Aston Villa have reportedly submitted an official bid to Galatasaray to try and prise Nicolo Zaniolo away this summer.
The 24-year-old joined the Turkish giants in February following on from an impressive spell with Roma, where he scored 24 goals and provided 18 assists in 128 appearances.
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Zaniolo also bagged five goals in 12 outings for Galatasaray last season, and with 13 caps for Italy to his name, there is no doubt that he possesses real talent.
His injury history is a concern having suffered two serious knee injuries while with Roma three years ago, but should Villa ultimately end up signing him, they’ll surely do so with the confidence that those are in the past and that the Italian international will be a reliable option for Unai Emery.
Further, Villa’s Director of Football Operations, Monchi, will know Zaniolo well having signed him while at Roma, and so time will tell if there is a reunion between the pair in the coming weeks.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Villa have now submitted an official offer for the attacking midfielder, consisting of an initial €3m loan fee, his salary covered, and then a €20m option to buy included in that agreement plus €7m in add-ons.
It’s added that Villa are now waiting on Galatasaray’s answer, and that ‘frustration is growing’, and so time will tell if it ultimately is a deal that gets over the line or if we’re forced to look elsewhere if an agreement can’t be reached.
Zaniolo has technical ability, provides creativity and a goal threat in the final third, and with Emery continuing to strive for control of tempo and possession in games to play the style of football he wants, he could be an important fit for us to add more quality in attack.
Particularly with Emiliano Buendia’s injury this week dealing us a major blow as he could very well be ruled out for the entire season, Villa are expected to be active in the coming weeks to strengthen where necessary.
