Fabrizio Romano has shared an update regarding reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Nicolo Zaniolo.
The north London club have been linked with a move for the AS Roma midfielder during the current January transfer window.
Even though the 23-year-old still has over a year left on his contract at the Italian club, the midfielder could well be set for an early exit.
In a recent Twitter post, Romano had this to say on the matter.
He said: “AS Roma are now open to selling Nicolo Zaniolo in January. New deal talks are completely off — Roma can let Zaniolo leave on permanent deal. #transfers
“Tottenham are well informed on the situation — Roma want €40m fee on permanent deal, not straight loan. #THFC.”
With 128 appearances for Jose Mourinho’s side under his belt, Zaniolo, who has been described as “unreal” by Nick Mercadente, has scored 24 goals and delivered 18 assists in the process.
However, his performances this season in Serie A make it easy to see why the club are looking to get rid of him on a permanent basis this month.
Should Spurs make a move to sign Zaniolo this month?
Yes
No
Specifically, with 13 league outings to his name, Zaniolo has racked up the lowest passing accuracy percentage at the club (63.8%) as well as topping the list for the number of times he’s failed to gain control of the ball (39) and being dispossessed by an opposition tackle more times than any other Roma player (35).
His overall performances have earned the midfielder a rather disappointing season rating of 6.21/10 from WhoScored, making him one of the lowest-rated players at the club.
This makes us question whether Spurs should go in to sign Zaniolo this month, especially for the price tag that Roma are apparently looking to pick up for him.
Moving forward, if Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici believe that the Roma figure can be a useful addition to the squad and help improve the team, the club should put their faith in the manager and secure a deal for him before the end of the month.