Liverpool have emerged as contenders to sign Roma forward Nicolo Zaniolo in the summer transfer window.
According to Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are ‘hot’ on the youngster’s trail, although the Serie A side ideally would want to keep him at the Stadio Olimpico. The Reds ‘in particular’ are said to be interested in the 20-year-old, who Roma may be forced to sell due to the financial issues caused by the current viral outbreak, with Paulo Fonseca’s side keen to get several players off the wage bill (per Sport Witness).
The Italian is currently recovering from a long-term cruciate ligament injury but still seems to be attracting interest ahead of the summer transfer window. Before his injury, the 20-year-old had featured 18 times in Serie A this season; contributing four goals and one assist, earning him a solid average rating of 6.91 (per WhoScored). His performances in the Europa League were much more impressive, however, with the winger contributing two goals and two assists in just six appearances; averaging a superb 7.53 rating (per WhoScored).
TIF Thoughts…
Zaniolo’s impressive performances before his injury certainly seem to suggest that he could be a strong addition to Klopp’s side ahead of next season. With Adam Lallana confirmed to be leaving and Xherdan Shaqiri looking likely to leave, you could argue that the German manager needs to add to his squad depth, and perhaps the Roma youngster could prove to be a good back-up to the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
Would Zaniolo be a good signing for the Reds?
Yes
No
However, with the 20-year-old currently valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, it would perhaps be a surprise to see the Premier League leaders spending so much on someone who would presumably be a back-up at first, especially during the current financial times.