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The curious case of Mohamed Salah just refuses to die down this summer. The Egyptian forward is due to land in Rome today for talks with AS Roma after a move from parent club Chelsea had been agreed for a fee of around €23 million . Fiorentina, however, have continued to assert that they have a valid contract with the player since they paid the €1 million extension fee to extend the loan for the duration of the coming season.
The player and his attention seeking agent Ramy Abbas have tweeted less than discreet hints that a move to the giallorossi is on the cards but Fiorentina are unwilling to let this happen without a fight.
SALAH arrives in Rome tomorrow...
— Ramy Abbas Issa (@RamyCol) July 28, 2015pic.twitter.com/GSN1xYKgp3
Be ready to change your profile picture
— Mohamed Salah (@22mosalah) July 23, 2015
According to Gazzetta, in order for Fiorentina to relinquish any legal claim should the transfer to Roma go through, they require a compensation payment from Chelsea of €5 million. Director general Andrea Rogg has clearly stated the position of the gigliati:
"As far as we are concerned, Salah is a player that has a contract with Fiorentina. We are talking with Chelsea, not Roma - without a contract he will not be able to play"
Ex-deputy of the FIGC, lawyer Mario Stagliano has weighed in on the argument in an interview with il tempo, stating that even if FIFA were to approve the transfer to Rome; if the FIGC were to find two separate contracts signed by Salah, he could face up to a six month ban. There are risks for Fiorentina, however as any ruling that goes against them could see them excluded from cup competitions by FIFA.
The focus now seems very much on financial compensation from Chelsea, and any mention of the English club sending a player on loan by way of recompense or talk of Mattia Destro arriving from Roma have quietened. It is to be hoped that Fiorentina do have sound backup for taking such a firm legal stance on the matter and that the situation can be resolved sooner rather than later so that we can stop wasting our breath on a player who has such little regard for the club that we love.