Gianluca Di Marzio has revealed that Tottenham were the only club to make a concrete move for Nicolo Zaniolo in the summer and added that the North London club could reignite their interest in the AS Roma star.
Zaniolo was heavily linked with a move to Spurs all through the summer transfer window (CalcioMercato) but the winger ended up staying put at the Stadio Olimpico.
The 23-year-old’s current contract at the Italian capital runs until 2024 and 90 min reported last month that the Giallorossi are not willing to offer the player the pay rise he is demanding.
Corriere dello Sport even suggested a few weeks ago that the Italy international was tempted by the idea of moving to the North London club in the summer.
Over recent weeks, it has been reported in the Italian press that Zaniolo could also be the subject of interest from Tottenham’s London rivals, Arsenal and Chelsea, in January (CalcioMercatoWeb).
Di Marzio has now explained that Spurs’ pursuit of the Roma star only fell through in the summer because the Serie A club were not willing to agree on a part-exchange deal.
The journalist said that Tottenham could try again for Zaniolo as Fabio Paratici is a big fan of the winger.
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Di Marzio told Wettfreunde: “Nicolo Zaniolo only had one real request in the summer and that was Tottenham. They tried to get him, but with a swap deal with other players, or a loan option, and AS Roma didn’t want to sell the player under those conditions.
“Now, like Leao or Skriniar, it’s about Zaniolo’s contract. They need to renew his contract if they want the contractual power if the player makes a request.
“Arsenal or other clubs? No. Only Tottenham can come back because Paratici is one of the chiefs who has wanted Zaniolo for a long time. Even when he was at Juventus.”
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We know that Paratici and Conte are both fans of Zaniolo. Perhaps what put off Spurs from meeting Roma’s asking price in the summer, was their concerns about the 23-year-old’s fitness.
If the winger does not sign a contract extension within the next two months, plenty of clubs will likely be after him in January.
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