AC Milan’s pursuit of Nicolo Zaniolo did not end when the forward joined Galatasaray during the winter window, according to a report.
According to what Claudio Raimondi is reporting for SportMediaset (via MilanNews), Milan’s interest in Zaniolo is still alive and the player wants to return to Italy in the summer in order to boost his chances of getting back in the Italian national team.
There is a release clause of €35m in the contract he signed with the Turkish club, but there is also the competition of Juventus to deal with as they have also set their sights on the former Roma man.
A market challenge between the Rossoneri and the Bianconeri is therefore expected with both keen to bring Zaniolo back to Serie A.
So far the 23-year-old has scored one goal in two Turkish Süper Lig games, playing as a central attacking midfielder in both of his appearances.
I know people are pretty torn on Zaniolo but what I’ll say is that he has stayed healthy so far and if he finishes the season still healthy that’s a good sign for his long-term health. And he does something that very few Milan players do at the moment. He drives forward and breaks the line. IMO if he can stay healthy he might explode in a good team, not saying we’re that good right now but could be a perfect match.
Listen, if biggest clubs in Italy are chasing him, what do you think? Do we know better or they understand his injuries and current state better than random fans? He should have come to Milan 2 months ago…
Agree.
I think Zoro is anticipating the usual chorus of derision when it comes to Zaniolo.
As I see it, Milan fans are not realistic or analytical about who it is we can sign. Many still act like we can throw around a blank cheque book.
So let’s set the budget for an AM/#10/play-maker at €30m.
Who can we sign that is genuinely world class? Who is proven and not well into his 30s? Are we comparing Zaniolo to the other realistic options or out memory of Kaka? Don’t we need someone who can carry the load next season?
There is going to be uncertainty about anyone we can sign. The trap it seems many fall into is assuming that the grass is greener as long as its not familiar and/or that EPL pricing is a guarantee of quality.
Italians, in particular, are so harshly judged. The difference is that we see them before they are ready, unlike a player in Belgium or France or South America who gets to develop out of the spotlight and intense pressure of the Serie A. It’s a real issue generally because the big teams are not patient enough early which is almost certainly delaying development. Players need that exposure to become world class but they’re too often finding themselves in limbo. I am worried about a trend of players being priced out of Italy.
Admittedly Zaniolo is a bit of an outlier in the sense that he’s had opportunity at Roma amd he struggled. But that was after 2 seasons on the side lines and then returning to a very dour set-up under Mourinho.
I doubt there is a player out there that is better suited to what we need. The size, speed, strength, aggression, technical skill, tactical versatility is all there. He’s young and Italian which is important for the long term project. If Zaniolo was the player that 3 years ago we thought he’d be now he’d be out of our price range by at least €100m. That he can still be that player is reason enough to priorities his signature.