Roma President James Pallotta told clubs to forget about Kevin Strootman and Miralem Pjanic, then continued the Lazio feud.
The Bostonian spoke to the Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview, covering issues such as transfer speculation, the Champions League debacle with Bayern Munich and plans for the new stadium.
He also discussed the on-going transfer speculation in Britain about Manchester United trying to sign Dutch international Strootman.
“I do get annoyed. I think the papers have finally given up on the Strootman thing, because Kevin’s come out and addressed it, saying he likes it in Italy and he has a five-year contract. And by the way, I wasn’t going to sell him anyway!
“The Liverpool thing with Pjanic is the same. We have another four years with him, and we love him.”
Nonetheless, Pallotta did leave a door open in case there is a ‘mad’ proposal.
“We want to put the best team on the pitch, that’s the most important thing. But we’re businessmen. If someone comes in with a stupid number for a player, you have to listen to it. You can’t just say no, no matter what.
“My view is that I don’t want Kevin to go, for example, but if someone offers a huge amount, you at least have to listen to them.
“You’re running a team, so you have to look at what’s best for everyone, not just one individual. That’s the way the world works.”
The President added that Roma have not “played anywhere near our capabilities so far. A lot of that is injuries and so many new guys. They just need some time. We’ve a really strong group and some really strong young players, too.”
The most worrying injury was to Leandro Castan, who had brain surgery to remove a cavernoma – an abnormal cluster of blood vessels that had started bleeding.
“The thing I’ve been most thankful about this year is Leandro Castan. Early on, we were concerned when they found this spot, they didn’t know if it was a tumour, was it cancer, but the operation was very successful.
“OK, he’s out for the year, but some things are more important than where we are in the standings. Some people might disagree, but I think most wouldn’t.”
Finally, Pallotta was asked about his on-going bitter row with Lazio President Claudio Lotito, which culminated in a series of increasingly vicious statements yesterday.
“Do I speak to Lotito? No. He has a very different view as to how things should be run. I just think he does things to keep his power base rather than thinking about what’s best for the league.
“I’m sure he has a very different opinion about that than me, but you know, actions speak louder than words.”
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