Roma have confirmed the signing of Argentinian midfielder Leandro Paredes on a permanent deal from Paris Saint-Germain.
The 29-year-old returns to the Giallorossi following a three-year spell at the club between 2014 and 2017, during which he played 54 games and scored four goals.
Paredes - who was loaned out to Empoli during his time with Roma before joining Zenit St Petersburg in 2017 - has signed a two-year contract with Jose Mourinho's side until the end of the 2024-25 season, and PSG will receive more than β¬4m (Β£3.4m) for his sale.
"Coming back to Rome is always a special thing, but doing so now as a Roma player is even more special," the South American told the official Roma website.
"I'd like to thank the fans for welcoming me and Roma for bringing me back to the club where I launched my career in Europe. Last year was an incredibly happy one for me with the World Cup, so now I want to keep tasting success and I'm convinced I can do just that with this team."
Since first leaving Roma six years ago, Paredes collected a plethora of domestic trophies with PSG between 2019 and 2023, winning three Ligue 1 titles in addition to three Trophee des Champions crowns, two Coupe de Frances and a Coupe de la Ligue title.
The former Boca Juniors youngster scored three goals and provided 10 assists in 117 games for the club, but he fell down the pecking order under Christophe Galtier and spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Juventus.
πͺππππ’π π ππππ | Leandro Paredes πΊπ¦π·
β AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) August 16, 2023
The club is delighted to confirm the signing of the Argentinian midfielder!
We also hope that by continuing to raise awareness, we can contribute to the global search for missing children. π
#ASRoma | @ICMEC_official pic.twitter.com/AOL74MKenA
While in Turin, Paredes scored one goal and provided one assist in 35 games for the Old Lady, while he played five times for Argentina during their run to 2022 World Cup glory.
Roma general manager Tiago Pinto claimed that Paredes was only ever interested in a return to Roma when the possibility arose, adding: "As soon as he heard that we were interested, Leandro made it clear that his target was to return to Roma.
"His strong willpower made us even more convinced that we should bring him back to the Giallorossi and we're delighted to see him back in Roma colours.
"Ever since his first stint here, he has matured and gained international experience, combined with his knowledge of Italian football and his technical attributes, we're sure this will all prove to be crucial and strengthen our squad."
Paredes joins Evan Ndicka, Houssem Aouar and Rasmus Kristensen as Roma's new recruits for the 2023-24 season and could make his second debut for the club in Sunday's Serie A opener at home to Salernitana.
As well as Paredes, Roma are also closing in on the loan signing of the 29-year-old's former PSG teammate Renato Sanches, whose move will also include an option for a permanent transfer in 2024.
Mourinho's side have made room for their new midfielders by offloading Serbian veteran Nemanja Matic, who has joined Ligue 1 side Rennes after one year in Serie A.
Ben Knapton
