Issa Doumbia, a midfielder who recently played for Venezia in Serie B, has transferred to Sporting Lisbona after attracting interest from multiple Italian clubs. His agent, Cheikh Fall, revealed that Roma were actively pursuing the player but their interest waned following the departure of Massara. Fall stated in an interview: "The Lazio never made offers. Milan made only a survey as did Napoli and Juventus. Cremonese moved concretely last summer, Fiorentina with Paratici tried in January and this summer too. Roma was also insistently on his tracks, at least as long as Massara was there. But, I repeat, no one wanted him like Sporting did."
Other clubs reportedly in contention included an unnamed important Portuguese side, two Premier League teams, and a top-flight Spanish club. Fall explained that Doumbia chose Sporting because the club offered the best conditions for his continued development. "We were looking for a team where the boy could continue his growth process after Albinoleffe and Venezia," Fall said. "After his last season in Serie B, several important teams presented themselves, but Sporting moved first and better than other teams. They looked for him for a long time, courting him already from January."
Doumbia's move represents a significant miss for Roma's recruitment efforts, particularly given the club's evolving administrative structure following recent management changes.
Testo Originale / Source Text
“Le sue parole: ""Cercavamo una squadra dove il ragazzo potesse proseguire il suo processo di crescita dopo Albinoleffe e Venezia" Redazione 18 giugno - 15:12 Ecco D'Amico: il nuovo braccio destro di Gasperini Cheikh Fall, agente di Issa Doumbia, ha rilasciato un'intervista ai microfoni di…”
Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.
