BARCELONA, Spain (AP) " Roma has acquired Belgium defender Thomas Vermaelen on a season-long loan from Barcelona. In his two seasons at Barcelona, Vermaelen was unable to avoid the recurrent injuries that impeded his career at former club Arsenal. The Spanish champions say the deal includes a purchase option for Roma, which came third in Serie A last season. He missed all but the last Liga match of his first season at Barcelona and only made 21 total appearances for the Catalan club.

Source: New Zealand Herald August 08, 2016 21:33 UTC