Batistuta signs 3-yr contract with AS Roma

Batistuta shied away from announcing the specifics of the deal, but Italian media reports have said AS Roma offered Batistuta approximately $5.2 million a year and will pay Fiorentina transfer fee of $33 million.

The offer by AS Roma "has been a very strong one for a 31-year-old player and I hope to repay them with goals," he told reporters yesterday.

If correct, the deal would make Batistuta the highest-paid player in the history of Italian soccer, eclipsing the lucrative deals for the Serie A’s currently highest-paid players: Juventus’ Alessandro del Piero ($4.7 million a year) and Internazionale’s Christian Vieri ($3.8 million). Both Del Piero and Vieri are Italian players.

"I’m very happy with the deal and especially at this stage of my career," said Batistuta.

Batistuta announced at the end of the Serie A campaign last Sunday that he intended to part with Fiorentina after nine years. He transferred to the Florence club from Argentina’s Boca Juniors in 1991 for $2.3 million, and has endured a number of up and down seasons, including Fiorentina’s relegation to Serie B in 1993.

A prolific scorer known for his blistering shots, Batistuta leaves Fiorentina as the team’s all-time leading scorer. His 168 goals in 269 games broke the previous record held by Kurt Hamrin of Sweden.

Last season, he finished second among the league’s top scorers with 22, tied with compatriot Hernan Crespo. Batistuta is also the leading goal scorer in the history of the Argentine national team.

For AS Roma, Batistuta’s signing will immediately bolster a struggling front line. Batistuta said he would travel to Italy either next Tuesday or Wednesday to be formally introduced by Roma team officials.