After finishing the Serie A season in second place behind Juventus, AS Roma clinched a berth for the UEFA Champions League group stage in the 2015-16 campaign and they have set their sights in improving what they did last year when they exited the competition in the initial round.
Due to these lofty expectations, manager Rudi Garcia is working very hard to improve the team and it has been said he wants to strengthen all areas of the team. Even though the team has capable goalkeepers in Gianluca Curci, Lukasz Skorupski and Bogdan Lobont, Garcia wants to add another one to the mix and it has been reported the team's prefered target is Club Brugge's Mathew Ryan.
The Australia international had another solid season at the Jupiler Pro League and he has settled himself as one of the most promising players in his position. He's also a regular fixture in the Australia national team so he has a lot of experience under his belt and considering he's 23 years old, he has time to become an even better player as years advance.
Will Roma sign their rumoured target?
Ryan, however, might not be an easy target. The keeper has also been linked to teams such as Inter Milan and Liverpool and while a move to a better league might be tempting, Ryan has been quoted saying that: "I have a contract with this club, but I understand that there are no certainties in football. I’m not thinking of leaving Brugge any time soon, it’s an ideal environment to work. Certainly I will not before having improved and grown up as a footballer."
It seems as if Roma will have a steep road ahead of themselves if they want to land Ryan at Stadio Olimpico. The starting goalkeeper for Australia in last summer's World Cup tournament in Brazil has also played for Central Coast Mariners and Blacktown City in his home country and he featured in 27 games across all competitions for Brugge last season.