Newcastle United remain interested in signing Galatasary midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo this summer, but it is a saga that could go on until the final day of the transfer window.
Do Newcastle want to sign Nicolo Zaniolo?
It has been a positive window at St James' Park so far this summer, at a time when it is vital that the Magpies kick on after last season's brilliance. The likes of Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes have come in from AC Milan and Leicester City respectively, and the hope is that more business will be completed before the end the month.
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One player who has been linked with a move to Newcastle is Zaniolo, who only joined Galatasaray in February, but may already be looking for a move away. Not only that, but the Turkish giants could be forced to sell him, in order to ease their financial issues.
The 24-year-old has had some serious injury problems down the years, including cruciate ligament damage, but he is fit again now and could end up joining a top European club, following the emergence of a fresh update regarding his future.
Will Newcastle sign Nicolo Zaniolo?
According to Milliyet [via Sport Witness], Zaniolo's future may not be decided until the very end of the transfer window, with various teams in the race to sign him. Newcastle are still one of them, while Juventus, Milan and Paris Saint-Germain all mentioned in the report, too.
The Italian has a €35m (£30m) release clause in his current deal, so the Magpies know exactly how much he will be worth, but it remains to be seen if he would choose them over others. An update from Sabah also reveals Galatasaray's financial woes could be the deciding factor in forcing them to cash in as the deadline ticks closer.
Zaniolo could be a real statement signing by Eddie Howe's men this summer, even though his injury history does make it something of a risk, in terms of another serious setback emerging. The fact that so many elite clubs are in for him does suggest that there isn't too much concern about that happening, though, and the positives clearly outweigh the negatives when it comes to signing him.
A 13-cap Italy international who was once lauded as "incredible" by Daniel De Rossi during their time together at Roma, the Galatasaray man could be a great attacking midfield option, coming in as a strong alternative to James Maddison, who eventually joined Tottenham over Newcastle earlier this summer.
Zaniolo could provide something different in the middle of the park, proving to be a link man between Bruno Guimaraes and the attack, with a tally of 42 goal contributions (24 goals and 18 assists) in 128 appearances for Roma outlining the end product he possesses.
At 24, he is still a young footballer, even though he has seemingly been around for a long time, so Newcastle would also be bringing in someone who could be a mainstay of the team for a long time to come, as Howe continues to plan well into the future.
