Pablo Zabaleta set for a move to Roma

Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta is close to completing a £2.5 million move to Roma, according to reports in Italy.

The 31-year-old is entering the final 12 months of his contract at City but has been offered a longer deal with the Serie A club, according to reports.

Zabaleta fell below right-back Bacary Sagna in the pecking order at the Etihad last season and, coupled with two major injury setbacks, he made just 12 starts in the Premier League.

The Argentina international also had to have surgery on an ankle injury in May, which ruled him out of this summer’s Copa America.

Zabaleta admitted in April that he would consider his future in the summer and said he expected the squad to be overhauled when new manager Pep Guardiola takes over as the new manager.

“I have just one more year here [on my contract] and we’ll see what happens at the end of the season,” he said at the time. “We expect big changes at the club with a new manager coming in.”

Zabaleta was signed by Mark Hughes in 2008 from Espanyol shortly before Sheikh Mansour bought the club and has gone on to make 301 appearances for the club — winning two Premier League titles as well as the FA Cup and Capital One Cup twice.

Fellow Serie A sides Inter Milan and Juventus were also reportedly interested in taking him to Italy earlier in the summer.