Roma sporting director says Benatia let go because 'he no longer had the desire to stay'

The war of wards regarding Mehdi Benatia's transfer from Roma to Bayern Munich continues.

Benatia, who joined the reigning Bundesliga champions before the closure of this summer's transfer window, triggered a strong response from Roma president James Pallotta when he claimed that the Italian club had let him go due to financial reasons.

Pallotta responded by referring to Benatia as a "liar" and a "poison," insisting that Roma had let him go because of his character.

On Tuesday, Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini weighed in on the issue by backing up Palotta's claims relating to the compensation that Benatia was given while being pursued by other clubs.

While it's understandable that Benatia would seek out higher wages with his value at an all-time high, let's remember that he's only had one exceptional season, and making demands to a club with financial trouble like Roma probably isn't going to end well.