Nicolo Zaniolo in 2018 became the favorite of the Roma fans, which was supposed to continue the tradition of Francesco Totti and Daniel De Rossi, and he had everything for it. Yes, he was not a graduate of the Roman Academy, but at the age of 18 he began to play at the base of the team, and also, although on rare occasions, scored goals. Everything seemed to lead to the fact that Roma would become a new star player for the Italian team and for all of European football, but a beautiful story turned into something difficult and unpleasant, which is worth telling.
As soon as Zaniolo shone and showed 4+2 in Serie A, some clubs in Europe, including Tottenham, immediately drew attention to him, but Nicolo extended the contract, which further strengthened relations with fans and management. .
However, then an unpleasant and very painful injury happened – a rupture of the cruciate ligaments. Once recovered, and beginning to show a good level again, the situation repeated itself, but this time with another knee. Two ‘crosses’ breaks in a row at the age of 21 is a very strong blow for a footballer.
Photo source: AFLO
The club supported Nikolo, but understood that it could be more profitable to sell the player than to risk and try to get him back into the team, especially in the context of the contract that ends in 2024. Then Bournemouth appeared on the horizon, agreeing a transfer of 30 million euros, which fully suited Roma, but Nicolo refused to negotiate, which angered the club’s management. And when he admitted his mistake under pressure from Roma and threatened to be transferred to the reserve until the end of the contract, Bournemouth himself refused to talk to the capricious player.
All of this resulted in a complete nightmare for Zaniolo. Mourinho directly criticizes the Italian for his behavior, with fans putting up offensive banners with death threats and, according to unconfirmed reports, even harassing the player. Nicolo himself is also not far behind, but checks the legality of the Club’s behavior, which, in his opinion, puts great psychological pressure on him. This is the case when there is only one step from love to hate.
Photo source: AFLO
Save Zaniolo can only transfer. And if before there was talk of interest from Tottenham, Manchester United and other top-level clubs, now the only saving grace for the Italian is Galatasaray, willing to sign the midfielder. Gianluca Di Marzio claims that the Turks are ready to offer 22 million euros and guarantee the player himself a place in the first team.
In the negotiations, the obvious dominant force is Galatasaray, who understand that it is they who dictate the conditions in the current situation. Roma urgently need to get rid of an unnecessary player, the price of which will still fall in the summer, and Zaniolo has no choice, given that the transfer windows are closed in the major leagues. If it is not possible to agree now, then the 23-year-old will have to sit out another six months without match practice. And this is the minimum.
