AS Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo has opened up on the summer transfer window where Tottenham were reportedly interested in signing the Serie A playmaker alongside Juventus.
Speaking to the press via Football Italia, the Italian international revealed that the summer felt like any other year for the midfielder despite intense interest from the likes of Tottenham and Juventus, with reports even suggesting that Antonio Conte even made a late bid to sign Zaniolo.
Reportedly valued at £46m, the Roma star looked set to leave Jose Mourinho’s side this summer after seemingly falling out with the Portuguese manager and the club itself, however, the versatile playmaker made a surprise U-turn that saw Zaniolo stay in the Italian capital, where this season he has featured before getting injured.
Set to return to this pitch in the UEFA Europa League, though, Zaniolo could play a key role for Roma in their bid to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League, a competition the 23-year-old is eager to play in despite interest from two participants in the tournament this year in Tottenham and Juventus.
Indeed, with one year remaining on his current deal, Zaniolo’s future still looks set to be away from Roma, and despite links to Tottenham in the summer, the Italian international has insisted that transfer rumours have done nothing to faze him from what lies ahead for him this season at the Stadio Olimpico.
Zaniolo said: “It wasn’t an unusual summer for me, it always seems like I have to leave and then I stay, these are speculations and thoughts you have. I still have a year and a half left on my contract to talk about it, it’s not the right time right now, because we have HJK Helsinki and Atalanta, I’m focused on the pitch.”
Tottenham could have second chance to sign Zaniolo in January
Zaniolo’s decision to stay in Roma this summer caught many surprise, yet with talks of a new contract yet to hit the airwaves, Tottenham could still be with a chance of signing the talented Roma playmaker in the January window, where the Italian’s price tag could be lower.
With Conte’s side getting off to a strong start in the league, adding Zaniolo to the fray could give Tottenham the extra boost needed to go far in both Europe and in the domestic cup competitions, and the Roma star himself could be very open to moving to north London to play under the Italian manager.
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