What Signing a Striker Like Zlatan Ibrahimovic Would Mean for AS Roma

For a moment, it was the story on every calcio fan's lips. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was unhappy at Paris Saint-Germain and Roma were on the cusp of bringing him back to Serie A.

The Corriere dello Sport's Roberto Maida, here in Italian, called it "a splendid suggestion, an incredible idea" while reporting on the rumour, outlining the financial difficulties and the fact that the club told the Italian press that it wasn't "an elephant's graveyard" where ageing footballers might find a comfortable semi-retirement. 

The player has since played down the link, and the fact that his agent Mino Raiola has never been shy about using gossip in the media for his own devices shouldn't be forgotten.

But regardless of the story's veracity, the fact that Roma were even mentioned as a possible destination for Ibra speaks volumes about the Italian club's recent renaissance. 

It was only a few years ago that the Giallorossi were gambling on busted flushes like the once-imperious Adriano in a desperate attempt to stop the rot at the Olimpico. Of course, by the time the Brazilian arrived in the Italian capital, the only thing impressive about him was his waistline—and the fact that his agent secured him a salary of €5 million. 

Things have been changing at a breakneck pace in the Italian capital since the American takeover in 2011.

The squad is now brimming with talent—thanks largely to the shrewd appointment of Walter Sabatini as director of football—and these days, when the Lupi are linked to stars, it's usually those on the rise rather than on the wane. 

Players such as Miralem Pjanic, Adem Ljajic, Radja Nainggolan and Kevin Strootman have all found a fertile environment for their development at the Olimpico. Gervinho looks like a man reborn, and after short stints at Roma, Marquinhos, Erik Lamela and Mehdi Benatia all commanded huge transfer sums based on their form with the club. 

Allowing talent the time and space to mature has been key to Roma's market strategy. Money has been spent—Juan Iturbe was hardly cheap at €22 million—but the focus has been in long-term investment as a means to negate the restrictions involved in compete with the modern game's petrodollar-fuelled elite.

If there's one area where they might deviate from that path and go all in on a short-term solution, however, it's up front.

Rudi Garcia's side hasn't been goal-shy, but the whole squad has been sharing the responsibility in front of goal—Ljajic is top scorer with six this season—and it's incredibly tempting to think what they might do with an experienced, world-class striker. 

Mattia Destro is sometimes unfairly criticised for not being the goal machine that Roma need, but despite being an Italy international, the 23-year-old is still in need of time to develop fully.

The former Siena star has obvious potential—both Arsenal and Chelsea are rumoured to be willing to pay £20 million for him, after all—but as the Giallorossi push for their first Serie A title since 2001, he might not be the right fit at the Olimpico right now. 

And that's what makes the recent Ibrahimovic link so interesting. Putting aside the fact that the Swede earns around €15 million a year, having such a mercurial talent at the front of such an attacking, talented team is a tantalising prospect.

And it's a thought that should encourage plenty of nostalgia among Romanisti because the last time the club signed an ageing world-class striker as the finishing touch to an already brilliant team, they won the league. 

Gabriel Batistuta was a legend at their rivals Fiorentina, but thanks to the 20 goals he scored in 2000-01 under Fabio Capello, alongside Francesco Totti and Vincenzo Montella, he is still a hero at the Olimpico, too.

His time with Roma was short, but he was exactly what they needed when Franco Sensi parted with an astonishing 70 billion Lire—more than €36 million today—a fee that remains the most ever paid for a player in his 30s, but one that's still considered a bargain in Rome, given the outcome. 

Roma don't need to break the bank on a forward, but the Ibrahimovic hearsay has sparked the imagination. The Giallorossi's squad is almost perfect; it lacks only a few finishing touches. 

More than anything, they need a forward who has the ability to change games and grab precious points in even the most undeserving of circumstances.

And though that might not come cheap, or be the best solution long term, it's hard to argue that the coveted Scudetto wouldn't be all the closer for having a ruthless finisher to complement the creativity of Pjanic and Totti.

Who do you think Roma should sign this January? Let me know on Twitter, @ColliOBrien. 

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