If Juventus making Nicolo Zaniolo their top priority in the summer was a surprising enough announcement, the emergence of another Azzurri giant is sure to take aback a lot of potential suitors. Roma are keen on holding onto one of their most valuable assets but will part ways with the Italian starlet if something big comes their way.
Corriere dello Sport (via TuttoNapoli) reports of Napoli’s interest in the 22-year-old forward. The Partenopei are serious about Zaniolo potentially taking over Lorenzo Insigne’s role in the south of Italy.
Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is motivated to challenge for all trophies next season, including the much famed UEFA Champions League title, having last appeared in the competition back in 2019/20.
Zaniolo’s contract with the Giallorossi expires only in the summer of 2024, but the capital club may find it hard to hold him out so long with some of the best clubs around sniffing for his signature. Roma expect nothing short of €70-80m for him.
Per la #Juve il profilo ideale, ma servono 70 milioni cash: scogli e costi dell'operazione #Zaniolo https://t.co/JJKZsUVoG2
— La Gazzetta dello Sport (@Gazzetta_it) March 23, 2022
The left-footed winger graduated from Fiorentina’s youth academy. Inter signed the youngster in the summer of 2017 and shone for the club’s Primavera team, before moving having made just one appearance for the club in a friendly – under then Nerazzurri coach Luciano Spalletti.
Spalletti is undoubtedly aware of the mezzala’s potential in the final-third, so much so, that the club see him as a successor to club legend Insigne.
Zaniolo recently appeared for the 100th time in the crimson red colours of the Giallorossi and scored a vital solitary goal in his team’s 1-0 win against Atalanta.
He has 4 goals and 8 assists in 33 appearances for Roma this campaign.