Aston Villa are rivalling Tottenham in showing an interest in Galatasaray attacker Nicolo Zaniolo this summer, according to a new report from Italy.
Is Zaniolo on the move this summer?
The 23-year-old has has a curious career to date, in many ways, with horrendous bad luck with injuries coming his way and limiting his progress hugely. He has had a string of fitness issues down the years, including a cruciate ligament rupture, but he is still battling hard to reach his potential.
Zaniolo is currently plying his trade at Galatasarary, having joined from Roma in the January transfer window, and he has shone there, scoring five goals in 10 Turkish Super Lig appearances.
While the Italian signed a deal with the Turkish giants until the summer of 2027, a potential move to the Premier League in the upcoming window is being mooted.
That’s where Villa come into play, as they look to do some massive business between now and the start of the season, in what feels like one of the most pivotal summers at the club in years
Could Villa seal signing of Zaniolo?
According to TuttoJuve [via Sport Witness], Zaniolo is going to be “one of the key players” in the summer transfer window, when it comes to potential outgoings. Juventus are interested in making a move for him, but Villa and Spurs are also believed to be in the mix
He has a “bigger offer on the table” from an English club, compared to Juve, and the Villans reportedly “dream of signing him” in the coming weeks and months. The £76,000-a-week winger has a €35m (£29.9m) release clause in his Galatasaray contract, so it’s a case of whether clubs want to trigger it or not.
Zaniolo could be a really exciting signing by Villa this summer, having racked up 11 caps for Italy to date, scoring twice along the way. A tally of 24 goals and 18 assists for Roma also shows that he can shine in one of Europe’s top leagues, and while there would be concerns about his injury problems down the years, the hope is that he is now beyond those woes.
At 23, he is still such a young player who could develop into even more of a force – Claudio Ranieri has hailed him as “decisive” – and Villa signing him would feel like a big statement of intent, as they prepare to play in the UEFA Europa Conference League next season.
