Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo will not play in his team’s clash at Serie A
leaders Napoli after a bitter transfer row in which he turned down a move
to Bournemouth, coach Jose Mourinho said on Saturday.Italy international
Zaniolo refused to be selected for last weekend’s win at Spezia but this
time it is Mourinho and the club who have dumped the 23-year-old as Roma
attempt to slow rivals Napoli’s march to a first league title in more than
three decades.
leaders Napoli after a bitter transfer row in which he turned down a move
to Bournemouth, coach Jose Mourinho said on Saturday.Italy international
Zaniolo refused to be selected for last weekend’s win at Spezia but this
time it is Mourinho and the club who have dumped the 23-year-old as Roma
attempt to slow rivals Napoli’s march to a first league title in more than
three decades.
Widespread reports in Italy say that Roma are furious with Zaniolo for
refusing a 30-million-euro ($32.6 million) move to Bournemouth after talks
between the capital club and AC Milan broke down in the week, not even
meeting representatives of the Premier League club who travelled to Italy
to strike a deal.Mourinho had said after the Spezia win that he believed
Zaniolo would still be at Champions League-chasing Roma after the winter
transfer window closed.
“Unfortunately it looks like I was right,” he said on Saturday. “I say
unfortunately because for a month the player has been saying that he wants
to go,” Mourinho said.
