Manchester City opinion: Guardiola shouldn’t sign Nicolo Zaniolo

Calciomercato has reported that Manchester City, AC Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid are all in the race for AS Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo. While the Cityzens had announced their interest first, it seems that both Juventus and AC Milan are recent entries into the race for the young Roma starlet.

Zaniolo, who only joined Roma this summer, could be among the many players who could leave if the Italian club does not qualify for the UEFA Champions League (Calciomercato). At the moment, the Stadio Olimpico side sit in 5^th place, four points behind AC Milan, but they are far from safe.

Lazio, Atalanta and Torino all sit behind them and are no less than three points away from AS Roma. This will make things complicated and it seems that Kostas Manolas (ESPN) and Zaniolo have already been linked with moves away.

Yet, Roma’s recent form and the subsequent sacking of former manager Eusebio Di Francesco, hasn’t affected the teenage star. Instead, it has charged him, with Zaniolo producing seven goals.

This includes a superb brace against FC Porto in the Champions League and more so, it showcased just how good the 19-year-old is.

The hype train is real and it’s no surprise why it is that way. Despite being a teenager, Zaniolo has the best of Totti, Gerrard and even Manchester United star Paul Pogba’s abilities. An attacking midfielder by trade, the 19-year-old is exceptional in the final third and glides across the field, with the ball at his feet.

Furthermore, he is also a very hard worker and does his share defensive, which has impressed fans at the Stadio Olimpico this season. However, while the 19-year-old midfielder would be a sensational addition to Manchester City’s squad, it’s a move that will do harm to both sides.

For Zaniolo, a promising young talent, it would be the end of first-team football and instead, he would play a more peripheral role. This is simply because Manchester City already have a wide array of midfielders at their disposal.

Since the takeover, the club has been consistently in the title race and have depended on their best players to get them there.

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Conclusion

While the Italian midfielder is a bright young talent, he should look at Phil Foden’s situation before making a decision. Another bright and promising young talent, the 18-year-old has 23 appearances this season but nearly all of them have been off the bench.

That has caused problems, with players like Jadon Sancho (Guardian) and Brahim Diaz (Telegraph) opting to leave. But Guardiola has already revealed that young talent may not get too many chances under him (Telegraph). It’s a warning that Nicolo Zaniolo should pay heed to.