Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini has rejected approaches from Liverpool and Arsenal in order to stay loyal to the Serie A side, according to reports in the Italian media.
The 24-year-old currently has a €30m (£26m) buyout clause in his contract, but it is believed that the Italian international may sign a new deal that will remove the release fee.
Considering Pellegrini will be playing for a team who finished outside of the European places last season, fans on Twitter are surprised that he wouldn’t be interested in a switch to Anfield:
Out of all the midfield targets, he's the one that I like the most. We should try again…
— THIAGO ? Mistakenly… (@MukhtarJibril10) June 4, 2021
So he doesn't want tropies ever okay got it lol
— Arne Magnus Lundby (@ArneMagnus) June 5, 2021
Mourinho and development in the same sentence. I feel sorry for the lad.
— Gareth Hargreaves* (@GHargreaves1168) June 5, 2021
Again…. who???
— Ethan (@ethan27d) June 5, 2021
LOL. Has he even been paying attention to Jose Mourinho's *actual* recent developments? pic.twitter.com/gc4xzwIXCC
— Trump & GOP support the 1/6 U.S. Capitol attack. (@HyperDF) June 4, 2021
He has that versatility and leadership too. Although most commonly deployed as a roving number 10, he is also at home out on either wing or as a deep-lying playmaker. He even interpreted the “False 9” role too.
If could be great option. Will give us more creativity from midfield.— kazoorice (@wearewinnin) June 4, 2021
Do he even know who Mourinho is? Poor kid
— YK (@YungKenReds) June 4, 2021
As some supporters mention, he may have a change of heart very soon when Jose Mourinho arrives at the Stadio Olimpico. The Portuguese manager is unforgiving with young players and he is already expected to bring in more experienced midfielders to help him.
Both Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka and Manchester United’s Nemanja Matic are thought to be targets so Pellegrini could see his first-team place come under threat.