Nicolò Zaniolo has been heavily linked with a move to Juventus and La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper highlights the three reasons why the Italy and Roma starlet could move to Turin at the end of the season.
Zaniolo sees his Roma contract expire in June 2024 and talks for a possible extension at the Stadio Olimpico have been put on hold for a few months. Roma director Tiago Pinto said in January that he could not guarantee that Zaniolo would be a Roma player next season, but José Mourinho ensured that the 22-year-old would not leave the Capital as long as he remains at the club.
His uncertain future at the club is one of the reasons why Juventus could tempt him in the summer, although the Serie A giants would need an offer of €40-50m to persuade Roma to sell one of their most important assets.
Reports in Italy earlier this month had suggested that Juventus could include Weston McKennie in the deal to lower Roma’s economic demands.
In the meantime, Zaniolo liked the Instagram posts of Dusan Vlahovic, Leonardo Bonucci and Manuel Locatelli after Juventus’ win over Empoli yesterday, hours before the kick-off of Spezia-Roma. Back in 2013 and 2014, when the Italy international was barely 14, he wrote several Facebook messages for Juventus and their at-the-time coach Antonio Conte.
However, Zaniolo’s transfer to the Allianz Stadium may also depend on Paulo Dybala’s future. Talks to extend his contract will resume in the coming weeks, but Juventus will change their proposal, offering him €7m per season or even a lower salary than the one he currently gets.
La Joya had agreed to sign a new €10m-a-year deal at the end of 2021, but it is understood that the offer is no longer on the table.