In a recent report, Calciomercatoweb stated that Chelsea are big admirers of AS Roma winger Nicolo Zaniolo. It has been mentioned that the Blues are showing interest in recruiting the Italy international and could move in for him in January.
Zaniolo’s Impressive Season At Stadio Olimpico Recently
Zaniolo enjoyed a decent run of form in Italian football last season when he put in a run of productive displays for Roma in the final third. The 23-year-old found the back of the net eight times and grabbed nine assists in 42 matches for the Italian club in the previous campaign across multiple competitions.
The Massa-born sensation gave a good account of himself by averaging 2.5 shots, 1.0 key passes and 2.0 dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A football. He even interchanged possession relatively well with his teammates after making 76.9% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
Zaniolo is under contract at Roma until the summer of 2024. Thus, it won’t be easy for Chelsea to lure him to Stamford Bridge this January.
What Will Zaniolo Bring To Chelsea?
Zaniolo excels at creating space for himself to get a few strikes in on target. He has even got the vision to cut open the opposition defence with a decisive pass on the attacking end of the field. Zaniolo usually plays on the right wing but can also play in the number ten position or as a secondary striker in the final third if his manager tells him to do so.
The Italy international can even make some clever runs with the ball towards the opponent’s penalty area. However, he is yet to prove his worth outside Italy which could make him a risky option for the Blues to consider next year.
Still, the pros outweigh the cons of recruiting Zaniolo as he will bring a handful of goals and assists to Graham Potter‘s attacking department at Stamford Bridge.
At 23, the Italian talent has his best years ahead of him and would be a good option for Chelsea to consider for the long run. All in all, Potter would be wise to engineer a move to secure the services of Zaniolo when the transfer window reopens at the start of next year as he has what it takes to be a success story at the West London club in the future as long as he can make a smooth transition to life in the Premier League.
