Wednesday, 28th May, 2014
AS Roma director of football Walter Sabatini is desperate to avoid selling Kevin Strootman amid strong talk that English giants Manchester United are preparing to bid for the Dutch midfielder.
The Red Devils were linked with the Holland international last summer, but Roma paid €17m to PSV Eindhoven to secure Strootman’s signature and beat the Old Trafford club to the punch.
Strootman is a favourite of Dutch national team coach Louis van Gaal, who will take over the reins at Manchester United after the World Cup, and the new manager is believed to have communicated to the club that he wants Strootman at Old Trafford next season.
Manchester United are prepared to bid over €30m for the 24-year-old combative midfielder and they believe that Van Gaal’s presence at Old Trafford will convince the Dutch midfielder to pack his bags for England.
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But according to Italian daily Leggo, Sabatini, the director of football at Roma, is however determined that the Giallorossi will reject any bid for Strootman and wants him to continue at the Stadio Olimpico next season.
The Dutchman is currently sidelined due to a cruciate ligament injury that he sustained in March this year and any deal to sign him will depend on how quickly he can recover from such a serious injury.
Strootman scored six goals in 29 appearances for Roma this season but will miss out on this year’s World Cup due to the injury.
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