Tottenham transfer news: Romano claims Roma now want to sell Zaniolo

By Giuseppe Labellarte

Tottenham Hotspur have just been handed a big boost in their pursuit of Nicolo Zaniolo.

This has come just hours after a seemingly huge blow to Spurs’ hopes of signing the player.

Early on Thursday evening, Sky Sports News reported that Roma had no intention of letting Zaniolo go this month.

However, Fabrizio Romano has now taken to Twitter with an update which Tottenham fans will welcome.

The transfer insider has reported that Roma are now open to selling Zaniolo outright in January.

“New deal talks are completely off,” added Romano, before saying Spurs were “well informed on the situation”.

Tottenham need to bolster their ranks

Romano’s update is not only exciting for Tottenham, but also very timely.

Spurs have just fallen to a 4-2 defeat to Manchester City, dealing another huge blow to their top-four hopes.

Antonio Conte has been on the lookout for attacking reinforcements this month.

The Spurs boss has found himself without Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison at various points this term.

And Zaniolo is a player both Conte and Fabio Paratici reportedly like a lot. He’d certainly improve the quality at N17.

The 23-year-old has made 128 appearances for the Giallorossi, registering 24 goals and 18 assists.

Zaniolo has also won 11 caps for the Azzurri, registering one goal.

He is a versatile player. He’s capable of playing in midfield, on the wings, as a playmaker, as a second striker and even up front.

At the same time, you could argue that defence has become a much more pressing issue for Tottenham.

Basically, Spurs need a lot of work. Both for the sake of actually playing well and winning, and to convince Conte that he’s not being wasted at the club.