Aston Villa loanee Nicolo Zaniolo is reportedly set to see the investigation into alleged betting activity conclude in the next 10 days.
The 24-year-old returned to Bodymoor Heath early over the recent international break, as Villa later confirmed in a statement that he was assisting the relevant authorities with their investigation into alleged betting.
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While he featured in our win over West Ham Utd on Sunday, the case continues to linger in the background with the hope that the matter is resolved sooner rather than later and it clears Zaniolo of any wrongdoing so he can put it behind him.
According to The Express and Star, the investigation is expected to be completed in the next 10 days, and it’s suggested that Zaniolo is unlikely to face a suspension, but will instead be fined for playing casino games online on illegal sites, while he has always maintained that he never bet on football matches.
It’s hoped that is ultimately the official findings of the investigation by the Italian authorities and he is cleared, as he has a key role to play for Unai Emery this season and any ban would be a blow for Villa given our injury troubles in that area of the squad already.
Given the decision to name him in the starting XI on Sunday, that would suggest that Zaniolo’s explanation to the club not only convinced them of his innocence, but his performance in training during the week was enough for Emery to give him a starting berth.
However, it won’t be easy having this hanging over him as an off-the-pitch distraction moving forward, and so the hope is that the touted timeline above holds up and we get the desired verdict that clears him.
Zaniolo has made 10 appearances for Villa following his season-long loan move from Galatasaray this past summer, and although we’re still waiting for his first goal involvement, the Italian international is proving to be a positive fit for how we want to play under Emery and will be key to our chances of success this year.