Aston Villa sporting director Monchi is working to sign Nicolo Zaniolo from Galatasaray. The player made the move to Turkey during the January transfer window, when he was frozen out of the squad by Jose Mourinho. There were offers from clubs like Bournemouth at the time, but a move to the Premier League did not materialise.
Now, the player is in talks with Villa for a transfer to the Premier League. Monchi has been building a remarkable squad for Unai Emery to compete with. The likes of Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby have already joined the club. And now, Zaniolo could follow them in the coming days.
Nicolo Zaniolo likely to join Aston Villa from Galatasaray
The attacking midfielder was signed by Monchi when he was at Roma. At the time, he was much younger and he went on to be a part of the senior team. But, two ACL injuries ruined his progress and caused him to spend a significant amount of time on the sidelines.
He has been able to produce consistently in Turkey, winning the league title with Galatasaray. In 10 appearances with the club, he scored five goals and is currently suffering from a minor groin strain.
The two clubs are discussing a potential transfer structure, with Philippe Coutinho likely to leave for Saudi Arabia. The Italian would be a great replacement, at 24 years of age, as he would help Emery challenge both in Europe and in domestic competitions by adding to the squad depth.
The long-term injury to Emi Buendia has also made the transfer necessary, with the club set to be without a fine playmaker.
