Roma have reiterated that they have not received any official offers from potential investors to take over the club.

Newspapers reported that majority shareholders Italpetroli SpA were considering selling their controlling stake to US billionaire investor George Soros or to the royal family of the United Arab Emirates.

"No offer has been formalised from [the foreign investor] or from others whom the press has suggested as potential buyers," Italpetroli said in a statement.

The statement added it had received "no offer from the Arab Emirates royal family," and that all press reports in this regard were "groundless".

Italpetroli said on Friday that it had held talks with a representative of an unnamed potential investor, but that a sale was not imminent.

Sporadic rumours have also circled about interest in fellow Serie A club Juventus.

Juventus Chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli told a news conference in Milan that foreign investors were entitled to buy stock on the market but "certainly not a majority stake".

Cobolli Gigli was speaking at an event showcasing Juventus' recent agreement with marketing company Sportfive, part of French conglomerate Lagardere, to sell the naming rights to the club's new stadium.

Juventus and Sportfive said the process of finding sponsors for the stadium, ready for the 2011-2012 season, had just begun but ruled out companies in the car and sportswear market because of existing sponsorship ties to Fiat and Nike.

The deal will be the first of its kind in Italy, but several stadiums in Germany and Britain are named after sponsors.

Meanwhile, doctors are optimistic that Roma captain Francesco Totti will be fit for the start of next season after undergoing surgery on his right knee.

Totti went under the knife in the Italian capital after sustaining a ligament injury during his team's 1-1 draw against Livorno on Saturday.

"The feeling is good and the player could have a speedy recovery to play next season in the domestic league and in the Champions League," said doctor Pier Paolo Mariani, who carried out the procedure.

"The recovery time has been set at four months."

TEAMtalk / Reuters