Tottenham have had an opening bid to sign AS Roma playmaker Nicolo Zaniolo this month rejected, according to reports from Sky in Italy. Spurs are said to be in the race to land the 23-year-old in January, with West Ham and Borussia Dortmund also chasing a potential deal.
Zaniolo is said to be free to leave Roma in the transfer window after a difficult return action in the past few months, even receiving boos from fans in a clash with Bologna. “I’m sorry I heard whistles. Empathy is very important, and as a group we always give our best," former Tottenham boss and current AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho said on the versatile forward.
"He’s a great example of a boy who gives his best. I learned as a child that if you do your best, you can’t give more. Zaniolo gives everything he has, my history of Rome is small but people hear me. I say they can whistle the team, the coach, the result but not the single player. I’m sorry for Zaniolo.”
It appears that as a result of some tough performances, a move is on the cards, with the Italian side said to value Zaniolo at £35million. That could be a snip in the current market, given some of the transfer fees being thrown around by rivals in their hopes of a squad rebuild.
The switch could also see Fabio Paratici repeat the trick he used one-year ago in securing Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus. The Sweden international struggled for the Bianconeri in his time there before joining Spurs on loan in the January window, a move that proved ideal for him.
The youngster hit the ground running and gave the Lilywhites the boost they needed to finish the season in the top four, with Champions League back on the agenda. It looks shrewd business for a young player struggling in Serie A and Zaniolo could provide a similar type of situation to pounce on.
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