Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in pursuit of Nicolo Zaniolo as Juventus have failed to agree terms with AS Roma over his transfer.
According to 90 Min, Juventus have been unable to agree terms with AS Roma over the transfer of Nicolo Zaniolo, leaving the door for Tottenham Hotspur to swoop in for the Italian attacking midfielder.
Zaniolo is a man in demand in the summer transfer market, with Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur pushing for his signing. After enduring a couple of injury-riddled campaigns, the 23-year-old enjoyed a solid season in 2021/22, scoring eight and assisting nine goals from 42 games in all competitions, helping the Giallorossi win the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Indeed, Zaniolo scored the only goal of the game in the finals of the Conference League against Rangers, indicating that he is getting back to his best level. And it has alerted several clubs, including Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur, who are gunning for his signing in the ongoing transfer window.
Juventus view Zaniolo as a possible replacement for Paulo Dybala, who has departed as a free agent and signed for Roma. Talks have taken place between the two Serie A heavyweights over a possible deal for the 23-year-old Italian international, with Juventus reportedly offering a loan swap deal involving Zaniolo and Arthur Melo.
However, the negotiations between the two clubs have broken down, which has seen Tottenham re-emerge as contenders to sign Zaniolo this summer. The Lilywhites have been one of the biggest spenders in the market this window, having made six senior signings in the form of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet and Djed Spence.
However, Antonio Conte is still pushing to add another player or two to his squad before the window slams shut. A creative midfielder seems to be on the agenda for Tottenham, considering that they tried to sign Christian Eriksen before his move to Manchester United and are interested in James Maddison of Leicester City.
Now, Zaniolo has emerged as a key target. The 23-year-old can operate as a central attacking midfielder, out wide on the flanks or even play as a false-nine, which would give Conte a lot of flexibility in his team selection. And the news of talks with Juventus collapsing comes as a boost for the Lilywhites, who now have a clear run at Zaniolo.
But, Roma are considering keeping hold of him, with Jose Mourinho planning talks with the Italian to convince him to stay put. So, it remains to be seen if Tottenham are successful in capturing the services of the 23-year-old Zaniolo.
