Chelsea and Spurs both want Nicolo Zaniolo, ideal move for the Italian?

Bengaluru, Aug 25: Chelsea are set to rival Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus in the race to sign AS Roma attacking midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, as per reports in England. The Blues are considering a move for the Italian international despite the recent shoulder injury he suffered against Cremonese over the weekend.

The versatile midfielder has been strongly linked with a move to Spurs throughout the summer with Spurs boss Antonio Conte being a huge admirer. Alongside Conte, there is also interest from Juventus who also want the highly-regarded midfielder.

Roma have already rejected a loan offer for their prized asset from Tottenham earlier this summer but Conte is still pursuing a move for the former Inter Milan prodigy. It is believed that Jose Mourinho's side could be tempted to sell the versatile attacker if their asking price of around £42 million is met. They could also be convinced to loan him out if a mandatory purchase clause is inserted.

Despite being rated very highly since his early days, Zaniolo has not been able to live up to his immense potential yet due to injury troubles. His development was largely halted with a cruciate ligament rupture back in the 2020-21 campaign which kept him out of action for 266 days.

He has since established himself as a key player for Roma but has had to deal with persistent injuries and niggles. The Italian international has played a total of 113 games for Roma till date, scoring 22 times while producing 15 assists. He has also been capped nine times for Italy as well scoring twice in the process.

Zaniolo is a technically gifted and agile footballer who is natural in the attacking midfield role but he is also very much versatile. He is capable of functioning as a secondary striker and can play on either flank or even as a wing-back. Both Spurs and Chelsea usually play a 3-4-3 system and a versatile player like Zaniolo could prove to be a solid asset for either Premier League side.

A move to link up with compatriot Conte might fancy Zaniolo more but a move to Chelsea would make much more sense. With Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, and Callum Hudson-Odoi all linked with exits and Kai Havertz and Mason Mount struggling for form, Zaniolo could become a key player at Stamford Bridge. Spurs, on the other hand, have quality strength in depth up front with Harry Kane, Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski, and Richarlison at their disposal.