VOLPATO WAITS ON MOURINHO TO GREEN LIGHT $14M MOVE

AS Roma boss Jose Mourinho will have the final say on Australian winger Cristian Volpato’s proposed $14 million move to Serie A rivals Sassuolo this week, after all other concerned parties agreed terms on a multi-year deal.
Socceroos target Volpato, 19, will sit down with Mourinho in the coming days to finalise his future, with the four-cap Italy U-20 international keen to make the switch to Sassuolo in search of regular game time, and Roma president Dan Friedkin prepared to sanction a sale to ease Financial Fair Play pressures on his club.

A source close to Volpato claimed a deal was “80 per cent done”, pending Mourinho’s approval.

If the move proceeds as planned Volpato, who made 11 appearances in all competitions last season and scored once, would become the third most expensive Aussie of all time behind behind Harry Souttar to Leicester City ($26m) and Aaron Mooy ($17m) to Huddersfield Town.

Sassuolo boss Alessio Dionisi has been chasing the former Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers junior for several months, but was initially only offered a loan option by La Magica.

However that scenario has now changed, and with the virtual guarantee of first team football Dionisi, Volpato last week told his agent, Roma and Italy legend Francesco Totti, that it was time to make a change.

Whilst an admirer of Volpato, it’s unlikely Mourinho, who picked in him for just two of Roma’s final 14 games, will stand in his way.

Australia coach Graham Arnold will meet Sydney-born Volpato in person, when he jets to Europe next month, in a bid to persuade him to swap the Azzurri for the Socceroos, with the added carrot of a possible debut against England at Wembley in November.