Roma issue De Rossi ultimatum

By Football Italia staff

Roma have reportedly issued Daniele De Rossi with an ultimatum - sign the contract they have offered before the end of January.

Midfielder De Rossi has been in contract talks with the club’s latest hierarchy since the summer but has so far failed to come to an agreement to extend his current deal that expires in 2012. The sticking point has long thought to be the player’s high wage demands.

The Giallorossi are believed to have offered De Rossi a compromise, paying a basic wage closer to their original offer, but with a series of bonuses and clauses inserted that could take his potential annual earnings past the €6m mark.

However, De Rossi is understood to be after a simpler pay packet that is closer to that figure but without the clauses in place.

This is the final point to negotiations between the Rome-born player and his local club, with director general Franco Baldini quoted in today’s Il Messaggero as making it clear that the long-running saga has an end in sight.

“By the end of January we expect an answer one way or another. We cannot go further.”

It is reported that Baldini will now meet De Rossi’s agent Sergio Berti to discuss the issue and make clear the club’s position. The declaration indicates that the club are considering a sale by the end of the month to avoid losing the player on a free transfer in the summer.

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