Rome  - The shares of Serie A side Roma gained 20 per cent Tuesday amid rumours that a Swiss-German financial group is interested in buying the club, the online site epubblica. it reported.

It appears that Roma and the prospective buyers already signed a preliminary agreement, but the Italpetroli oil company, which controls the club, denied in a statement to have sold its shares.

"Journalistic fabrications about the time for a sale of (our) shares are entirely imaginative and lacking of foundation," Italpetroli said.

Roma appeared to be on the verge of being sold to US magnate George Soros already a year ago. The Rome club are one of three Serie A clubs to float on the stock market with Juventus and cross-town Lazio. (dpa)