Leandro Paredes, who will turn 30 this June 29, is currently searching for the two-time Copa América championship with the Argentine team. However, a call he received in recent days changed the scenario a bit and raised several questions about his future.
As revealed Corriere dello Sport, the two Argentines who are active in Rome received offers to leave the Italian capital team and move to Saudi Arabia. Although Paulo Dybala rejected the offer outright (he also has polls from Manchester United in England), the Italian newspaper warns that The figures that are on the table generated doubts in Leandro Paredes.
The central midfielder, who became a key piece for technical director Daniele De Rossi in the Wolfwould have received contact from his agents to present this proposal, but he asked for time to analyze the situation due to an obvious issue: his head is focused on defending the title with Argentina. “These are the classic proposals that cannot be rejected. Those that happen once in a lifetime and that at 29 years old are worth taking into account”was the reflection of journalist Jacopo Aliprandi in the renowned European newspaper.
Although the season of Giallorossi had ups and downs, finishing in sixth place in Serie A with 63 points – 31 less than the champion Inter –, reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League and being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup at the hands of its classic rival Lazio. The albiceleste midfielder was one of the team’s mainstays. Upon his return to the club after his time at Zenit in Russia, Paris Saint-Germain in France and Juventus in Italy, the player rounded out the season with 5 goals and 7 assists in 49 appearances.
This shocking offer, according to the aforementioned media, also created a dilemma for Leandro Paredes regarding a possible return to Boca Juniors, a club of which he is a fan and where he took his first steps in football and made his debut as a professional.Stay one more year at Roma and then return to Boca free, or spend a couple of years in Arabia before finishing your career at Bombonera? A real dilemma, a knot that will probably be resolved in the coming days, also to give Roma the opportunity to find a replacement for him,” they noted in the article.
It must be taken into account that the Argentine had given an interview days before the Copa América and was clear about his future: “I’m very well, I’m still 29 years old, I have a contract with my club. I live my career day by day. I didn’t promise anything to Román, he was very clear with me, me too. I’m not going to push to go, nor is he going to call me to come back. We know that football is like that, we see how things are going and, when it has to happen, it will happen. I have no doubt that it will happen. My desire is always to want to return.”
Meanwhile, from Italy they are even talking about possible replacements in case he decides to emigrate to Saudi Arabia. The brand new sports director Florent Ghisolfi is considering the American midfielder from Real Betis of Spain as an alternative Johnny Cardosowhile in Daniele De Rossi’s head is the idea of someone similar to Matteo Prati, who after a good season at Spal ended up in Cagliari. “The fact is that now Roma and Leandro find themselves at a crossroads and will have to talk if the midfielder is still tempted,” they warned.
Meanwhile, Leandro Paredes seeks to earn a place in the middle zone of the world champion team in the Copa América United States 2024. The former Chievo Verona started in the debut victory against Canada and did not add minutes in the agonizing victory against Chili. With the ticket to the quarterfinals already secured, the Albiceleste will culminate its participation in Group A by facing Peru this Saturday in Miami.
