Jose Mourinho wants to add Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo to his Tottenham midfield revamp this summer.
Italian journalist Nicolo Schira claims that Spurs will offer €50 million for the Italian.
However, his current club want a fee between €60m and €70m to let him go.
Schira also notes that Juventus are interested, as well as former club Inter, who inserted a 15% sell-on clause was inserted in Zaniolo’s contract when he swapped Milan for Rome in 2018.
Josè #Mourinho wants Nicolò #Zaniolo. #Tottenham are ready to offer €50M #ASRoma (ask €60-70M to sell him) for the italian midfielder. #Juventus are really interested in him and #Inter are looking (they have 15% on a future fees) the event. #transfers #THFC
— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) July 21, 2020
Zaniolo’s Roma future has been put into doubt recently, with Corriere dello Sport claiming that the club’s financial troubles could force them to sell for a cheaper fee of around €50 million.
The player himself had been keen to stay put, but recent criticism by manager Paulo Fonseca may have changed this.
After Roma’s 2-1 win over Hellas Verona last week, Fonseca said: “I didn’t like Zaniolo, I’m not satisfied with his attitude”.
Zaniolo is an incredibly promising player
21-year-old Zaniolo burst onto the scene following his move to Roma in summer 2018.
Last season was his first in Serie A, as he never played a senior game for Inter.
In 34 appearances in Serie A and the Champions League, he scored six goals and got two assists.
This season began in similarly impressive fashion.
He scored six goals and assisted three more in 24 matches before he ruptured his cruciate ligament in January.
He has since made four substitute appearances post-coronavirus restart, adding one more goal.
Zaniolo is a versatile midfielder, who can play in numerous roles.
He has played off the right and as a box-to-box midfielder, but his best position is probably as a number 10.
He has five caps for Italy and will most likely be a regular in the squad for years to come.
Is he right for Tottenham?
Zaniolo is a very sensible target for any team looking for a talented, yet tenacious attacking midfielder.
Mourinho seemingly believes that he is perfect for the Premier League due to his determination and physical attributes.
Despite his young age, Zaniolo is incredibly strong. He stands at 6’3″, which is relatively tall for a player in his position.
However, unlike other tall number 10’s, like Kai Havertz, Zaniolo is also quite broad.
He uses this power to hold off defenders, as well as using his long stride to break away from them.
If Tottenham do move for Zaniolo, it will be a big blow to Dele Alli as they play in similar positions.
The Englishman’s form has dropped off a cliff in the last couple of seasons, which is a big worry to fans of both Tottenham and England.
This means that signing Zaniolo does make sense, as Spurs are in need of support for Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.
His goal output isn’t top-class just yet, but this will most likely come with more experience.
If they can get him for under market value, Nicolo Zaniolo would be a very sensible signing for Tottenham Hotspur.
