Roma have agreed to pay River Plate €12 million for 19-year-old midfield starlet Erik Lamela, Sky Sport Italia reports.

The TV station claims the Italian club have reached an agreement with the relegated Argentine side for Lamela.

River Plate president Daniel Passarella is now expected to fly to Italy so a transfer can be closed.

Passarella's club will get around €12m plus bonuses for the midfielder, who will sign a five-year contract worth €1.5m per annum in wages.

It's a major coup for Roma and their director of sport Walter Sabatini as they have beaten off interest from Inter and Napoli to secure Lamela.

The teenager is the second player to sit on the verge of a deal with the club after Roma reached an agreement to buy Bojan Krkic from Barcelona.

Bojan + Lamela will be an awesome partnership.

Typical American owners, making moves to improve the club

I still havent seen this anywhere yet though...

I read similar reports in Argentine media, although they claimed that River Plate's top lawyer would go, and not Pasarella.

L'equipe has reported on it as well.

And this is from Football-Italia:

Reports keep Roma on Lamela

Despite insisting they're not interested, reports continue to claim Roma have clinched a €12m deal for Erik Lamela.

Representatives of River Plate are in Italy today in a bid to sell Lamela, who won’t stay following their relegation.

Sky Sport Italia continue to claim director general Walter Sabatini has already held negotiations and reached a basic agreement.

The Giallorossi would hand over €12m plus performance-related bonuses for the creative midfielder.

Lamela is set to sign a five-year contract worth €1.5m per season.

“The River Plate President may be in Italy to sell Lamela, but it won’t be to Roma,” insisted Sabatini on Radio Mana Mana earlier.

“We ended our interest in the player around a month ago.”

Roma were in the race to sign Ricky Alvarez from Velez Sarsfield, but pulled out last week and he has now been sold to Inter.

--------------------------------

Been reading contradictory statements like that all morning.

chori dominguez is lamela's "replacement" in river btw

http://www.superdeporte.es/valencia/2011/07/06/chori-dominguez-jugara-river-plate/132667.html

Hmm so it's perhaps to Napoli not Roma?

Sabatini seemed really into Lamela though, I'm surprised they would quit over a few millions.

River to return then.

No idea honestly.

There were even reports that we would buy Lamela just to use him as a bargaining chip for Pastore.

It's all over the place really.

-----4----3----3-----

-----stekelenberg---

--RB--juan--burdisso--riise

---de rossi--pizarro--CM--

--bojan----totti/borriello---lamela

That's pretty expensive for an unproven youngster in a relegated team.

Is he that good a talent?

Sabatini denied all those statements, it's supposedly a done deal.

Latest reports say he's already in Italy..

nice grab by roma i guess....


inter wanted this kid too. and btw i've read that bojan isnt a done deal yet but roma do have interest

The Fonz wrote:Latest reports say he's already in Italy..

nop latest reports say that he is on a plane to Milan

lenear1030 wrote:nice grab by roma i guess....


inter wanted this kid too. and btw i've read that bojan isnt a done deal yet but roma do have interest

Latest reports say Barca are unwilling to sell until they sign Alexis.

Batigoal wrote:

The Fonz wrote:Latest reports say he's already in Italy..

nop latest reports say that he is on a plane to Milan

Sabatini will meet him in Milan

The Fonz wrote:

Batigoal wrote:

The Fonz wrote:Latest reports say he's already in Italy..

nop latest reports say that he is on a plane to Milan

Sabatini will meet him in Milan

No Sir, Branca have it all set to kidnap him and his agent, as soon their plane land in Milan

Saturday 9 July, 2011
Lamela to Roma today



River Plate talent Erik Lamela is expected to complete his €12m transfer to Roma today.

The player has already said goodbye to the River fans through his Twitter feed.


“I love you all. I thank you for the support you’ve always given, helping me grow day by day. I will never forget you.”


There were even reports the announcement would arrive late Friday night, but there were delays.


President Daniel Passarella will fly in to Rome overnight and the clubs are waiting for him to personally oversee the move.


There were also question marks over how the payment would be spread out in instalments.


It also poses a problem that Lamela does not have an EU passport, but it’s believed Ahmed Barusso will be sold to free up that space in the squad.


Lamela’s father and three River Plate directors met with Roma director of sport Walter Sabatini for dinner on Friday to finalise the last details

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Good signing.

hopefully he turns out like a riquelme.
Goodness knows we need someone like him in our NT right now

Surag.Blueguy wrote:-----4----3----3-----

-----stekelenberg---

--RB--juan--burdisso--riise

---de rossi--pizarro--CM--

--bojan----totti/borriello---lamela

They say Riise will go to Fulham though, and it could be possible as he has other Norwegian friends there. Dont know if his brother Bjørn Helge is about to leave Fulham or not.

Eivindo wrote:

Surag.Blueguy wrote:-----4----3----3-----

-----stekelenberg---

--RB--juan--burdisso--riise

---de rossi--pizarro--CM--

--bojan----totti/borriello---lamela

They say Riise will go to Fulham though, dunno about that

Yea, Riise is on his way to Fulham, Sporting Gijon's Jose Angel is likely to be his replacement. If not, we're also following Insua.

As for Lamela, it's a fee of 12 million, possibly amounting up to 19 million, along with 20% of his next transfer. He's been given a 5 year, 1.5 million euro deal.

Sushi Master wrote:That's pretty expensive for an unproven youngster in a relegated team.

Is he that good a talent?

It's actually not bad in this market for a player with his talents

In quotes published by Corriere dello Sport, Passarella said: "Lamela is a Roma player. The contract just needs to be settled with the federation.''