Newcastle United have reportedly been rebuffed in their attempts to sign playmaker Lorenzo Pellegrini, with AS Roma knocking back their €60 million offer.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Newcastle United have been dealt a fresh setback in their pursuit of Italian playmaker Lorenzo Pellegrini. The Magpies had fancied the AS Roma captain as an ideal candidate in Eddie Howe’s bid to add more quality and creativity to the midfield department.
Newcastle had even followed up their interest by tabling a blockbuster €60 million bid for the 25-year-old Italian international. However, it appears AS Roma promptly knocked back their offer for the creative midfielder and are keen on keeping him beyond the summer.
In fact, the Giallorossi have made it clear that they will not entertain any more bids from suitors for their captain since Pellegrini has not been put up for sale. The Italian international seems to be a centre-piece of the club’s long-term project and one of the pillars of Jose Mourinho’s side.
An academy graduate of the Roma setup, Pellegrini has blossomed into one of the best midfielders in Serie A since rejoining the Giallorossi from Sassuolo in the summer of 2017. And it is safe to say he has quickly becoming a cult hero among Roma fans, having recently led the club to their first-ever European title, the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The Roma captain has just enjoyed his most productive campaign yet in the Italian capital. Pellegrini played a pivotal part in Roma’s success last season and was directly involved in 22 goals from 41 appearances across all competitions (14 goals, 8 assists).
He is already the club captain at the age of 25, and his commitment remains with Roma, having penned a fresh contract with the club until June 2026 last year. Pellegrini is also currently part of Roberto Mancini’s Italy squad for this year’s UEFA Nations League, where he has scored in back-to-back games against Germany and Hungary, respectively.
Needless to say, Pellegrini’s goalscoring exploits and tidy midfield displays have not gone unnoticed, with several top clubs across Europe interested in a move for the attacking midfielder. And rightly so; the 25-year-old would be a stellar addition to any team. But it looks like Newcastle are taking the initiative to make the first move, right under the noses of other clubs.
Signing Pellegrini would have been a huge statement from Newcastle at €60 million and could have been a game-changer. A creative maestro, the Italian international loves to dictate the tempo of the game from the middle of the park and has an exceptional passing ability.
Pellegrini’s versatility could also be a handy tool for Newcastle as he has the ability to find pockets of spaces, initiate passing patterns to carve open opposition defences, as well as chip in with important goals himself. A midfield trio of Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Pellegrini would have been a perfect mix of industry, robustness, creativity and ball-playing quality.
But it was not to be for Newcastle, who will now have to look elsewhere for a creative midfield addition. Incidentally, Pellegrini is not the only Roma player on the Magpies’ radar, as it was reported in Italy that Newcastle tried to sign Nicolo Zaniolo. But neither Zaniolo nor Pellegrini looks likely to join Newcastle this summer.
