Everton have reportedly made a deadline day grab to land 23-year-old Italian international Nicolo Zaniolo from AS Roma.
According to Corriere Dello Sport on Twitter, Premier League side Everton have made an approach to sign AS Roma attacker Nicolo Zaniolo in the January transfer window.
The Merseysiders are once again embroiled in a relegation dogfight and have suffered a forgettable January. Not only did they part ways with manager Frank Lampard but also saw star player Anthony Gordon moving to Newcastle United.
Now managed by Sean Dyche, the Toffees have to play out of their skins to salvage the campaign and secure their reputation as Premier League regulars. A major reason for their struggles has been the lack of goals upfront. A return of just 15 strikes from 20 games betters only that of fellow strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The January transfer window gave Everton an opportunity to bolster their ranks. But it has so far not come to fruition. Now with just hours left before the window slams shut, they are making a move for Zaniolo.
In questi ultimi minuti ci sarebbe stato un sondaggio dell'Everton per Zaniolo, un altro club di Premier League dopo la trattativa fallita con il Bournemouth 🚨#CorrieredelloSport #Roma #Zaniolo #Everton #AsRoma #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/NRXoRcve9w
— Corriere dello Sport (@CorSport) January 31, 2023
The Italian international looks set to leave AS Roma and is far from a crowd favourite at Stadio Olimpico. He previously attracted attention from Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth, turning down a move to the latter earlier this month.
Everton have now thrown their name into the ring and will hope that an agreement can be found in the coming hours. Sean Dyche needs all the help he can get to keep the Toffees up. And the addition of Zaniolo should make it at least a tad easier.
The 23-year-old is one of the brightest players to come out of Italy in recent years. An attacking midfielder who can also play on the right, Zaniolo can prove to be the inspirational spark that Everton have been crying out for. Relegation battles are decided on the smallest of margins, and the Toffees’ board will do well to get the deal over the line.
Everton appeared to have Arnaut Danjuma in the bag before his sensational u-turn to join Tottenham. It should prove ironic should Everton in turn land Zaniolo, a player who has long been on the North Londoners’ radar. The player, for his part, appears keen to stay in Italy and with time running out, Everton could struggle to get the deal done.
