Roma: We could have signed Olivier Giroud
His name? Olivier Giroud, who ended up crossing town and remaining with Chelsea.
The Frenchman was, sporting director Monchi has revealed, not considered prestigious enough to replace the Bosnian, who netted 29 Serie A goals last season and was seen as being a key player in the Italian capital.
“We would have signed another important player, perhaps Giroud, because otherwise the fans would have been really unhappy,” Monchi admitted.
The Spaniard told Sky Italia that: "The English club never met our financial demands so the deal was never closed.
“No club are happy to sell their best players, but if a good offer arrives, it’s important to evaluate it.”
Giroud’s move has raised some eyebrows, since he wasn’t a starter at Arsenal in the last season-and-a-half. He has yet to score for his new club, but came up with an assist in the 3-0 win over WBA on Monday.