Jose Mourinho admits Roma have a serious problem after Nicolò Zaniolo turned down Bournemouth. ‘He’s been telling everyone he no longer wants to wear the Roma jersey, but unfortunately he seems to be staying.’
The Italy international made it clear he wanted to leave in the January transfer window, but Milan failed to agree terms and the player rejected the bid worth over €30m from Premier League side Bournemouth.
There is now the very real risk Zaniolo could be stuck at the Stadio Olimpico for six months, with neither party having any intention of extending the contract that expires in June 2024.
“Zaniolo has been saying for a month that he wants to leave. Unfortunately, it looks like I was right,” said Mourinho in a tense press conference.
The coach had said after the last game against Spezia that he was confident Zaniolo would remain because the offers on the table were ‘unworthy’ of him or the club.
“I say unfortunately, because the player has been saying for a month that he wants to leave. If a player tells everyone he no longer wants to wear the Roma jersey, I have to say unfortunately.
“When a player tells you, the club and his teammates: ‘I don’t want to wear the Roma jersey, I don’t want to play, I don’t want to go back to training…’ I have to say unfortunately.
“The ideal situation is for the player to be happy. I said that I expected him to stay, but as things stand today, I have to add unfortunately to that sentence.”
There is a huge game tomorrow against Serie A leaders Napoli and the forward will not be a part of the squad again.
“He is not available, he is not part of the project. I must think exclusively about the next game, which is against Napoli.”
Roma were said to be furious that Zaniolo did not even bother to meet with the Bournemouth directors who flew out yesterday for talks with his agent, Claudio Vigorelli.