Roma prepared to send Tsimikas back to Liverpool

According to TUTTO mercato WEB, Liverpool loanee Tsimikas is not part of the Giallorossi’s plans for the second part of the campaign so the Serie A side are ready to send the Greek defender back to Liverpool.

Gian Piero Gasperini finally found his centre-forward last night. After months of waiting and just one training session, the Roma coach wasted no time in naming Donyell Malen in the starting line-up for the clash against Torino. The Giallorossi manager had already expressed his full satisfaction with the signing at the previous day's press conference: "I like him a lot. In Holland, he plays as a starter, not like Zirkzee." He delivered these words with a broad smile, and yesterday we saw why: Malen scored one goal and had another disallowed by just a few centimetres in the first half. Most notably, he showed promising understanding with Paulo Dybala, who arguably produced one of his best performances of the season. "This deal was made possible thanks to Ryan Friedkin's presence here," Gasperini pointed out, adding that he is now looking for reinforcements on the left flank.

Kostas Tsimikas, who arrived on loan from Liverpool in the summer, is no longer part of Roma's plans. The capital club can terminate the loan and send the player back to the Premier League, as he has failed to break into Gasperini's rotation. The Greek full-back has been labelled a failed signing, leaving Roma without a natural left-back for weeks. This situation arose after Angelino was sidelined in late September with severe asthmatic bronchitis; he remains weakened, and there is no timeline for his return.

Frederic Massara has turned his attention in recent weeks to Niccolò Fortini, the 2006-born talent from Fiorentina. Roma has already submitted an offer of €8 million, but the Viola consider this too low and are demanding €15 million -- or at least €12 million plus add-ons. Having played just over 500 minutes in his debut Serie A season, the young Viola full-back is the primary target for the Giallorossi director of football.