AS Roma said Wednesday they had made a formal bid for Fiorentina's Romania striker Adrian Mutu.
According to press reports the Romans have put 18 million years on the table for the 29-year-old former Parma, Chelsea and Juventus star.
They are ready to pay him 3.5 million euros a year, considerably more than he earns in Florence, reports say.
Roma is eager to get its hands on a top-class striker to partner skipper Francesco Totti - especially after the departures of Amantino Mancini and Ludovic Giuly, respectively to Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
Pundits said any decision on a deal will be made when Fiorentina owner, shoe king Diego Della Valle, gets back from holiday Thursday.
Mutu's current contract runs till 2011 but Fiorentina have reportedly offered an extension as well as a raise in salary.
Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli, who has known Mutu since his days at Parma in 2002-03, is known to be keen to hang on to the striker who spearheaded the Violas' successful bid for a Champions League place last year.
But some pundits think the Fiorentina money men may like the sound of Roma's big offer for a player on the verge of his 30s.
Others say Mutu is less essential since Fiorentina signed Alberto Gilardino from AC Milan earlier this summer.
Mutu has scored 33 goals in 62 games since joining the Florentine side two years ago.
He also has a remarkably high strike rate for his country with 29 goals in 64 appearances - the last against Italy at Euro 2008.
Romania have only lost once with Mutu in the side.
Roma shares were suspended for an excessive rise of more than 20% on the Milan stock market Wednesday.
Roma's only other big summer signing, former Liverpool Norway defender John Arne Riise, told reporters at the club's training ground:
''Mutu is a fantastic player any team would like to have. Let's see what happens''.
