Leonardo Bonucci Might Join Roma In January

According to SB Nation, In the world of football, José Mourinho is well-known for a variety of things, but his practical, nearly oppressive defensive style is probably his most well-known trait. With a plethora of skilled defenders at his disposal from managing some of the biggest clubs in the world, Mourinho rarely worried about silly little things like depth or injury. If you manage Chelsea or Real Madrid, you can quickly fill in the gaps by putting money on the issue.

For Roma, that is not and has never been the case. Over the next few weeks, Mourinho will play a punishing schedule that includes matches against Juventus, AC Milan, and Atalanta. His defense is already stretched thin. To make matters worse, Roma will be without Evan Ndicka for the African Cup of Nations next month, and center-back Gianluca Mancini—one of Mourinho’s few constants—may miss tomorrow’s match against Napoli due to a nagging groin injury.

Due to the high number of injuries and Ndicka’s multiple-week absence, Roma is reportedly interested in signing Leonardo Bonucci, a defender for Union Berlin. Naturally, Bonucci is well-known to Roma supporters. During his nine years with the Old Lady, he won eight league titles, and he was a vital component of Juventus’ complete dominance in the 2010s.

Last spring, Bonucci signed a one-year contract with Union Berlin after severing ties with them. Despite having made six league starts for Die Eisernen, Bonucci is reportedly enticed to return to Serie A by the Gazzetta dello Sport. It is also possible that the Giallorossi will jump at the chance to sign the 36-year-old center-back if Bonucci’s contract is terminated, as Roma is lacking in defenders and won’t have much money to spend in the winter transfer window.

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We shouldn’t expect Bonucci to suddenly turn back time and play like he’s 28 years old given his age and declining form. However, considering that this is only a six-month addition, there isn’t much risk involved.

Given their financial limitations, it appears that the Giallorossi will have another quiet shopping season. We’ll keep an eye on this story as it unfolds.