FORMER ROMA MIDFIELDER Daniele de Rossi has signed with Boca Juniors, the Argentine giants have announced.

De Rossi joins the club on a short-term contract, after playing over 600 times across nearly two full decades with Roma. 

His time with the Serie A side came to an end following the 2018-19 season, with the midfielder posting an emotional farewell in which he thanked current and former team-mates and “every Roma fan” for his time with the club. 

Boca made their intentions clear last week amid rumours that the 35-year-old was destined to sign for the Argentine outfit, claiming that the deal was “99 per cent” done and that De Rossi would in fact be flying to Buenos Aires to finish off the deal. 

De Rossi arrived in Argentina yesterday amid massive fanfare, with Boca posting on social media accounts when he arrived in the country and essentially confirming his signing hours later with a slightly cryptic post showing him at the club and another saying he was “home”. 

“To have a world champion say he wants to finish his career here fills me with pride,” Boca Juniors president Daniel Angelici told TyC Sports last week.

“It is good for Argentine football to have a player like this.”

Boca were not the only club interested in signing the Italian midfielder. 

Parma admitted an interest in the De Rossi but claimed they could not afford his services, while MLS leaders LAFC were also thought to be on the verge of landing him earlier in the summer. 

But Boca sporting director Nicolas Burdisso​ made his intentions clear in May, stating publically that the doors would be “wide open” for his “dear friend” with the Argentine club. 

De Rossi leaves Roma as a two-time Coppa Italia winner with the club, having also won the Serie A Footballer of the Year award in 2009. 

He also comes to Argentina as a World Cup winner, claiming the title with Italy in 2006. 

His list of personal honours also includes FIFA FIFPro World XI nomination in 2009 and a place on the Team of the Tournament for the 2012 European Championship, which saw Italy lose to Spain in the final.