Pellegrini wants Roma 'forever'

By Football Italia staff

Lorenzo Pellegrini has revealed he would like to stay at Roma “forever” and claimed the Giallorossi “are aiming to win” the Europa League this term.

The 23-year-old was out for one and a half months between the end of September and mid-November and has managed to reclaim his place in the side under Paulo Fonseca since his return to action.

There’s been speculation regarding a buy-out clause in Pellegrini’s deal and after the club has renewed the deals of Bryan Cristante and Aleksandar Kolarov, Corriere dello Sport has revealed the team are trying to do the same for Pellegrini – who seems ready to follow in the footsteps of his former heroes.

“It’s an honour to have my career compared to players like [Francesco] Totti and [Daniele] De Rossi,” he told the Gazzetta dello Sport. “At this moment I would like to remain in Rome forever. But it must coincide with what the club wants.

“It would be perfect for me to stay here forever. Someone said that winning a Scudetto here is like winning 10 elsewhere,” he added. “I want to win ten that are worth ten.”

Pellegrini came through the academy at Roma, but moved to Sassuolo in 2015, when the Giallorossi sold him for €1.25m.

Two seasons later, after impressing at the MAPEI Stadium, he was brought back to the capital for €10m and claims there’s extra pressure on him given his upbringing in the Eternal City.

“To be a Roman in Rome gives me an important responsibility,” he said. “It compels me to make the fans happy.

“It’s difficult to win here, it’s difficult to do it anywhere. The only thing we must do, is continuing to work hard. Roma are growing and this year we have found a coach who, in my opinion, is among the top five in the world from a technical and character point of view.”

Roma are currently fourth in Serie A and 10 points behind the top two Juventus and Inter, but only one point above Atalanta at fifth.

“Our goal is to reach the Champions League,” he said. “But we can’t limit ourselves. We aim to win the Europa League, something we have pursued over the recent months. We can’t make any more mistakes now.”

He still fondly remembers the days he entered Trigoria as a youth player and the dream of one day becoming a first team player.

“When the letter from Roma arrived, I remained staring at it all day,” he admitted. “I remember every time I arrived at Trigoria and entered the third gate, the one dedicated to the youth team.

“I never imagined going into the first one. Every morning, I think back on the effort and sacrifices that I and my parents made to get here.”

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