Roma prepare summer swoop for Ajax defender Van der Wiel

The Serie A club are expected to start the bidding at £4 million for the right-back, whose contract has only a year remaining, after a poor season has seen Chelsea lose interest

 

 

EXCLUSIVEBy Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

Roma are preparing a summer swoop for Ajax defender Gregory van der Wiel and intend to start the bidding at €5 million (£4m).

The Holland right-back’s current contract only has one year remaining but he is set to leave the Amsterdam Arena in the forthcoming transfer window.

Van der Wiel held talks with Valencia earlier this season but the move broke down and, although the Spanish club remain interested in the full-back, Roma have now emerged as the favourites to land his signature. 

The Serie A club are in the market for a new right-back this summer and the 24-year-old is their No.1 target.

Van der Wiel’s stock has fallen following a season troubled by form and fitness problems but he is still expected to feature at right-back for Holland during Euro 2012.

Nevertheless, the player is no longer attracting interest from the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona, as he was 18 months ago.

Speaking earlier this week, Van der Wiel said his future was still up in the air. "Not a single club has shown a concrete interest in signing me so far, so I don't know where I will play next season,” he said in an interview with Goal.com.

 

Source : Goal.com