Transfer Rumors 2018: Roma Reportedly Lining Up New Contract Offer for Alisson Becker
A handful of the top clubs in Europe are expected to pursue Alisson Becker in the summer, but A.S. Roma are going to do everything they can to hold on to their prized goalkeeper.
According to Italian outlet Calciomercato.com, Roma are reportedly working on a new deal for Alisson, and they want to include a €90 million (around £80 million) release clause in his contract to ward off the suitors for his signature this summer.
The report also claims that Alisson wants to boost his salary to five million euros per year, which is a significant increase over his current €1.5 million per season.
Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have been keeping an eye on Alisson for months now, and Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for the highly-rated goalkeeper. The Reds view him as a potential replacement for the underperforming Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius.
Meanwhile, Roma goalkeeping coach Roberto Negrisolo has recently heaped some pretty high praise on Alisson in an interview with Il Romanista.
"He is the No 1 of No 1s. He is worth as much as Messi because he is as important as Messi. He is the type of goalkeeper which can define an era," Negrisolo said, via The Sun. "Is Alisson worth €50million (£45m)? Don't be silly, he's worth far more than that," he continued.
"You can't even compare someone like Gianluigi Donnarumma with him. Alisson is extraordinary. The way he behaves in the goal, he reminds me of Dino Zoff. I'd also compare him to Michel Preud-Homme, who had the class of someone born to be a goalkeeper," he added.
Negrisolo's dismissal of Gianluigi Donnarumma should raise more than a few eyebrows, but he is right about one thing. Alisson is well on his way to becoming one of the top goalkeepers in the world.
