How Friedkin's Roma are highest spenders this summer
Roma have had an impressive start to the summer transfer window, securing deals with Juventus and Rennes for Matias Soule and Enzo Le Fee, respectively.
The club is also in advanced negotiations with Girona for Artem Dovbyk. These moves are pushing Roma‘s summer expenditure close to the $108 million mark, a significant turnaround from the financial constraints they faced just a year ago.
Over the past few seasons, the Giallorossi have been heavily impacted by Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
It forced the club to balance their books by raising more money than they could spend in transfer windows. This significantly hampered their ability to compete in the transfer market, leaving them with limited options to strengthen their squad.
But the Serie A club’s financial health has seen a remarkable improvement.
According to figures from Calciomercato, Roma closed the most recent financial year with losses of $125.5 million; a significant reduction from the $249 million lost the previous year.
This improvement is a result of several strategic moves aimed at reducing the wage bill and increasing revenues.
Strategic player departures
One of the critical strategies Roma employed was offloading high-earning players. The departure of Romelu Lukaku, who earned $7.6 million during his loan spell, significantly reduced the wage bill.
Additionally, the exits of players like Rui Patricio, Leonardo Spinazzola, Renato Sanches, Diego Llorente, Rasmus Kristiansen, and Houssem Aouar, who collectively saved the club around $54 million per season in wages, have been pivotal.
For instance, Lukaku’s departure alone saved the club $7.6 million, while Patricio and Spinazzola each contributed to a saving of $3.2 million per season.
Sanches’ exit further reduced the wage bill by $3.9 million, with Llorente, Kristiansen, and Aouar collectively saving $7.2 million. These strategic exits have not only provided immediate financial relief but have also created room for new signings.
Revenue from player sales
In addition to reducing wages, the Roma-based side have also generated substantial revenue from player sales.
The permanent departures of Houssem Aouar and Andrea Belotti brought in at least $17.4 million in transfer fees.
Moreover, Riccardo Calafiori‘s move to Arsenal added another $8.7 million to the club’s coffers. There are also potential sales of Tammy Abraham and Nicola Zalewski, which could bring in a further $32.6 million, significantly boosting the club’s financial position.
With the financial leeway created by these measures, the US-owned team are now in a strong position to invest in new talent.
The acquisitions of Matias Soule and Enzo Le Fee are indicative of the club’s ambitious plans for the future.
Furthermore, the potential signing of Artem Dovbyk from Girona could be another crucial addition, as the club aims to build a competitive squad for the upcoming season.
In addition, the Stadio Olimpico outfit has finalized the transfer of Samuel Dahl. The club agreed to pay Djurgarden about $4.3 million for the 21-year-old full-back, with an additional $2.1 million in add-ons.
Photo credit: IMAGO / PanoramiC