Newcastle United are reportedly scheming to sign AS Roma superstar Nicolo Zaniolo in the summer transfer window, with the Italian international also wanted by the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham.
According to Corriere della Sera, the Toon have been asking for information on the 23-year-old winger in recent weeks with Newcastle now looking towards making an offer to sign Zaniolo in the summer, though the Magpies are far from the only club interested in the youngster.
Italian agent Massimo Brambati told TuttoMercatoWeb that Tottenham were close to signing Zaniolo last summer, whilst Radio Radio recently claimed that Arsenal had made an attempt to bring the Roma star to north London, though to little success.
Now, it’s Newcastle’s turn to try and lure Zaniolo to England, with Roma reportedly placing a £46m price tag on the attacking midfielder according to CalcioMercato. Yet with the Toon now bankrolled by PIF, this asking price will be quite easy to meet for the northeast Premier League side.
Praised as ‘extraordinary’ by Roma manager Jose Mourinho, Zaniolo has been one of Italy’s most exciting talents in recent years, though the Tuscan-born star has only managed two goals and three assists in all competitions this season.
Indeed, Zaniolo’s form might not be as electric as we are used to, but there is no denying that the 11-cap Italian international would be a fine addition to Newcastle’s arsenal, as well as a major blow for the likes of Mikel Arteta and Antonio Conte’s Tottenham.
Newcastle signing Zaniolo would be a huge statement.
Newcastle have been very intelligent in their transfer activity since the PIF takeover, with the Magpies yet to bring in a bonafide superstar to take their squad to the absolute next level. Yet a good case could be made that Zaniolo might be that name this year.
As we know, Zaniolo is one of the biggest names in Serie A and a playmaker who can thrive in the Premier League. And for Newcastle, beating Arsenal and Tottenham to the 23-year-old’s signature would be a major sign of intent from PIF and a big step in the right direction for the Toon.
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