Italy boss Roberto Mancini told Nicolò Zaniolo he can’t afford to waste any more time and called on Gianluca Scamacca to “do more.”
Roma midfielder Zaniolo missed the Euros triumphs as he failed to recover in time after successive knee injuries and has been linked with a move to Juventus on the back of his first full season since 2018-19. He suffered his first injury in January 2020.
While Mancini did not give his opinion on the 23-year-old’s potential transfer, he advised him he needed to fulfil his potential soon.
Asked whether a move would be beneficial to Zaniolo and Italy, Mancini told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “I can’t say. I know he needs to understand the luck which has guided him.
“In a flash he had the national side and Roma, he cannot waste any more time and opportunities.”
Sassuolo forward Scamacca, who has seven Italy caps, has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain on the back of an impressive campaign in Serie A.
Ex-Italy forward Christian Vieri said Scamacca needed to be scoring at least 20 in France. Asked whether he agreed with this assessment, Mancini added: “He has everything to be a top centre-forward and he knows it.
“But he needs to do a little bit more, above all in terms of character: when the level increases, technical and physical qualities help but aren’t enough.”