Manchester City are set to battle it out with Premier League rivals Chelsea for the signing of AS Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar.
Mile Svilar, 25, is refusing to extend his contract at AS Roma, with negotiations over fresh terms having reached an impasse due to the demands from the player’s camp. It is claimed that the Serbian goalkeeper is asking for a salary worth €4 million per season, which AS Roma are unwilling to accept.
While the Giallorossi have improved under Claudio Ranieri’s tutelage, Roma could still miss out on European football. They will have to trim the wage bill should Ranieri’s side fail to qualify for Europe next season, and that is one of the reasons why they are reluctant to agree to Svilar’s demands.
Thus, the Roma contract rebel has put several clubs across Europe on red alert. Premier League duo Manchester City and Chelsea are reportedly keen to take advantage of the situation and sign Svilar, who is not happy with Roma’s latest contract offer. Bayern Munich and AS Monaco are also keeping tabs on the 25-year-old’s situation in Rome.
Manchester City set to go toe-to-toe with Chelsea for Mile Svilar
Man City are eyeing a new goalkeeper ahead of the 2025/26 season. Ederson was close to leaving for the Saudi Pro League last summer, with Al-Ittihad and Al-Nasser showing the most interest in him. He received big-money offers from the Saudi clubs, but a conversation with Pep Guardiola convinced him to stay at the Etihad Stadium.
However, Ederson is expected to leave City at the end of the campaign and the club chiefs want Svilar to replace the Brazilian. At 25, the Roma glovesman is at the perfect age to potentially replace Ederson for the long run.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s goalkeeping department has been a mess all season long. There are no second thoughts about them want an upgrade on the error-strewn Robert Sanchez. The Spaniard was reinstated as the No.1 before the international break and he looked shaky in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal. His deputy, Filip Jorgensen, has not pulled up trees either, which makes the signing of a new goalkeeper sense.
Svilar would be an upgrade on Sanchez whilst compete with Jorgensen for the No.1 spot at Stamford Bridge next season if he signs. The former Benfica man has gained valuable experience in recent years playing in Europe, and at 25, he looks ready to make the step up in his career.
That being said, it will be interesting to watch who wins the race for Svilar’s signature or he actually pens an extension with Roma.a
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
