Roma must get Wolves and Premier League target Eldor Shomurodov off the books before Jose Mourinho can bring Andrea Belotti to the Serie A giants, as reported by Sky Sports Italia.
Having reached an agreement on a three-year deal worth £45,000-a-week at the Stadio Olimpico, former Torino captain Belotti now has little choice but to bide his time and wait for his moment.
The Italy international will be a Roma player at some point. But the Giallorossi must find a way to remove another forward from the wage bill before Belotti can be officially confirmed as a member of Mourinho’s Conference League-winning squad.
That is according to Sky Italia anyway, insisting that Belotti will only arrive once Shomurodov is out the door.
The explosive Uzbek only joined Roma in a £15 million deal 12 months ago. But, after finding the net a grand total of five times in 40 games across all competitions, Shomurodov looks set to be on the move again with Belotti – scorer of 100 goals in 232 Serie A games for Torino – viewed as an immediate upgrade.
Will Wolves sign Eldor Shomurodov from Roma?
Per Gianluca di Marzio, Wolverhampton Wanderers have emerged as a potential destination for Shomurodov.
Wolves’ bark proved to be far worse than their bite in 2021/22, with only three teams in the Premier League scoring fewer goals. News of Raul Jimenez’s knee injury, then, could hardly have come at a worse time with Patrick Cutrone and Leo Bonatini now the only centre-forwards at Lage’s disposal ahead of Saturday’s opening day trip to Leeds United.
And Shomurodov, scorer of 31 goals in 57 international caps, looks a risk worth taking at a potential £7 million. Roma are willing to let the former Genoa man leave on loan, albeit with an obligation-to-buy clause included in his contract.
“I am unhappy with my (playing) time at Roma. I want to play more,” Shomurodov admitted in March. “What is my relationship with Mourinho? Good. Maybe not the same as before, but still good.
“I have a contract with the club. If I play more, I will stay. However, I no longer have the desire to sit on the bench.”
Shomurodov’s agent, meanwhile, admits that the 27-year-old missed last weekend’s friendly clash with Tottenham amid ongoing transfer talks (Soccer RU).
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