Axel Witsel has handed Stoke City's chances of landing him a blow by revealing that joining Roma would be a good step for his career.
The Belgian midfielder has yet to hold talks with Roma, but he looks all set to depart Russian giants Zenit St. Petersburg this summer, especially as he has just a year left on his contract.
The 27-year-old midfielder is reported to be a top target for Stoke, and the Premier League club tabled a bid in recent weeks to sign Witsel from Zenit.
However, Roma’s interest has turned the tables on Stoke and his agent revealed earlier this week that midfielder is keener on a move to Roma, due to the presence of former Zenit boss Luciano Spalletti at the Stadio Olimpico.
And the Belgian himself admits that joining a big club such as Roma would not be a bad step for his career, though he stressed there has been no direct contact with the club yet.
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He was quoted as saying by Belgian daily Het Nieuwsblad: “They are a big club, one of the biggest in Italy.
“It would not be a bad step to take, but I have had no direct contact from them still.”
Witsel has earned 65 international caps for Belgium and is currently with the national team for the European Championship.
