Roma starlet Nicolo Zaniolo has emerged as a transfer target for Tottenham although it's unlikely a deal will be struck in the upcoming transfer window.
The Italy international recently returned to the Roma first-team squad having suffered an ACL tear in a Serie A clash with Juventus at the start of 2020. He's marked his return with a pair of strikes in barely 100 minutes of action since the restart.
Zaniolo rose to prominence following a breakout 2018/19 campaign which saw him score six times in all competitions, including a brace in Roma's Champions League round of 16 clash against Porto in Rome.
Italian giants Juventus and Inter have been reported with holding an interest in the versatile midfielder, while The Guardian understands Tottenham are also tracking the progress of the mightily talented 21-year-old.
The Spurs board see Zaniolo as a player built to thrive in the Premier League due to his impressive physique and regard him as a 'considerable prospect'.
Jose Mourinho, however, rightly doesn't see the Italian as a priority target this summer - with Mourinho more concerned about bringing in a holding midfielder and potentially bolstering his albeit improving defence.
Mourinho has never asked for Zaniolo, Tottenham board likes him but no more... and Roma don’t want to sell him.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 21, 2020
The club were ready to offer £30m for Zaniolo's services last summer but were rebuffed by Roma, who demanded a much higher fee.
Now, the Italian club are set to offer their precocious talent a year extension on his current deal - which expires in 2024 - and manager Paulo Fonseca has denied any sort of rift between the pair, saying after his side's victory over SPAL that the club "don’t want to sell him”, maintaining that Zaniolo is "key" to their project.
The player himself is said to be keen on staying in Rome for at least another year amid interest from elsewhere.
Nevertheless, this is one for Spurs fans to look out for further down the line.
Source : 90min