Ranieri: Roma wage bill ‘weighs heavily’, ‘I gave Paredes and Hummels a holiday’ | OneFootball

Claudio Ranieri gave an in-depth assessment of Roma’s finances and potential activity in next summer’s transfer market following the close of the January transfer window, and has revealed that he has given an extended rest to Leandro Paredes and Mats Hummels after the 3-1 loss to Milan in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday.

There has been little time to rest for the Giallorossi, who will be back in Serie A action against Venezia on Sunday.

Ranieri gave his pre-match press conference on Friday, where he began with an in-depth review of the club’s recent spending habits. He explained why it is important for Roma to cut costs before they go out on a big spending spree.

Ranieri’s review of Roma’s finances and cost cutting

ROME, ITALY – JANUARY 17: Claudio Ranieri, Head Coach of AS Roma, looks on ahead of the Serie A match between AS Roma and Genoa at Stadio Olimpico on January 17, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

“What I’ve said about the Friedkins is true. They’ve spent a load of money and while some might say ‘they spent it badly’, whether it’s true or not, they put that money in. I don’t want to defend anyone, but they’ve put in over a billion. And they will spend another one to build the stadium,” Ranieri began, reported via TMW.

“We know that FFP must be respected. We need to be able to increase income and decrease expenditure.”

When asked how to do that, Ranieri replied: “Trying to get through in Europe so more money comes in. There are lots of things we need to evaluate, so that we can make more money.

He later continued: “The English say a wonderful thing about us Romans – ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ – Give the club time to do what they have in mind.”

Asked if he thinks Roma will succeed in their mission to improve while cutting costs, Ranieri said: “I sincerely hope so. We wanted Kolo Muani, both me and the President, but we couldn’t. It’s easy to talk.”

Asked if lowering the club’s wage bill is the priority at the moment, Ranieri replied: “If possible, yes. If we want to sign players and make the Friedkins spend 100m, we have to lower the wage bill. We could buy a player for 100m, but we couldn’t pay him two peanuts.

“Buying and FFP is one thing, but the wage bill weighs heavy, for everyone, even the Roma employees.”

Ranieri on Roma’s January recruits

Roma brought in five new players towards the end of the January transfer window, but Ranieri thinks some of them will need a little time to settle down in Italy: “With playing every three days, just getting them to train is not easy. I try to get them into the Italian way of life. We are in a good moment and now let’s see how all the others fit in.

Victor Nelsson holds up his Roma shirt after joining during the January transfer window.

“We have put a fantastic scouting network together. We cover the whole world. I said what I think the future holds for us based on the players and these gents who bring me four or five feasible players.”

As well as the aforementioned Randal Kolo Muani, Ranieri revealed that Roma had also looked at the possibility of signing Kyle Walker, who ultimately joined Milan from Manchester City.

“We could have got him, too, but we had no money. And we couldn’t take another non-EU player. I give the ok to those who meet my needs. I am the one who chooses.”

Ranieri on Milan loss and, Hummels and Paredes rest

Ranieri went on to explain why he wasn’t overly disappointed with his team’s 3-1 loss to Milan in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday.

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 05: Artem Dovbyk of AS Roma scores his team’s first goal during the Coppa Italia Quarter Final match between AC Milan and AS Roma at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 05, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“Mentally, we weren’t missing anything. There was a lot of trouble finding the strikers or Dybala. We went to try and level the game. I congratulated the boys today, we fought until the end. I didn’t see them give up, even at 3-1. There were guys who played below their usual performance levels, that’s okay, they are not machines. They always give 100%.”

He also explained why Mats Hummels and Leandro Paredes will not be part of the squad for the upcoming Serie A match against Venezia.

“Neither Hummels or Paredes are called up, I gave them a holiday. They didn’t play much with De Rossi and Juric, but they’ve played a lot with me but can’t always hold up. Now it’s more useful to recharge. Go with your families. So now you know already that they won’t be in the squad, but not because they played badly, because they need a recharge.”