AS Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo has been linked with a move away from the Italian club this month, with Leeds United interested.
Apparently, Bournemouth tried to sign Nicolo Zaniolo earlier on in the window before he rejected a move to the Premier League club. According to a report from Gianluca Di Marzio, Leeds United are now keen on signing the 23-year-old Italian international.
The Whites even submitted a loan proposal for the youngster. However, AS Roma have turned down the offer and will only let the 23-year-old lease on a permanent basis.
Apparently, the Italian club are demanding a fee of around €27 million for Zaniolo. And they will also demand a 10 per cent future resale fee. It will be interesting to see if any club is willing to come forward and pay the asking price for Zaniolo before the transfer window closes.
The midfielder has been linked with a move to Premier League side Tottenham in the past. However, the north Londoners have not made any offer to sign him this month.
Meanwhile, Leeds have done well to improve their squad during the January transfer window and could have used more creativity and flair in the final third. Zaniolo would have been an impressive addition for them. And it remains to be seen whether they are prepared to come forward with an offer to sign the player permanently.
Leeds United are currently 15th in the league table, just one point above the drop zone. They will need to improve significantly during the second half of the campaign, and the right additions in January will certainly help them improve.
Zaniolo has a contract with AS Roma until the summer of 2024, and the two parties have failed to agree on an extension yet. Roma will be under pressure to cash in on the player, and it remains to be seen how the situation develops.
A move to the Premier League would be the ideal step up in the player’s career. It is evident that the 23-year-old has burnt his bridges at the Italian club and a move away in January would be ideal for all parties. Roma have already excluded the player from the technical project.
