Paulo Fonseca has made it clear that Roma have no interest in selling alleged Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool target Nicolo Zaniolo this summer, while speaking to Sky Italia.
The Giallorossi boss might be something of a slave-driver at times, demanding blood, sweat and tears from each and every one of his players, that does not mean that he is unwilling to forgive and forget when necessary.
Zaniolo found himself on the wrong side of Fonseca, not to mention a Roma teammate or two, during a nervy 2-1 Serie A triumph over Hellas Verona this month.
The 20-year-old play-maker was accused of failing to track his runners when coming off the bench. After an on-field bust-up with defender Gianluca Mancini, Fonseca made it clear that he was far from impressed with Zaniolo’s ‘attitude’.
But all those who thought a very public dressing down would be the end of the former Inter youngster’s time at the Stadio Olimpico have been very much mistaken.
“There is no problem with Zaniolo,” Fonseca said after the midfielder scored his eighth goal of the season in a 6-1 thrashing of SPAL.
“He is a talent but we must not make the mistake of putting too much pressure on him. He is a very important player for Roma and it would not be right to give him too many responsibilities.
“He is very young. We don’t want to sell any of our most important players like Zaniolo.”
With his hulking 6ft 3ins frame, those fearsome dribbling skills and the ability to turn defence into attack with a few strides of his telescopic legs, Zaniolo looks pretty much a midfielder tailor-made for Jose Mourinho.
It should be no surprise to learn, then, that Tottenham have been tracking the Italy international all season after mulling over a £30 million bid last summer (the Guardian).
Liverpool have also been linked, via Leggo in May.
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