For the last few years AS Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi has been linked to Spanish giants Real Madrid; nothing of which has changed under Jose Mourinho, who is happy to continually declare his desire for an additional hard-working central midfielder, to play alongside Xabi Alonso in the heart of the park.
Sami Khedira, Fernando Gago and Lassana Diarra all possess a great deal of quality, although Mourinho has been unconvinced by the trio’s performances in recent months, resulting in the De Rossi links emerging yet again.
Having also been linked with ambitious moves for Arsenal’s Barcelona bound Cesc Fabregas and Bayern Munich’s Bastian Schweinsteiger; Real seem unlikely to land either of the two players for obvious reasons.
Il Capitano Futuro
De Rossi, who has been with the Lupi since the tender age of 17, has forever been touted as ‘Il Capitano Futuro’ (the future captain) of the club, and for this reason and more, he is not the man to solve Mourinho’s problems in midfield, nor would he be an addition to play a significant role in bringing silverware to the club.
Despite being valued at €25m – the cheapest of Madrid’s options at present, there are a few key reasons why Los Merengues should drop their interest in their long-term Italian target.
Lack of big game experience
The Giallorossi may be regarded as one of Italy’s best clubs, however De Rossi is yet to win a major piece of silverware in his time at club level. Two Coppa Italia titles and a couple of quarter finals appearances in the Uefa Champions League is all he has next to his name – facts that will not work in his favour. Ultimately, winning the Champions League is Mourinho’s goal at Madrid, meaning he will want a new star addition to have, at the very least, some big game experience in the latter stages of that competition.
Roma for life
Similar to their reported pursuits for current Roma skipper Francesco Totti over the past five or six years, attempting to lure ‘Il Capitano Futuro’ away from the Stadio Olimpico will be a near impossible task now and in the future, as the 27-year-old is destined to be at Roma for life. Despite yet another inconsistent recent campaign, De Rossi is one of the Giallorossi’s most prized assets, and the club’s new American owners will therefore do everything within their power to keep hold of him. Additionally his father Alberto De Rossi, who is coach of the Roman’s youth side, has continually affirmed that his son will never leave the Italian capital.
Temperamental inconsistency
The 27-year-old’s will and endeavour cannot ever be question, as he plays with his heart on his sleeve every time he takes to the pitch. He is one of Italy and Roma’s most passionate players, which sometimes is unfortunately his downfall, as his temper undoubtedly has had an effect on his consistency. Continually being booked for rash challenges and sent off for controversial spats, this is an area of his game that De Rossi must mend, irrespective of whether he plays for Roma, Real Madrid or whomever in the future. Additionally, last term in particular, he was often outplayed and outsmarted by a number of opposing midfields in Serie A, at times looking disinterested, which consequently caused his reputation as one of the world’s best to diminish.
So the question begs, where else should Real Madrid turn their attention? With De Rossi seemingly not a suitable addition, perhaps a move for the more attacking Javier Pastore from Palermo could be an option? Or maybe a swoop for Juventus duo Momo Sissoko or Felipe Melo – both of whom are likely to leave Turin this summer?
Who should Real Madrid sign to bolster their midfield this summer?
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