In the wake of losing their star winger Mohamed Salah to Liverpool, AS Roma needed to restore some pace, trickery and dynamism back into their wing ranks. In signing exciting 20-year-old Turkish talent, Cengiz Under, they've succeeded in doing precisely that.
Capable of operating on the left or the right flank, Under's move to Roma is a major coup for the capital club, especially when you consider that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Lille were all fighting for his signature. Moreover, the persuasive powers of the Giallorossi's new sporting director, Monchi, undoubtedly had an impact too, for he assured the player he'd be a part of Eusebio Di Francesco's first-team plans.
"Roma was the right project for both Cengiz Under and Basaksehir. Monchi was a big factor," said his agent, Omer Uzun, to beIN Sports Turkiye.
"Roma wanted Cengiz to join the first team immediately. Manchester City, on the other hand, wanted to cooperate with Freiburg. Roma play 50 to 60 games a year. Their relentless desire to sign Cengiz was really effective."
The diminutive, ambitious attacking midfielder is desperate to repay the Wolves' faith in him, as he's already outlined that he plans to be a starter as soon as possible. Competing with Stephan El Sharaawy, Diego Perotti and fellow new signing Gregoire Defrel for a spot in the 11, Under will use preseason as a vital tool to familiarise himself with a new language, his coach and his teammates.
The man who's been likenened to Juventus star Paulo Dybala, a comparison that's not entirely spot-on, will certainly bring an interesting dimension to the Roma attack. Blessed with a terrific dribbling ability, razor sharp close control and comfortable using both feet, the former İstanbul Basaksehir sensation is very challenging for defenders to read and neutralise in 1v1 scenarios. His quality in such instances is only amplified by his capacity to change direction and speed so rapidly, with his searing acceleration particularly damaging in giving him vital separation from his opponent.
Possessing a handy repertoire of tricks, shimmies, feints and flicks only adds to his tremendous quality when dealing with pressure. Moreover, his regular interchanges of positions during matches, in combination with his well executed runs in behind, further serve to enhance his unpredictability for his adversaries. Meanwhile, his low centre of gravity and already impressive strength ensure he's a very difficult man to knock off the ball in physical battles.
Monchi illustrated his delight at signing the man capped four times at international level for Turkey, gleaming: "We are extremely happy with the arrival of Cengiz, a player with great technical ability," sporting director Monchi said.
"We are confident he will quickly adjust to his new surroundings and his quality and talent will be a valuable addition to our squad."
Another aspect of the deal that Roma will feel positivity about comes by way of the reasonable transfer fee of just an initial €13.4 million plus a potential extra €1.5 million in bonuses, which represents great value for a player with so much scope for improvement.
Working under the thorough tutelage of Di Francesco should do wonders for him too, as the new Roma boss' work at Sassuolo developing the likes of Domenico Berardi, Nicola Sansone, Alfred Duncan, Sime Vrsaljko, Matteo Politano and Lorenzo Pellegrini was a testament to his strength here.
While cautious about making any bold predictions about Under's prospects, Di Francesco clearly looks forward to working with and helping the smart signing. "He’s Turkish and he’ll have to learn the language. We must be prepared to help him. It’s a different type of football [to Turkey], but he has some important qualities," he noted.
In Under, Roma have not only acquired a very special talent for the future but also one who can come in and have an impact from the outset. Full of flair and attacking prowess, it'll be intriguing to observe how the confident Turk will fare in his new environment.
There's no doubting he'll back himself to achieve much in the Eternal City, but before all that, linking up with his teammates on the club's US tour will be pivotal in him getting to adjust to life at Roma.
If he can do so quickly, who knows, he might just be the ideal candidate to replace the departed Egyptian flyer Salah sooner rather than later.
