Roma perform u-turn on Genoa target Iturbe
Roma on Sunday performed a dramatic turnaround on the expected loan of Juan Iturbe to Genoa and said the Argentinian forward will now stay at the club.
Iturbe was expected to head to Serie A rivals Genoa on a loan move worth 5-million euros ($5.6 million), but Roma's sporting director Walter Sabatini said the player -- signed from Verona for 22 million euros last season -- is going nowhere.
"I wish to apologise to Genoa, their president... and all the fans because I had agreed to negotiate the sale of Iturbe but then I had serious doubts over the move," Sabatini said in a statement on Roma's website asroma.it.
"I wanted him to go there for his own development, to a side that plays brilliant, pacy football, really suited to his style of play. But then I started to wonder whether his departure would weaken Roma."
Roma, Serie A's runners-up the past two seasons, beat champions Juventus 2-1 on Sunday.
Iturbe came off the bench to replace Mohamed Salah in the second half, and provided the assist for Roma's second goal, scored by Edin Dzeko in the 79th minute.