A.S. Roma have signed midfielder Steven N’Zonzi from Sevilla for €26.5m and becomes Roma’s most expensive signing of the summer so far.

The deal also includes up to €4m in clauses pushing the potential total value of the transfer just over €30m.

Upon arriving in the Italian capital N’Zonzi was welcomed by Roma fans, a common sight in Italy when a big signing is expected, and posed for photos and signed autographs for the Roma faithful, a move which will have already endeared him to the fans.

The deal sees Roma director of football Monchi reunited with one of his former players after he signed N’Zonzi for Sevilla in 2015 from Stoke City.

N’Zonzi will likely be a direct replacement for Belgian central midfielder Radja Nainggolan who left Roma this year to join Internazionale in a deal that cost Inter €24m plus Davide Santon and Nicolò Zaniolo.

Both known for their passing and defensive ability, Nainggolan and N’Zonzi are both players cut from the same cloth and with the cash value being almost the same Roma may have pulled off a bit of shrewd bit of business here signing Santon and Zaniolo on what is effectively a free transfer.

The midfielder was part of France’s World Cup squad playing in two of the group games as well as the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and even making an appearance in the final as a 55th-minute substitute replacing the booked N’Golo Kante.

In a statement on the Roma website, N’Zonzi said: “I feel very happy to be here, and to be a new Roma player.

“I always want to improve – regardless of age, the most important thing is to give your best and work hard. I want to do that, to become a better player and help the team with my play and experience.”