Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte “really likes” Roma forward Nicolò Zaniolo, amid interest from the north London club in the Italy international.
O’Rourke was speaking to This is Futbol about the latest transfer news at Spurs as we head into the final few weeks of the transfer window.
It was reported earlier this week by Gazzetta dello Sport (via the Express) that the Lilywhites are offering the Serie A club a season-long loan for Zaniolo, with the obligation to buy for £33.8m if Spurs qualify for the Champions League next season and the 23-year-old plays in at least 50% of the club’s fixtures.
However, the same report stated that Roma are reluctant to agree to a deal with a clause involving playing time due to how injury-prone the player has been throughout his career so far.
Nevertheless, O’Rourke believes that Zaniolo – who was once likened to Steven Gerrard as a youngster by former coach Stefano Vecchi – is a player who Conte admires greatly.
He said: “Zaniolo [is a] very talented player who, unfortunately has had his progress interrupted by injuries, but definitely a talented player and somebody that Antonio Conte really likes.
“Spurs do seem to be a club going in the right place right now.”
TIF Thoughts on O’Rourke’s comments…
We believe that Spurs fans will be delighted to hear that Conte is an admirer of Zaniolo, as the club’s interest suggests that the manager is going to be backed further in the transfer market by Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy.
We believe that the nine-time Italy international would be a very useful signing for Spurs, with SofaScore suggesting that he can play in multiple positions across the midfield and forward line, providing a versatility that Conte would desire during Spurs’ domestic and Champions League campaigns.
We therefore think that Tottenham should be looking to make a move for Zaniolo as quickly as they possibly can in order to get him in at Hotspur Way before the transfer window is out.