Nicolo Zaniolo has secured his exit from Roma by joining Galatasaray despite Jose Mourinho claiming he would remain at the Stadio Olympico.
The Italian made it known towards the latter stages of the January transfer window that he wanted to leave the capital. Zaniolo is highly-rated but his desire to quit the club did not go down well with Mourinho as Premier League clubs began to court his services.
Bournemouth and Tottenham were among those linked, but a deal couldn't be struck before the English window closed, meaning the 23-year-old was poised to stay put. Galatasaray though have managed to secure a deal that could be worth up to €29.5m (£26m) which ends an unsavoury saga that saw Mourinho and the Roma sporting director take aim at the player.
The Special One had originally said offers for Zaniolo were not matching their price tag. When it looked like the Italian was going to remain in Rome, Mourinho confessed the situation was not ideal, after also stating he was only worried about "players who want to do well for this club".
He said last month: "I say 'unfortunately' because the player has been saying for a month that he wants to leave. If a player tells everyone he no longer wants to wear the Roma jersey, I have to say 'unfortunately'. The ideal situation is for the player to be happy. I said that I expected him to stay, but as things stand today, I have to add 'unfortunately' to that sentence."
Tiago Pinto, Roma's sporting director, has been less understanding however - citing issues regarding the player's wage as an issue before taking aim at the calibre of clubs interested in Zaniolo. He said: "Even I may think I should earn X money, but if I decide to leave Roma and I see that only Bournemouth and Galatasaray want me, you have to ask yourself some questions"
Zaniolo, who has previously been named the best young player in Serie A, has looked to end his time in Italy on a positive note despite the nature of his exit. He penned a post on social media which underlined his pride at having played for Roma.
"You welcomed me as if I were at home," he wrote on Instagram. "You made me grow, you gave me a chance that I tried to take with all my heart, always honouring the history you represent, fighting for your colours, sweating for the jersey every time I wore it. Now that we've said goodbye, I want to tell you one thing... It was an honour."
Zaniolo's Galatasaray debut could come in their next Super Lig fixture against Gaziantep with the Istanbul-based outfit enjoying a comfortable lead at the top of the table as they eye a first title since 2019.
