According to Corriere dello Sport, Nicolo Zaniolo had a training ground argument with Jose Mourinho last Monday amidst links with Tottenham Hotspur.
The 22-year-old has not been enjoying his campaign in front of goal so far, and is currently sitting on just one goal in 15 appearances in all competitions.
He was dropped from the Giallorossi’s line-up that beat Venezia before the international break and was an unused substitute in the side’s 2-0 win over Genoa on Sunday.
However, Zaniolo’s spot on the bench at the weekend could be explained by a disagreement with manager Mourinho, with Corriere dello Sport claiming the pair engaged in a ‘lively spat’ during a training session last week.
The report claims the Italian forward, who the former Tottenham boss admires, is said to be unhappy with his role in the Roma squad and has not felt comfortable with his defensive duties after being deployed in wider areas.
The spat comes with Spurs apparently monitoring Zaniolo’s progression at Roma, after it was reported the club’s director of football Fabio Paratici had taken a keen interest in the forward.
Spurs manager Antonio Conte has been linked with Zaniolo in the past and wanted to sign him during his spell at Inter Milan, but a move never came to fruition.
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There has been a history of player fallouts with Mourinho, but that is expected with his persona and style of management unlikely to please everyone.
Zaniolo has had a tough season in general coupled with lengthy injury spells over the last number of months, but he could be a target Spurs may go back in for at some point.
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