Manchester United target Strootman not for sale, Roma insist

Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini insists the club do not want to sell long-term Manchester United target Kevin Strootman. Goal reported earlier this summer that United were willing to wait for Strootman to recover from a serious knee injury before launching a bid if other top targets could not be aquired before September 1. Late attempts were made to sign Arturo Vidal and Nigel De Jong, but Strootman remains the priority target, and here have been various reports since the close of the transfer window claiming that a deal is close. But Sabatini says the club have no desire to cash in on the 24-year-old. "He is an extraordinary player, and these rumours have been based on the desires of other clubs," he said at a news conference. "We want to keep him, he is our point of strength. We hope to see him back on the pitch with all his powers. He played an exemplary role last season. "For now we enjoy him even while he is injured. We are not thinking in any way of selling him, we hope to have him back. We must have patience and wait, he is a decisive player."