Nicolo Zaniolo, who Tottenham opted against signing during the January transfer window, has scored on his friendly debut for Galatasaray, who beat Alanyaspor 4-2 victory on Sunday.
It was reported at one point during the January window that Spurs were close to striking a deal with Roma for Zaniolo (90 min).
(Photo by Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
In the end, Spurs decided to bolster their forward line with the acquisition of Arnaut Danjuma on loan instead while Italy international completed a move to Galatasaray for a fee of £19.5m, with his contract at the Turkish club thought to have a release clause of £31m (Fabrizio Romano).
The 23-year-old is yet to play a competitive fixture for Galatasaray, with the Turkish top flight being put on hold as the country continues to deal with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.
However, Zaniolo did make his debut for the club on Sunday in a friendly against Alanyaspor, coming on as the 80th substitute and scoring in stoppage time to put the icing on the cake for Okan Buruk.
Watch the former Roma star’s goal below:
Nicolo Zaniolo'nun golü pic.twitter.com/Ac0chE1RMB
— Sofi (@boslukariyorgs) February 26, 2023
Spurs Web Opinion
Zaniolo probably views Galatasaray as a stepping stone for a bigger move in the summer, which is why his representatives have insisted on a release clause.
If he does well in the second half of the season and proves his fitness, I expect Spurs to go back in for him in the summer.
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