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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Samuel Meade

Man Utd have 'strong interest' in Nicolo Zaniolo as Roma chief makes transfer admission

Roma chief Tiago Pinto has refused to guarantee that Nicolò Zaniolo will remain at the Stadio Olympico beyond this season.

The winger has been linked with a switch to Manchester United as he continues to impress in the Italian capital.

Zaniolo missed the entirety of last season due to an ACL injury but has returned and performed an influential role for Jose Mourinho's side.

That has attracted interest from around Europe with Roma potentially missing out on Champions League football this term.

That could leave them open to offer for the 22-year-old with the club's general manager offering no assurances going forward.

He said: “neither I nor anyone else can guarantee” that the player will remain at the club.

Have Your Say! Do Man Utd need to bolster their forward options this summer? Tell us here.

Zaniolo remains under contract in Rome until 2024 but Calciomercato claim United have a ‘strong interest’ in the Italian international.

The Red Devils invested in Jadon Sancho in the summer but he has struggled to hit the heights expected as of yet.

Jesse Lingard is also leaving on a free once the season ends whilst Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial could both seek pastures new.

It could leave United again seeking attacking reinforcements.

They will also have a new man in the dugout, be that Ralf Rangnick or his successor, and they will aim to bring in their own players.

Zaniolo will therefore be of interest and Mourinho claimed earlier this season that the player could look to leave Serie A due to his treatment by referees.

He claimed: “I want to say something that probably goes against my interests: if I were Nicolo Zaniolo, I would start thinking that perhaps playing in Serie A means things will be stacked against me."

The winger has scored four times in 25 outings thus far this term.

Former Roma boss Fabio Capello has commented that signing Zaniolo does represent a risk due to his injury history, but maintained his quality is a huge draw.

“Before the injuries he experienced Zaniolo had an amazing career ahead of him because his technical and physical qualities couldn’t be questioned,” he told Sky Sports.

“He has a vision of the game that’s tough to find, he’s such a complete player and was so strong at a young age. Unfortunately, though, he ran into some bad luck and he’s been penalised by these two knee injuries.

“But talks regarding a possible sale is a political discussion because whoever acquires him would get a player that makes a difference. Obviously, though, there’s some risk involved because of his knee issues.”

He did also add: “Zaniolo is young and now is the right time if there’s any club that wants to acquire him.”

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