Nicolò Zaniolo has only scored one goal in 19 Premier League appearances this season, while many other Italian players in the same position have better stats, so the Aston Villa attacker risks missing Euro 2024 with the Azzurri.
Zaniolo is among the Aston Villa players blamed following a 4-0 home defeat against Tottenham. Villa fans were upset due to his attitude and body language in the build-up to Spurs’ third goal on Sunday and, as highlighted by Sport Mediaset, the ex-Roma striker now risks not being called up by Luciano Spalletti for Euro 2024 in the summer.
Zaniolo has only scored one goal in 19 Premier League games this season and many Italian players covering the same position have surely proven more than the 24-year-old in 2023-24.
Juventus star Federico Chiesa hasn’t impressed this term but still managed seven goals and two assists in 23 Serie A games, while Bologna‘s Riccardo Orsolini has nine goals in 24 league matches.
Matteo Politano has six goals and six assists in 27 Napoli appearances and even Freiburg’s Vincenzo Grifo has better attacking stats than Zaniolo, with seven goals and seven assists in 23 Bundesliga games.
Attacking midfielders are also contributing: Monza’s Andrea Colpani has seven goals and four assists, like Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini.
La Gazzetta dello Sport recently reported that Spalletti had called Zaniolo to discuss his involvement in the Aston Villa project this season, given that the ex-Roma star has fallen down Unai Emery’s pecking order.
Despite a recent injury to Sassuolo star Domenico Berardi, Zaniolo seems to have reduced chances of being included in the Italy squad at the Euros even if he still has a couple of months to convince the Azzurri CT.
Karma! He deserves to be left out for being a selfish, ungrateful player, who thinks he’s above the team.
I’ve never relied on stats. Poor form can be coaching, style of play, lack of Freedom, team mates etc.
I haven’t seen him play this year, but this guy used to be a match changer… a goal down with 10 mins to go, chuck on Zaniolo and there’s hope.
Shame he’s a mammas boy, such wasted talent