Roma "won't let" Daniele De Rossi leave

Roma general manager Franco Baldini has insisted that Daniele De Rossi will not be sold in January despite making comments to the contrary earlier this month.

Baldini, who had said that the Italian club will "consider" offers for the 29-year-old in January, now claims that the midfielder will remain at the Stadio Olimpico.

"My words after Lazio-Roma were careless," he told Rai Sport. "We have no intention to sell an important player like Daniele. We demonstrated that in the summer.

"De Rossi is a Roma player and the club won't let him go. Is he happy now? That is the question at the moment, but I can say there is a strong bond in this squad."

De Rossi's current contract with Roma runs until June 2017.