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Football

24th Jul 2018

Roma Sporting Director responds to Malcom’s Barcelona move having agreed deal with Bordeaux for player the night before

They had a deal agreed with the player, agent and club, only for Barcelona to swoop in

Reuben Pinder

Roma feel very confused by the situation

AS Roma were convinced that Malcom would be joining them last night, announcing that the transfer would be going ahead subject to a medical that was supposed to take place today.

Barcelona then scuppered the deal, flew the Bordeaux winger to Barcelona today and announced that they had in fact agreed a €41m deal for the player, subject to a medical that will take place tomorrow, on Wednesday 25th July.

Unsurprisingly, the Sporting Director of AS Roma, Monchi, is disappointed and confused by the news that a deal he thought was done was spoiled at the last minute by an approach from Barça.

“What happened with Malcom is easy to explain but hard to understand as we’d found an agreement with the agent, the player and Bordeaux,” he said.

“I informed our president [when things changed] and he asked me to push forward and make a new offer that was better than Barça’s,” he continued.

“Palotta [Roma owner] made the decision to make the best offer possible but when the negotiation became an auction we decided to withdraw.

“If someone wants to come to Roma, that’s great, but ultimately if they do not want to come then we don’t want them,” Monchi added.

Monchi then concluded his statement by promising Roma fans that he is working hardto bring players even better than Malcom to the Stadio Olympico.