Roma forward Nicolo Zaniolo is set to sign for Galatasaray just weeks after being linked with Nottingham Forest. Several Premier League clubs wanted him in January and he actually rejected the idea of joining Bournemouth at one point.
Forest were linked with a move for the forward, with Everton and West Ham also monitoring him. With Jose Mourinho shunting him down the pecking order at Roma, it’s now been decided that he’d be better served joining Galatasaray.
Zaniolo is now set to travel to Turkey to undergo medical tests ahead of his move. The club are set to sign the player for around £20 million and he will pen a four-year contract with the club.
At Roma, the Italian earns around £76,000-a-week and he will earn a similar wage during his time in Turkey. Forest might feel they’ve missed out on this deal, although perhaps the numbers are more than what they wished to pay.
The 23-year-old has been with Roma since 2018 when he signed from Inter. He’s made 128 appearances for the club, scoring 24 goals and claiming 18 assists.
Mourinho hasn’t really viewed him as a first-choice option during 2022/23, however. He’s scored just twice and claimed three assists from 17 appearances for Roma as they chase a top-four place.
Zaniolo set for Galatasaray and Forest will watch on with intrigue
The signing of Keylor Navas caught the eye in the transfer window. He will spend the rest of the season on loan with Forest and Zaniolo would also have represented a stellar addition to the squad.
It would have been a risk though. The deal wouldn’t have been cheap to get over the line and having never played in the Premier League, he’d have needed to prove himself.
Zaniolo typically operates as a number 10 too and perhaps Forest are well stocked there. Morgan Gibbs-White, Jesse Lingard and Gustavo Scarpa are all capable of operating in that role.
Still, Zaniolo does have some time on his side. As a result, perhaps the recruitment people at Forest will monitor his move to Galatasaray with intrigue.