highly unpopular among the Roma squad.
Rumours suggest there was a confrontation between the players and the coaching staff regarding this on Monday which delayed the start of the training session. Although the recent events have escalated the problem, the issue between Džeko and Fonseca is not exactly new.
A Problem Brewing for a While
It is not clear when and where the issues started between Džeko and Fonseca. However, the Bosnian was reportedly unimpressed with Fonseca’s tactics in the Europa League Round of 16 match against Sevilla last season. The Giallorossi were soundly beaten 2-0 by the Spaniards.
Afterwards, it seemed quite certain that Džeko would leave the club. A deal with Juventus was reportedly very close with Arkadiusz Milik seemed set to replace him at Roma. However, the chips did not fall in place and Juventus ended up signing Alvaro Morata.
Džeko stayed on and kept the captaincy as well. One cannot help but wonder how happy he was to remain at Roma after a transfer seemed almost certain. Recent events have definitely made those issues worse.
When asked about Dzeko’s absence from the squad in the last game, Fonseca said: “I understand the curiosity you have, but I don’t want to say anything else, I already talked about this yesterday, I don’t want to say anything more. The important thing is what we did here today, a great victory for the team.”
Possible Scenarios for Edin Džeko and Roma
AS Roma really are facing a dilemma with Edin Džeko. Selling Džeko looks like a possibility they are exploring at this stage. However, finding a buyer willing to take on the high wages of a 35-year-old striker with just a few days left in the January Transfer Window is tricky. Inter Milan and Juventus seem unlikely to make a move for Džeko this month. A deal with Premier League clubs like West Ham United is theoretically possible but will the Bosnian accept a move back to England?
As a backup, Dzeko could provide value to most teams but it is unlikely that he will agree to such a scenario. Besides, Roma cannot move ahead with only Borja Mayoral as an out and out striker in their ranks. Despite Dzeko having an average season so far with seven goals, the lack of options at this late stage might just force Roma’s hands in keeping him.
Hence, reaching a compromise to get to the end of the season is possibly the best solution for all involved. It will be quite interesting to see how things unfold that is for sure.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
