Italy international Nicolo Zaniolo has not made a significant impact at AS Roma in 2022/23 and the Giallorossi midfielder has requested to be sold in the winter transfer window.
The 23-year-old was the hero for the Lupi in the 2022 Conference League Final, scoring the only goal against Dutch giants Feyenoord as Roma went on to lift the trophy, but he has scored just once in 13 Serie A appearances in 2022/23.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Zaniolo could be sold for around €35-40 million, and AS Roma will accept either a permanent deal or a loan deal with an obligation to buy outright. With the money generated from the sale, the Giallorossi will likely reinvest in players that coach Jose Mourinho wants to improve the squad.
Spurs bid too low
When Fabio Paratici was a director at Juventus, he was eager to lure Zaniolo to Turin, and remains keen on the forward as the Managing Director of Football of Tottenham Hotspur.
The 23-year-old reportedly prefers to go to Spurs over the other clubs linked with him but the initial offer made needs to be raised. The North London club have offered AS Roma €20 million plus bonuses, way below the Lupi’s evaluation of the Italy international.
Arsenal were also linked with Zaniolo but they look set to turn their attention elsewhere. Meanwhile, West Ham as well as Leicester City are interested in him, but he has little intention of playing for those two clubs as they are at risk of being relegated to the Championship.
Borussia Dortmund have apparently shown interest in the Italian as well but it is unlikely that they can match anything Tottenham will throw at AS Roma.
Change of scenery needed for Zaniolo
Zaniolo was considered to be one of the brightest prospects in Italian football when he arrived at AS Roma in 2018 after swap deal involving him and Radja Nainggolan heading to Inter.
Despite showing signs of potential, two serious knee injuries have hindered his progress and his personal affairs off the pitch have also been brought to surface. For instance, his former girlfriend Chiara Nasti is now in a relationship with Lazio forward Mattia Zaccagni. The couple have a child together and that has caused tension between the two players in the Italy squad, even forcing both players to leave a training camp.
When on song, Zaniolo is an elegant player capable of turning a game on his own, but AS Roma are not getting enough productivity from the 23-year-old so he might as well rediscover his form elsewhere.
