Arsenal
From Italy: Arsenal ready to hijack Tottenham’s bid to sign £40m attacker
Arsenal are looking to hijack Tottenham’s attempts to sign £40m-rated Roma attacker Nicolo Zaniolo this summer, according to reports in Italy
Managers are working hard trying to strengthen their squads during the summer transfer window so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Here, Arsenal join the chase to sign Nicolo Zaniolo….
Arsenal are looking to hijack Tottenham’s attempts to sign £40m-rated Roma attacker Nicolo Zaniolo this summer, according to reports in Italy via CalcioMercato.
Zaniolo joined Roma from Inter Milan last summer and he’s developed into one of the most highly-rated young attackers in Italian football after forcing his way into their starting eleven with a string of impressive performances.
The 20-year-old contributed 6 goals and 2 assists in his 36 appearances and he made his debut for the senior Italian national team in March after being called-up by boss Roberto Mancini for their Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Zaniolo’s potential has alerted Tottenham as they’ve been strongly linked this summer and Corriere dello Sport reported last week that Spurs had tabled an opening offer worth £20m in cash plus Toby Alderweireldin exchange for the midfielder.
Corriere dello Sport suggest Roma value Zaniolo at around £40m [€45m] so Tottenham’s offer should be tempting as Alderweireld has a £25m buyout clause in his contract making the deal worth £45m.
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However, it looks like Spurs could face competition as CalcioMercato are citing a report from the paper edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport that claims Arsenal have now joined Tottenham in the race to sign Zaniolo this summer.
The publication says the Italian youngster isn’t in a rush to leave Roma but could be tempted by a move to north London if he’s offered a large increase on his current contract.
Unai Emery is desperate to strengthen his squad ahead of the new season and he’s in the market for a midfielder after seeing Aaron Ramsey join Juventus on a free transfer after running down his contract.
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It seems Zaniolo has been identified as a potential replacement but Arsenal may struggle to afford a deal as Emery has been given a tight budget to work from this summer so Spurs should still be confident of winning the race if the player opts for a move to England.
