Monchi responds to recent transfer market speculation

The Spaniard addressed some of the more outlandish rumours and sought to set the record straight about his and the club's ambitions in the market this month.

“I don’t want to take away from the manager’s time ahead of such a big game, but we feel the need to clear some things up," Monchi said.

"It’s been too often now that newspapers have spoken about Roma as a club that is looking to change everything. I even read that we’re allegedly selling players without their knowledge. This could not be further from the truth.

"That we have numerous quality players, that will always attract the interest of top clubs, is not our fault - or a problem. If concrete offers come through, it’ll be my duty as sporting director to weigh them up, just as my offers are assessed when I contact other sporting directors. It was what I did at Sevilla and, fortunately, that yielded decent results.

"Just as I did then, I’m in a position to make the decisions I feel are right. I can tell you, with 100% certainty, that I’ve made three times more calls about bringing players here to Roma than calls I’ve received.

"I want to be clear with you all about one thing: Roma are not going around the world soliciting offers for our players and we certainly do not want to dismantle the playing staff. In fact it's the opposite, and I say to the fans that our objective is always the same: to improve the squad.

"A sporting director is always pleased when the names of players he is following do not appear in the papers, but do not thing that we are sleeping on the job."