Roma sporting director Gianluca Petrachi has revealed the strategy he used to keep a hold of striker Edin Dzeko over the Summer transfer window.

The veteran Bosnian striker drew very heavy links to Inter but in the end, he refused the Nerazzurri’s advances and penned a new contract with the Giallorossi.

“My strategy for Dzeko was not told to anyone but I always had the hope of being able to hold on to him. The situations that occurred last year had an affect but Roma is changing and I made him understand that,” Petrachi revealed as part of Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s official presentation.

“I tried to tell him that he would not be as important to Inter as he was to Roma. If they wanted to sign him, they would have to pay the price I set as we would have otherwise been without a reference point in the attack. I am happy that he understood in the end and I want to thank his agent who helped us make him think about it.”