As Roma welcome new recruits into Giallorosso, fresh speculation about Daniele De Rossi’s future has arisen. So what will this mercato have in store for Roma’s ‘capitano futuro’?

Recent press speculation suggests that Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini has designs on Daniele De Rossi, with a sensational salary apparently on the table – a deal which practically doubles the package already being offered by Roma.

Much is being made of De Rossi’s contractual position, with just one year of his current agreement remaining, and having lost Philippe Mexes to a ‘Bosman’, Roma’s new and clearly more businesslike regime can only be concerned of a repeat scenario. But while this aspect is indeed a genuine concern, lest not forget the patently obvious aspects to this story which suggest column inches are merely being padded.

Frankly speaking, where De Rossi is concerned, there are two likely possibilities – either he will leave this summer or he will sign a contract extension. The third possible eventuality, De Rossi allowing his contract to expire, will simply not manifest.  Thomas Di Benedetto wouldn’t allow that situation to develop but more importantly, neither would Daniele De Rossi.

Despite what’s recently been a torrid time in the capital, Daniele has a lifelong bond with the city, its people and their club. Would he irrevocably fracture that relationship by not only walking away from his home, but leaving ‘his’ club empty-handed? The simple answer is no, which leaves, if recent media reports are to be believed, a summer move away.

In the wake of Mexes’s move to Milan, and other high profile moves concerning players with a year remaining on their contract, players in such predicaments are clear targets for transfer rumour and conjecture. Ashley Young, formerly of Aston Villa recently moved to Manchester United for a ‘modest’ fee and the uncertainty surrounding Arsenal’s Samir Nasri clearly show that a degree of vulnerability always surrounds such situations – thereafter, factor in Daniele’s other issues and on a quiet news day, it becomes a ‘no brainer’ storyline.

But what of Manchester City – do they need Roma’s man?

Only this week, Patrick Vieira announced his retirement from football, leaving Manchester City’s playing staff to move into an executive role within Eastlands – but with both Nigel De Jong and Yaya Touré available to Mancini, any desire for a player of De Rossi’s ilk would not stem from midfield inadequacies, more so a desire to add depth to a department already well provisioned.

Like Balotelli before him, a move to Manchester City’s ample squad would not guarantee consistent playing time – and critically, could hamper De Rossi’s national team place. And if all this wasn’t enough, the chequered past between the former Inter midfielder and De Rossi could further skew City’s appeal (Vieira was responsible for shattering De Rossi’s cheekbone in 2009).

Returning to Mario Balotelli, and importantly his time in England, if De Rossi is looking for salvation away from Serie A, Italy’s ‘enfant terrible’ is hardly an advert for Manchester’s restorative powers. Following a succession of disciplinary issues which saw the former Nerazzurri forward omitted from Cesare Prandelli’s azzurri squad, the lustre of such a handsome remuneration package suddenly begins to wane.

For Luis Enrique, it is of paramount importance that De Rossi remains a Roma player. While the Spaniard invests in youth and mobility with the likes of Erik Lamela and soon to be Bojan Krcic, maintaining a combative, experienced spine is key to ensure Enrique’s attacking sensibilities are suitably balanced.

In his tenure as the Barcelona B-Team coach, the main criticism to be levelled at Enrique was a decidedly poor defensive record, and although talk of replicating Barcelona’s brand of tika-tika abounds, even Pep Guardiola, with Gerard Pique and Eric Abidal, possesses centrally deployed players capable of holding and tackling.

For pragmatic reasons it is imperative that Daniele De Rossi is convinced to remain in Rome, and if Manchester City are genuine suitors, there are clear reasons to mitigate the attractiveness of a lucrative deal. In all honesty there is little substance in any story linking De Rossi to Roberto Mancini and not only will he remain in Giallorosso, but will become an irreplaceable part of a Roma side that will need his brand of midfield enforcement more than ever.