Star of the Derby della Capitaleโs 1-0 win over Lazio in Serie A this weekend, Lorenzo Pellegrini is working hard to reassert himself at Roma this season.
After a tumultuous time that nearly saw him leave this summer, his reason for staying in Rome has been revealed this week as Corriere dello Sportโs chief editor Ivan Zazzaroni platformed an honest WhatsApp correspondence with the 29-year-old.
In recent months, Pellegriniโs status as a Roma stalwart has come under fire. The Italian internationalโs wage has been questioned. In January, he refused a transfer to Napoli. Then, in September, he rejected Trabzonspor. Between those events, he was even reported missing at the club between June and July.
His contract has continued as a bone of contention, with no renewal on the table. Throw in a torn right thigh tendon injury into the mix, too, and itโs no wonder new manager Gian Piero Gasperini got involved to see just where the midfielder could go next. The only team to show interest in the wantaway was West Ham, who however never made a formal offer for the Italy man.
Ivan Zazzaroni has explained that, despite these things, the man nicknamed โMr Derbyโ has always been prepared to prove his worth.
The editor claimed that Pellegriniโs outlook has been clear since WhatsApp statements back in August, โItโs all written. Itโs going to be a great year. Iโm going to kick everyoneโs ass. I just want to feel good and make myself available to the coach. Iโm working really hard. Iโm fired up.โ
The online exchange ended with a great summary of Pellegriniโs outlook, especially following Gasperiniโs scathing comments at the start of the season.
โA slap hurts when you least expect it. This is called the truth, and the coach did well to tell itโฆ the truthโ.
