Radio RAI broadcaster Francesco Repice has told TuttoMercatoWEB that Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo must be worth more than double the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish.
Pep Guardiola’s Citizens smashed the British transfer record to lure Grealish from Aston Villa earlier this month. He joined the Premier League champions after a sensational season for his boyhood club last term, and showing his skill at this summer’s Euro 2020.
Grealish, who signed a £200,000-a-week contract with Manchester City, offered Aston Villa six goals and 12 assists last term. Zaniolo, meanwhile, missed the entire 2020/21 campaign after sustaining a second ACL injury in less than a year.
Zaniolo returned to action this summer in Jose Mourinho’s first pre-season since taking charge at Roma. He will now look to rediscover the form displayed in 2019/20, after offering six goals and two assists in 26 Serie A appearances, before his first ligament rupture.
Repice, the voice of Italian football, expects Zaniolo will stamp his mark on the Roma midfielder now that he’s fit. And show why Roma could demand more than double what Manchester City paid for Grealish if Zaniolo hit the market.
“The question I always ask myself is: if Grealish cost City €117m (£100m), how much is Zaniolo worth? In my opinion, it takes between €250m-300m (£213m-£255m),” Repice said. “Grealish seems to me just a slightly less technical Ceravolo.”
Is Roma’s Zaniolo worth double what Manchester City paid for Grealish?
Repice holds Zaniolo in very high admiration to suggest the Roma midfielder is worth more than double what Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Grealish. As well as breaking the British record, the England maestro’s move became the sixth-most expensive of all time.
Zaniolo, though, would break the all-time record if Roma were to sell the seven-cap Italy international in Repice’s suggested range. Per figures reported by Goal, Neymar’s €222m (£189m) move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 remains the record.
Even Tottenham Hotspur do not value Harry Kane at a world-record sum this summer. ESPN note Manchester City are prepared to spend £120m plus add-ons to sign Kane, but Spurs want £150m. Enough to rank third, after €180m (£153m) star Kylian Mbappe, including the bonuses PSG agreed to pay Monaco in 2017.
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