Report: Tottenham to miss out on signing player Fabio Paratici 'loves', he's going to Juventus instead
Tottenham Hotspur transfer guru Fabio Paratici has been handed a fresh transfer blow, with 90 Min reporting that AS Roma midfielder Nico Zaniolo could join Juventus this week.
Spurs have been on the lookout for a creative midfielder and Zaniolo is a player that Paratici ‘loves’, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, but they look set to miss out.
90 Min reports that the Tottenham Managing Director’s former club Juventus are confident of sealing a deal for the 23-year-old this week.
Despite Paratici’s love for the player, he reportedly informed Spurs of his preference to join the Italian club around a week ago.
90 Min adds that The Old Lady are heavy favourites and believe they’ll have the deal finalised within the next week.
Earlier this summer, Tutto Mercato Web claimed that Tottenham had made a bid for the creative midfielder, which included a number of other players going in Roma’s direction – but it was never accepted.
It’s a fresh blow for Spurs in their pursuit of a playmaker after seemingly missing out on Christian Eriksen, with the Dane set to join Manchester United, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Zaniolo registered eight goals and nine assists for Roma last season. Before suffering cruciate ligament ruptures in each knee over the past three seasons, the Italian was seen as one of the up-and-coming talents in European football.
But with the player’s apparent reluctance to join Antonio Conte’s team and recent injury record, Spurs may have dodged a bullet. And despite Paratici’s admiration for the player, there are other options that may be more suitable for Conte’s squad.
TBR’s View: Tottenham and Paratici Can Do Better
Despite Zaniolo’s undeniable talent, it is hard to look past his recent injuries. And as the player is apparently not keen on the move, it’s probably for the best that Paratici misses out on this one.
There are other options Spurs could explore in the current market, with Lyon’s Lucas Pauqeta and Leicester City’s James Maddison being more than capable of filling the creative void in Conte’s side.
