Roma forward Gervinho (L) competes for the ball against Inter Milan's Yuto Nagatomo. (Photo : Getty Images)
Recent reports have emerged that Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning FC is set to increase its initial offer of €10.5 million to Italian Serie A squad AS Roma for the services of its Ivorian forward Gervinho.
Italian Football Daily reported that "a representative from the Chinese club was present at Trigoria" on Friday of last week to present I Giallorossi a slightly higher bid than their previous offer "in the range of €12.5-13 million".
The new proposal is said to be tempting for Roma football director Walter Sabatini and the 60-year-old former player turned club executive could potentially accept the offer especially after Gervinho admitted unhappiness with his status in the capital city because of former head coach Rudi Garcia's firing.
Another Roma director, Mauro Baldissoni, confirmed that the club's executives are currently negotiating with Jiangsu for the 28-year-old Anyama, Ivory Coast native and that they are planning to make a huge move during this winter transfer window.
"I can confirm there are negotiations on-going for Gervinho to China," said Baldissoni. "When a player expresses the desire to leave, there's no point keeping him."
However, Baldissoni did not disclose what type of deal the Wolves are planning and who are the players involved in it.
"We will do something on the market, but we won't say what," he said, as per Football Italia. "Roma are on the stock exchange, so when we officially complete a transfer, we announce it. It's a small world, so some of the names we're looking at have emerged."
"Today we have to play and from tomorrow we'll think of sealing a few deals so we can improve an already strong squad," he added.
Gervinho is not included in La Maggica's lineup when it bowed to defending Serie A champions Juventus, 0-1, in Turin on Sunday.
Meanwhile, The Guardian said that Jiangsu's latest offer for the Ivory Coast international is €18 million, but there are no official announcements that Roma has accepted the deal yet.
Football clubs from China have been aggressive in luring Serie A standouts during this January window as AC Milan's Luiz Adriano and Inter Milan's Fredy Guarin are also both attracting serious attention from Chinese Super League squads.
