Umar Sadiq of Nigeria and Almeria.Almeria.

Umar Sadiq open to AS Roma return after impressing with UD Almeria

Nigeria international Umar Sadiq has refused to rule out a return to play for Serie A giants AS Roma.

The 25-year-old forward, who currently turns out for Spanish club UD Almería, joined Roma in July 2015 on loan from Spezia and made his Serie A debut on November 21, replacing Juan Iturbe after 88 minutes in a 2-2 away draw against Bologna.

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He scored his first goal on December 20, netting only seven minutes after coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Mohamed Salah at Roma, helping his team to a 2-0 home win over Genoa.

On January 6, 2016, Sadiq bagged his second goal in his first start for Roma, opening the scoring in the 7th minute of an eventual 3-3 away draw against Chievo. He finished the season with two goals in six Serie A appearances.

Umar, who is currently enjoying scoring form with Almeria in the Segunda Division believes he will always consider a move to Roma.

“Roma is my second home. I have my house there and my family,” he told TribalFootball as quoted by Sporting Life when asked if he will consider a return. “Roma gives me a beautiful atmosphere and everything for me.

“You never know the future. But for now, I need to remain focused on my career at UD Almeria.”

Umar also had a great season with Partizan, where he managed 23 goals from 52 appearances, and when asked about the Serbian club, he said: “Partizan is a team that remains in my heart,” Sadiq added. “The club wanted me when no team wanted me.

“I was in a very difficult situation and Partizan made me come back into football life, All I have is love for Partizan.”

On June 21, 2016, it was announced Roma exercised the option and signed Umar permanently until June 30, 2020. He travelled with the first team to the United States for the 2017 International Champions Cup, scoring in his only appearance against Paris Saint-Germain, as Roma lost after penalties.

On August 31, 2016, Umar was sent on loan to Bologna until the end of the season with a purchase option. He appeared in seven Serie A games, before returning to Roma. On October 5, 2020, Umar joined Spanish side Almería on a five-year contract.

In the current campaign with Almeria, Umar has managed 40 appearances overall and played 3,166 minutes. He has started in 35 of these appearances across their 44 fixtures and entered as a substitute on five occasions.

The attacker has netted 20 Segunda Division goals this season, which is the third-most by a player in the competition in 2020-2021. He was last on target in the league in the 2-1 win against UD Logrones on May 24, netting in the second minute.

He opened his account for the campaign against FC Cartagena on October 21, scoring during a 1-1 draw.

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