Former Albania defender, Nevil Dede, has said Marash Kumbulla needs to consider his future with AS Roma.
Dede has urged Kumbulla to take a serious look at his situation with the Giallorossi not only for the sake of his career, but also for the Albanian national team.
Regarded among the brightest young defenders in Serie A, Kumbulla has managed just two fleeting appearances for Roma so far this season as a thigh injury and stiff competition provided by the likes of Chris Smalling and Gianluca Mancini has held him back.
Watching on has been a concerned Dede. The Dinamo Tirana coach is a former centre-half himself, winning over 30 caps with Albania in a career that saw him face the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Michael Owen.
“I was a great defender at the Albanian football level,” smiled Dede when speaking with Tribalfootball.com, “but I don’t know what I would have done at other levels.
“My desire is that Marash Kumbulla can have more minutes in his legs, to be playing for a club where he can feel calm and relaxed, because the better someone feels in a club, the better he plays.”
Kumbulla initially made the move to Roma on-loan from Hellas Verona two years ago, before signing permanently in the summer of 2021. Still only 22, he has a contract to 2025.
With his youth and potential, Dede has no doubts Kumbulla can thrive elsewhere if he can’t force his way into Roma’s first-choice XI.
The former Albania U19 coach added: “Kumbulla has a lot of qualities, plus he is a young player and we hope he gets more and more minutes and to develop more.
“This way he can help himself but also the Albanian national team.”
