More details are emerging about the meeting Nicolò Zaniolo’s agent had with Bournemouth, including a huge salary demand and €25m release clause in favour of Milan, as he informs Roma there will be no deal.
The Giallorossi accepted the €30m plus €5m bonuses and a 10 per cent cut of any future transfer fee offer from the Premier League strugglers.
However, Zaniolo never had the slightest intention of accepting, so his agent Claudio Vigorelli met with representatives of the Cherries in Italy this afternoon.
According to Sportitalia and Tuttomercatoweb, he has already informed Roma that there will be no deal and he is not going to accept a move to Bournemouth.
It is not an issue of finances, but of the sporting project, as he considers Bournemouth a step down in his career.
This is also why Sky Sport Italia note Zaniolo did not even bother to meet with the Bournemouth directors himself.
This infuriated Roma, who feel Zaniolo is damaging their transfer strategy.
Calciomercato.com expand the story, claiming Vigorelli also set out some demands of Bournemouth just to make absolutely sure they would give up on him.
Those included a salary of over €6m per season, but above all a release clause set at just €25m in case of relegation from the Premier League or if an offer was to come in from an Italian club.
Zaniolo has agreed personal terms with Milan, but Roma rejected the offer to let him leave on loan with an obligation to buy for €22m tied to Champions League qualification.
With time running out in the January transfer window, and his contract set to expire in June 2024, it is now likely Zaniolo will remain at Roma until the end of the season, a situation that makes nobody in this situation happy.