Nicolo Zaniolo has given his first interview after joining Aston Villa, while the club have now confirmed his shirt number.
The 24-year-old has joined us on loan for the rest of this season, as confirmed by Villa in their statement, with speculation suggesting that the agreement with Galatasaray includes an option to buy.
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Time will tell if Villa ultimately end up triggering that clause at the end of this season or not, but for now, it’s a huge boost for Unai Emery to add another highly talented player to his squad.
Zaniolo enjoyed an impressive spell at Roma before moving to Turkey in February, where he scored five goals in 12 games last season. Further, he has 13 caps for Italy as he has experience and pedigree at the top level for club and country.
He’ll now begin a new chapter in his career though, and it’s hoped that he will flourish under Emery to not only take his own game to the next level, but to also help us achieve our objectives this season by producing the quality he’s capable of in the final third.
Naturally, the Italian international was delighted to have now joined up with his new teammates, and he’s excited to get going as a Villa player.
“I’m very happy to be here,” he told VillaTV. “When Monchi called me, i couldn’t wait to be here and to play my first minutes for this shirt and for this amazing club.
“Aston Villa is one of the best teams in England and in the Premier League. I want to play and show my quality.
“Unai emery is one of the greatest coaches in the world, and for me, this is a big chance to show my quality. For the team, it’s a big chance to do great things.
“For sure, I’ll give my 100% in all on and off the pitch. I know my quality and I hope I show it.
“Villa Park is amazing, and the supporters of Aston Villa are very passionate, I like that, and I can’t wait to see them.
“For me, the most important thing is the collective. If you give your all for the team, it’s easier to play well.”
As per the club’s tweet, they have also now confirmed that Zaniolo will wear the No.22 shirt this season, and we’ll look forward to seeing him in action as soon as he’s fully fit and ready to feature.
He has been sidelined by a groin strain in recent weeks, and so while he isn’t expected to be involved this weekend, it remains to be seen how quickly he can recover to be in contention.
Villa face Everton on Sunday as we look to bounce back in the Premier League with a win at home, before we take on Hibernian in the first leg of our Europa Conference League play-off round on Wednesday evening.
Particularly following the injury suffered by Emiliano Buendia, Zaniolo will have a major role to play for Villa this season, and it’s hoped he can stay healthy and showcase his quality on a consistent basis to become an integral figure in our pursuit of success.
