Devesh Kumar
Transfer News: Arsenal join race to sign Nicolo Zaniolo amid Manchester United interest
Arsenal have joined Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign AS Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo. The 23-year-old sees his current contract expire next summer.
The league leaders are believed to be waiting for an update on the contract situation of the player before planning to submit a bid. His agent Claudio Vigorelli has confirmed that talks for a renewal will be held, but nothing has come to pass so far.
Now, Romagiallorossa (h/t Express) report that the north London club have joined the race to sign the midfielder, who could be potentially available for a cut-fee price in January.
Zaniolo joined Roma from Inter Milan in the summer of 2018 and has been a regular for the club since. The midfielder played an important role in helping his side win the UEFA Conference League last season, scoring five goals in 10 appearances.
A midfielder who is capable of playing on the wings and even as a second striker when needed, Erik ten Hag could do with someone like him in his squad. The 23-year-old can help cover for Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial on the wings when they are deployed to lead the line.
He can also compete with Bruno Fernandes, with Donny van de Beek being unable to do so since his arrival at the club back in 2020. Fred has also struggled this season, with the midfielder usually coming on to play on the wings for a few minutes at the end of the game.
By signing Zaniolo, Ten Hag will be able to provide competition for multiple positions. The Italian international is also just 23, and with his potential he is likely to have a good career going forward.
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But with competition from both the north London club, it won’t be easy to secure his signature. Fans will hope that he does not sign a new deal and their club can secure his signature for a bargain price.
