A medical visit to Italy today, Friday, from doctors Rome and Azmoun
Giallorossi have closed for the Iranian striker of Bayer Leverkusen: loan deal with option to buy set at 12.5 million. Azmoun landed at Rome Ciampino airport on Thursday evening and will undergo medical tests on Friday
A surprise name, at least for this summer transfer market session, for Roma's attack. The Giallorossi have closed for Sardar Azmoun, the Iranian born in 1995 from Bayer Leverkusen: the player arrived in Italy on Thursday evening and will undergo medical tests on Friday.
Loan operation with the right to buy at 12.5 million euros which had the decisive acceleration in the night between Wednesday and Thursday thanks to a blitz by Tiago Pinto, who thus gives José Mourinho one of his old passions. The Special One has always appreciated Azmoun's qualities, with Roma having also treated the Iranian in the past.
The backstory Zapata and the "ball" of Mou
Sardar Azmoun has always been a passion for José Mourinho who would have wanted him at Roma as early as 2021. A nuanced deal for Zenit's request for 25 million, which then - in January 2022 - accepted the 18 million put on the plate by Bayer Leverkusen .
Mourinho never stopped following him and when the opportunity arose, Roma sank the blow. In fact, the Giallorossi turned to the Iranian (who was also targeted by other Italian clubs) after yesterday, Wednesday 23 August, Atalanta blocked the sale of Zapata: a scenario that changed instead this morning, when the players from Bergamo were ready to negotiate again for the transfer of the Colombian. Too late though.
Azmoun's numbers
Azmoun can play either first or second striker. So he can play in Mou's 3-5-2 both with Dybala (in this case as first striker) and with Belotti (turning around). Arrived at Bayer Leverkusen in January 2022 from Zenit, the Iranian striker scored 5 goals and 5 assists in 44 appearances for the German club in all competitions.
Azmoun has been sidelined since the end of July with a calf injury, a problem that has now been resolved. Given the timing of the closing of the deal, it is very difficult to think of seeing him already on the pitch against Verona on Saturday 26 August.
More probable is his presence against Milan on 1 September, or at the latest when the championship resumes after the break for national team commitments.
Horses, volleyball and Serie A in destiny: who is Azmoun
Complete and modern striker with excellent technique, Azmoun scores and also makes his teammates score, he can play as a first striker as well as as a shoulder alongside a central striker.
At Zenit he scored 62 goals and 23 assists in 104 games, before that 25 goals for Rostov in 77 games, 17 goals scored in 77 appearances for Rubin Kazan. And to think that he started playing football almost by accident, given that his "first love" was volleyball, a sport that he practiced with excellent results up to the age of 12.
His greatest passion, on the other hand, is for horses, by his own admission one of the things "that I miss most when I'm not in Iran".
At home, however, he is a point of reference and not only for the 42 goals scored in 69 games for the Iranian national team, but also for his stance against the regime in the battle against violence against women. Serie A was fate for Azmoun: in 2016 he was very close to moving to Lazio, years later Juve also tried, while in 2021, as mentioned, it was Roma's turn. The club that is now finally ready to let him transfer to our league.