Roma’s Zaragoza Deal: A Closer Look at the Buy-Back Clause
Bryan Zaragoza was the signing Gian Piero Gasperini had been after. An attacking winger who plays on the left despite being left-footed, and who can also operate as an attacking midfielder or be deployed alongside a centre-forward when needed. Small in stature, quick, with a good shot and always ready to provide an assist. A player with precisely the characteristics the Giallorossi manager had requested back in the summer, having adapted Lorenzo Pellegrini to that role in the first half of the season. With just a few hours remaining before the winter transfer window closed, Roma finalised the signing of Zaragoza from Bayern Munich (he spent the first half of the season at Celta Vigo) on loan with an option to buy, which becomes mandatory should the club qualify for the Champions League.
The Figures Behind the Zaragoza Deal
One further detail in the agreement between the two clubs is worth noting: Roma will have to pay Bayern a penalty if they do not make Zaragoza’s loan permanent. Having already paid €2 million to the German club for the loan, the buy-out fee is set at €13 million, and the Giallorossi will have to pay €500,000 if they do not sign the player on a permanent basis. A total deal worth around €15 million, with that asterisk attached to the €500,000 penalty should the Spanish player, born in 2001, return to Bayern.
Zaragoza’s Record Against Roma
Since arriving in Italy, Zaragoza has played four out of seven league matches for Roma, starting two of them, and has clocked up a total of 135 minutes, during which he provided one assist, setting up Malen with the decisive pass for the goal that broke the deadlock against Napoli (the match ended 2–2). He also played both legs of the Europa League round of 16 tie against Bologna for the Giallorossi: he started the draw at the Dall’Ara, whilst in the return leg he came on in the final ten minutes of extra time to replace Celik. His future remains a mystery for now; Roma are convinced of the youngster’s quality, but he is currently struggling to find consistency: his performances over the coming months will be assessed, with a final decision to be made at the end of the season.
