No Traction in Possible Swap Between Milan and Roma | OneFootball

Milan and Roma anticipated swapping Tammy Abraham and Alexis Saelemaekers permanently down the road when they originally agreed to two loans last summer, but the double deal is currently dead in the water, Matteo Moretto reports (via OneFootball).

The parties need to haggle since there are no options to buy. The spells haven’t gone as expected, as the winger has severely outplayed the striker, affecting their valuations. Moreover, the center-forward’s salary is a tad too rich for the Rossoneri.

Milan and Roma, especially at the ownership level, had a verbal agreement on a €25M price tag for Abraham and a €15M one for Saelemaekers. The tables have turned during the season. Moreover, the Giallorossi CEO Lina Souloukou has stepped down, while the counterparty is currently searching for a new sporting director.

The operation will start from scratch. The Belgian international would like to stay put as he’s been comfortable in the Italian capital. The Rossoneri had some contacts to ask the forward to reduce his salary, but they have only been exploratory so far. He’s been fine as a super-sub in the last few matches.

Our Take on Milan, Roma, Saelemaekers, and Abraham

La Lupa should make an effort to retain their loanee no matter what. It’s tough to find players who combine versatility, pace, and technique so well. He has clearly taken his game to another level in the past two campaigns. The Englishman is okay in his current role, but he’s too pricey for it. It’s a problem that he has actually outplayed Santiago Gimenez in the past month, but it’s probably just a matter of adaptation and chemistry.