Roma's Monchi Says No Alisson Offers Amid Chelsea, Liverpool Transfer Rumours
July 10, 2018
Roma's director of football Monchi has said the club have yet to receive any offers for goalkeeper Alisson despite continued speculation surrounding his future.
The goalkeeper was one of the standout performers for the Giallorossi in Serie A last season. Rumours of a big-money move have come about as a result, although Monchi said the club are yet to receive any serious bids, per FourFourTwo.
"He has the same chance of staying as all the other players we have not received any offers for," he added. "If one arrives, we will study it and make a decision. We are working out when he will return to training after his post-World Cup holiday; ready to do even better than he did last season for us."
As noted in the report, Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid have all been mentioned as potential suitors for the Brazil international.
Alisson was part of the Brazil squad at the recent FIFA World Cup. In the main his tournament was an uneventful one, as he was well protected up until the quarter-final loss to Belgium; in that 2-1 defeat the Roma man could do little about the two goals his side conceded.
Per Martin Laurence of WhoScored.com, ahead of the Belgium game the Roma man didn't have much to do:
There's a reason why so many illustrious clubs have been linked with the stopper, though, as he has blossomed into one of the game's standout goalkeepers.
Taking over from Wojciech Szczesny as Roma's No. 1, Alisson has shown all the qualities you would want from a modern-day goalkeeper. Crucially, at Roma he has been a tremendous shot-stopper, making big saves at crucial moments for his team in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League.
As these figures illustrate, the Brazilian showcased his goalkeeping skills on the biggest stage in club football:
Alisson's distribution sets him apart from others too. While there are occasional moments when Alisson makes supporters twitch, he's composed with the ball at his feet and is economical in the way he passes to team-mates.
Per Italian football writer David Amoyal, for a manager that likes to see his team build from the back, Alisson is the perfect man to have at the base of the team:
Roma made progress last season, making it into the semi-finals of the Champions League and qualifying for the competition again by finishing third. With that in mind, they're in a good position to hang on to Alisson if they do decide to dig their heels in.
Even so, down the years the capital club have shown they're happy to cash in on their best players if the price is right, and the teams linked with the goalkeeper all have the financial muscle to test Roma's resolve.