Mido eventually signed for Roma on the final day of the 2004 summer transfer window, for a fee of €6 million, signing a five-year contract.[67] It was confirmed that he would miss the opening game of the season, and possibly the following two games.[68] Mido was penciled in to make his Roma debut against Messina in September 2004, a game in which he did actually play, but Roma lost 4–3.[69][70] Reports suggested that Mido could be sold to Valencia in a swap deal with Bernardo Corradi and was also linked with a move to Premier League side Manchester City.[71][72] Southampton were believed to have had Mido on their shortlist of targets, but his agent Christophe Henrotay said Roma would not be willing to let Mido leave the club.[73][74] It was even reported that he had been offered to Southampton on loan but his new agent, Mino Raiola, repeated the earlier claims that Roma wanted to keep Mido until, at least, the end of the season.[75][76] He was linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, with his agent confirming he wanted a move away from Roma.[77]