Nicolo Zaniolo angers Roma by snubbing Bournemouth offer
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Nicolo Zaniolo leaves Roma FURIOUS after refusing to meet Bournemouth executives who had arrived by private jet to finalize a £26m deal for the Italian midfielder… despite the Cherries offering to double down his salary
- Bournemouth had offered Roma £26m to seal a quick deal for the Italy star
- Zaniolo had asked to leave Roma but then refused to meet with the Cherrys
- Tottenham and AC Milan had been interested but decided not to pursue him.
Nicolo Zaniolo has angered Roma by refusing to move to Bournemouth despite the prospect of a significant pay rise.
The 23-year-old Italy international attacking midfielder even refused to meet an executive delegation from Bournemouth after they arrived in Rome for talks on a private plane.
The Cherries were keen to quickly seal a £26.4m deal, matching Roma’s asking price, but Zaniolo embarrassed his club by refusing to come to the negotiating table, according to Sky Sport Italy.
Nicolo Zaniolo angered his Roma club by refusing to meet a Bournemouth executive who wanted to complete a £26.4m deal for him.
The Italy international sent his agent to talks with Bournemouth instead.
Instead, Zaniolo sent his agent Claudio Vigorelli and Roma are now believed to be considering disciplinary action against the player, who has decided he does not want to finish his contract until 2024.
Zaniolo has also been linked with a loan move to Tottenham Hotspur and a £17.6m permanent transfer to Serie A side AC Milan.
Ironically, Tottenham and Milan will meet in the Champions League round of 16 next month.
But Bournemouth were prepared to offer much more than Milan and also a contract worth around £4.4m a year, double the amount Zaniolo wanted.
Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil is looking for reinforcements amid a relegation battle
Zaniolo’s refusal to even meet the Bournemouth delegation has left Roma’s owners furious and they feel his actions have lowered the club’s position.
With Milan and Tottenham pulling out of negotiations due to Roma’s asking price, Bournemouth are currently the only option on the table.
However, reports in Italy suggest that Juventus could emerge as a possible destination if they complete the sale of Weston McKennie, who has been linked with Leeds United. It has been reported that Zaniolo is a fan of Juventus.
Zaniolo, who has capped 11 times for Italy, is in his fifth season at Roma. He has scored 24 times in 128 appearances in that time, his progress slowed by two ACL injuries.