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Monchi is headed for a second dreadful transfer window with Roma

Monchi is headed for a second dreadful transfer window with Roma

  • Matthew Klimberg (@KlimbergCalcio)
Roma is in the midst of a epic free fall. Since defeating rival Lazio in mid-November, the Giallorossi have won just two league matches over the following two-and-a-half months, and have slipped out of a Champions League spot in Serie A. 

Much blame has been attributed to new manager Eusebio di Francesco, who has stuck with a 4-3-3 lineup despite outside assertions he doesn’t have the proper players for that system. Additionally, as evidenced by Sunday’s home loss to Sampdoria, his in-match substitutions have raised eyebrows.

However, blaming the horrendous form entirely on di Francesco is unfair to the Italian. As mentioned above, he doesn’t necessarily have the proper players to play in the system that he made clear he’d bring to Roma.

Blame must also fall on Monchi, the sporting director who arrived with great fanfare from Sevilla. His first official move with the club was to tell legend Francesco Totti that it was time to retire. His second move was to sell superstar Mohamed Salah at a cut-rate fee of 30 million euros.

The rest of his summer moves - the first transfer window of his tenure in the Eternal City – have raise eyebrows among fans and pundits. Between Gregoire Defrel, Cengiz Under, Maxime Gonalons, and Patrik Schick (who is scheduled to become the most expensive transfer in Roma history) the group has only scored one goal this season (a garbage time Schick goal against Torino in Coppa Italia). Both Schick and Rick Karsdorp have missed significant time with injuries as well. Did you guys remember that Hector Moreno is on the roster?

Only Aleksandar Kolarov has been a success, with the jury on Lorenzo Pellegrini’s return still out.

Now, with the sale of Emerson and failed attempt at including Edin Dzeko in the deal, Monchi’s second transfer window is looking even more miserable than his first. His two mandates were to find a right back to spell Alessandro Florenzi, and get rid of Bruno Peres - the right back whose miserable play has forced Florenzi to play in the back. 

At the moment his only moves have been to sell Emerson and depth centerback Leandro Castan. He’s rumored to be working on a deal to send Bruno Peres to Genoa, but that has a long way to go with the transfer deadline just hours away.

With social media clamoring for di Francesco to be fired, should Roma’s struggles continue, it’s only a matter of time before their sights are set on the Spaniard.