Petrachi discusses transfer market and more

On Monday afternoon the club's sporting director Gianluca Petrachi accompanied Leonardo Spinazzola as the defender was formally presented to the media - and also took a few questions himself.

Petrachi was asked about a number of transfer reports; including the club's ongoing targets, the status of a number of players currently at the club, and his approach to the rest of the transfer window.

Read what the sporting director had to say on all those matters...

How are talks going to sign Gianluca Mancini, Toby Alderweireld and Jordan Veretout?

“I'd rather not talk about individuals, only areas of the pitch in general. With [Kostas] Manolas and [Ivan] Marcano leaving, we need to sign two centre-backs for the coach. We know exactly what we're looking for and hopefully we'll be able to make some announcements soon, but I don't think it's right to talk about individual situations.”

Will Javier Pastore and Steven Nzonzi remain at Roma?

“The coach has been very clear in that he's asked us to let him take a look at everyone and then decide who he'd like to work with. He hasn't worked in Italy before, so he hasn't had the chance to build up detailed knowledge of all the players. We'll draw some conclusions after the first two weeks of training in Trigoria.”

Has any progress been made in talks for Edin Dzeko to join Inter? Or Gonzalo Higuain?

“I'm not going to talk about individuals. I don't like talking about what I'm doing, or giving anyone any advantages. The only people I speak to are those who have to make decisions regarding costs, namely our chief executive Guido Fienga. I can talk about positions and tell you that we'll bring in a midfielder, but I'll let the papers give you the names.”

There's a lot of talk at the moment about the future of players like Alessandro Florenzi and Nicolo Zaniolo. Can you confirm whether they'll be staying at Roma?

“I'll take this opportunity to tell you what I think. When I ticked off Zaniolo during my press conference, I did so as a father would to his son, to remind him of certain things that professional footballers must do, should they apply to him. Afterwards, it was said that I'd put him up for sale but that's not true at all. My job is not just buying and selling players. I work on the pitch and I'm in close contact with the players. Sometimes people concoct these situations from a single comment... I understand the need to sell newspapers but I never put Zaniolo up for sale. Lots of things can happen in the transfer window but if the question is 'Is Zaniolo for sale?' then the answer is 'No, he's not.' Of course, in football as in life you have to be capable of weighing everything up. I want to be clear and honest about this.

“In that same press conference, I said [Franco] Baldini could be a resource for Roma and for me. I want to be clear on this too: If I'm holding talks, for a player like Alderweireld for example, and I know that Franco Baldini worked at Tottenham for several years, is in excellent relations with their management and can help Roma get him and save the club some money, obviously I'm going to take his help. But if people then say that Baldini decides Roma's transfers, they're completely wrong. It's a misconception that a lot of people are playing with and I don't like misconceptions. I'd like it to be clear to everyone that Franco is a source of help for Roma. I'll close this matter now and hopefully won't have to open it ever again.

“As for Florenzi, I've never put him up for sale. We know the transfer window is open and offers can come in but we know very well who the mainstays of this team are.”

How many midfielders are you looking to bring in?

“It's easy to buy players but a sporting director must also be good at selling players who don't feature in the club's plans. Should we decide that certain players are not a part of our plans, then we'll accompany them out the door. If we're then able to give a chance to some promising youngsters, I'll be happy to do so.”

Should we expect there to be lots of changes to the current squad? Which area of the pitch will your next signing be in?

“I hope it will be a defender. We have Juan Jesus, [Federico] Fazio and two have left. If we play four at the back, we need four or five centre-backs. We'll definitely send [Elio] Capradossi out on loan to get some experience. The coach is trying out [Aleksandar] Kolarov in central defence but it's not his natural position.

“Let's see how how these two weeks go and let the coach get to know the players. I do like the idea of making changes because new players help rekindle desire, enthusiasm and competition. [Leonardo] Spinazzola has shown tremendous enthusiasm and desire. If there are players who aren't happy, I'd like to be able to help them move on but you have to factor in prices and salaries too. All in good time. We have some areas to work on and we're working well, aware that we could make changes. There's an air of change at the club and I hope you'll see the results.”

Can the fans expect to see a marquee signing?

“The coach has given us some guidelines. I'm not going to say we'll make a sensational signing. We just need to get on with our work quietly and calmly. We'll take stock once the transfer window closes, then we'll be judged by our results. Often when you have big expectations, you end up disappointed, while pessimism can be blown away. I'm not making any promises but I hope that when the season starts the fans will see a different Roma.”

Petrachi closed the press conference with some words of support for Sinisa Mihajlovic...

"I worked with Mihajlovic for a year and a half and he's an extraordinary, genuine person, besides being a great coach. He had the courage to hold a press conference and speak on behalf of – and give strength to – lots of people who are suffering. That just shows you the sort of person he is. I'm sure he'll win this battle and I wish him all the best.”