Report: Chiesa Deal Could Include Multiple Players, Including Abraham, Arthur & Zalewski

As we discussed yesterday, things are progressing between Roma and Juventus for Federico Chiesa as the Turin giants attempt to move on from the 26-year-old Italian to make way for Teun Koopmeiners of Atalanta. However, in calcio, it takes more than two to tango, and any hope of a deal hinges on Chiesa wanting to join Roma. It’s reported that the Italian international has reservations about a side not participating in the Champions League. So, only time will tell if conversations with Daniele De Rossi and Paulo Dybala will be enough to convince Chiesa to move south to the Italian capital.

With the Chiesa transfer on standby, the two clubs have reportedly broadened the discussion. Il Tempo reports that multiple names are being discussed on both sides of the aisle. In fact, with the possibility of multiple midfielders leaving the Italian capital this summer, Roma will be seeking more than just Enzo Le Fée to reinforce the center of the park. And the latest name to emerge is Arthur of Juventus.

The 27-year-old Brazilian has been on Juve’s books for the last four seasons after arriving from Barcelona in the summer of 2020. However, he’s spent the last two seasons on loan and isn’t in Tiago Motta’s plans. He had a very solid bounce-back season with Fiorentina last season—contributing two goals and three assists while ranking in the 96th percentile in passing completion percentage in Europe’s big five leagues in just under 2,000 minutes. Juve is said to value him at €20 million.

Meanwhile, Juve is said to be interested in three Giallorossi players and asked for information on Bryan Cristante, Tammy Abraham, and Nicola Zalewski. It’s unlikely that Cristante will move, and no price tag has been bandied about. However, Abraham and Zalewski are said to be more than expendable and are players Roma is keen on cashing in on.

Roma currently values Abraham at €30 million, and Juve views him as an ideal candidate to be a vice Dusan Vlahovic. That’s the kind of cash that Roma could use to bring in a player like Alexander Sørloth to lead the front line next season. Additionally, Juve is interested in winger Zalewski, who has fallen out of favor in Rome and could be used to bring in pure profits as a Primavera graduate. Like Arthur, Zalewski is said to have a price tag of around €20 million.

At the moment, these seem to be initial inquiries outside of the Chiesa negotiations. However, with similar valuations, if both clubs have a strong interest in some of the players mentioned above, swap deals could be possible, so stay tuned in the coming days if these moves become a reality.