AS Roma have a plan for keeping both Nainggolan and Pjanic, much to Chelsea's chagrin

Round and around and around and around we go in the Radja Nainggolan rumor cycle.  Sometimes we're close(r), sometimes we're far(ther).  Constantly spinning.  Who knows what's true and what's false.

Just yesterday, Conte was supposedly meeting with the Belgium international.  And it wasn't that long ago that some reports even claimed that an agreement between Chelsea, Roma, and Nainggolan was basically a done deal — personal terms, transfer fee, the whole nine yards.  All along, the midfielder has been, at best, coy about his future, though mostly he just maintained that he wasn't going anywhere.  Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini has confirmed the same today.

"Not Radja, he wants to stay. In fact, perhaps neither of them [will be sold]. If I can manage a certain move I'm planning, then maybe we can keep them both [Nainggolan and Pjanic]."

The fates of the two Roma stars are supposedly dependent on each other as Roma need to raise some cash for FFP and thus many expect one of them to be sold.  But it sounds like Sabatini has something up his sleeves to solve this conundrum before he himself bids goodbye to the club on June 30th.  What that may be, who knows...

"Roma's financial situation? Ask me a different question."

"As for me, I can see my future here as far as June 30. Beyond that, I can't."

-Walter Sabatini; source: Gazzetta dello Sport via Football Italia

Sabatini also touches on Chelsea-linked Amadou Diawara ("he's good, we like him"), confirms that they will be signing Antonio Rudiger (who had been rumored to perhaps be sold afterwards), and reveals that center back Mehdi Benatia is indeed being shopped around by Bayern.  Benatia could be a shrewd signing by Chelsea.

Just another fine day in Silly Season.  Now without even less of a chance of signing Radja Nainggolan however...