(Football News) Leandro Paredes, a World Cup champion, made a return to Roma, finalizing a two-year agreement with the Serie A club.
Paredes’ transition from Paris Saint-Germain is associated with a fee of roughly 4 million euros ($4.4 million). The Argentine midfielder will proudly don the renowned No. 16 jersey, previously worn by the retired Roma legend, Daniele De Rossi.
Leandro emphasized, “I would not have done this without Daniele’s consent.” He shared that De Rossi conveyed his excitement for Paredes to assume the number. The two players were teammates during Paredes’ initial stint at Roma.
Paredes expressed his sentiment, saying, “Returning to Rome is always a special sentiment, but doing so now as a member of Roma makes it even more remarkable.” He extended his gratitude to the fans for their warm reception and to Roma for providing him with the opportunity to return to the club where he commenced his European career.
Leandro added, “The past year was a time of immense joy for me with the World Cup victory. Consequently, my ambition is to continue achieving success, and I firmly believe I can accomplish that alongside this team.” Having progressed through the youth ranks at Boca Juniors, Paredes initially joined Roma in 2014 after a brief tenure at Chievo Verona.
Leandro spent two seasons in the Italian capital, with a season-long loan at Empoli in between, before departing for Zenit St. Petersburg and subsequently joining PSG. The 29-year-old Paredas was on loan at Juventus last season, with an obligation for Juventus to purchase the player for 22.6 million euros ($24.7 million) if specific, undisclosed targets were achieved.
Roma’s General Manager, Tiago Pinto, commented, “Upon learning of our interest, Leandro promptly expressed his intent to return to Roma.” Pinto highlighted Paredes’ determined resolve, which solidified their decision to bring him back to the Giallorossi fold. He added, “Since his initial time here, he has developed and accumulated international experience. Coupled with his understanding of Italian football and his technical capabilities, we are confident that these aspects will prove pivotal in fortifying our squad.”
During his tenure, Paredes significantly contributed to PSG’s accomplishments, including three Ligue 1 titles, two French Cup victories, and one French League Cup triumph.
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