Justin Kluivert is no longer welcome at AS Roma training sessions, reports Il Tempo Monday night. Trainer Jose Mourinho is said to have told the 23-year-old attacker that he is not in the plans for next season and can look for a new club. Kluivert is still in Rome until mid-2023.
Mourinho’s statement to Kluivert does not come out of the blue. Reported at the beginning of June Il Tempo already about the departure wish of the former Ajax player, who would like to return to OGC Nice. Last football year, the winger took action on a rental basis on behalf of lesson Aiglons. Kluivert has been under contract in the Italian capital since 2018 and was also loaned to RB Leipzig for a season in 2020.
Kluivert had a mixed season at Nice, in which he suffered a serious hamstring injury in the beginning. Still, the left winger, provided he was fit, was usually in the starting lineup. In total, he scored 6 goals and 6 assists in 31 official appearances, including 27 as a starter. Nice had already held talks with Roma about a definitive takeover of Kluivert, but the southern French club was not prepared to meet the asking price of fourteen million euros. Roma may be willing to adjust the price tag now that Mourinho has made his decision.
Kluivert is not the only one who sees the chance of playing time disappear two weeks before the start of the Serie A season. Mourinho previously communicated that Riccardo Calafiori, Ante Coric, William Bianda, Amadou Diawara, Alessio Riccardi, Devid Bouah, Ruben Providence and Gonzalo Villar may also be looking for a new challenge. According to Italian reports, Kluivert is also in the interest of Fulham.