Roma President Claims Manchester United Target Miralem Pjanic is Not For Sale

AS Roma president James Pallotta has attempted to ward off interested parties by insisting that Miralem Pjanic will not be sold in the summer.

Last month, the Bosnian international was linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer after revealing that he is unsure about his future. Pjanic was also a target for Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) during the winter transfer window.

However, Roma manager Rudi Garcia showed no intentions of allowing his star midfielder to leave Stadio Olimpico midway through the season.

Roma are guaranteed a second place finish in the Serie A and will return to the Champions League after failing to qualify in the last three seasons. With an increase in the number of fixtures in the upcoming campaign, Garcia would be looking to strengthen his squad instead of losing an influential playmaker like Pjanic.

"Pjanic will remain at Roma. We have already spoken with him, everything is fine. Everyone is happy at Roma. I don't understand the reason why many people think that he will leave," Sky Sports quoted Pallotta as saying.

"Garcia will remain with us for a long time. Roma in the 2014/15 season will be even stronger. The team that is here now will remain and there will be the arrival of a few new players too."

Pjanic has been a regular in Roma's starting XI and made 34 league appearances, scoring six goals and contributing six assists in the process. He switched his allegiance to Roma from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon by signing a four-year deal in 2011 after his current employers forked out a reported €11m fee.

The 24-year-old will be entering the final year of his contract this summer and Pallotta insists that discussions over the renewal of his contract have already taken place.

"I think Pjanic will remain at Roma. Everything depends on him, but that's part of the game. With Pjanic, we have already discussed a contract renewal," Pallotta explained.

Meanwhile, TuttoMercatoWeb claims that Roma are closing in on agreeing a new four-year deal with Pjanic to extend the midfielder's services at Stadio Olimpico till 2018, comprising of a release clause set at around €30m.

Earlier this month, Pjanic had revealed that he dreams of playing for Barcelona one day while stating that a move to PSG is also a feasible option.

"Barcelona would not be a bad destination - there I would be able to demonstrate the best of my abilities. PSG is also a good team - it's extraordinary what they are doing there. And for a player, it's important to win titles," Pjanic said.