Nicolo Zaniolo completed his transfer to Galatasaray from Roma on Wednesday, ending a weeks‑long spat that left the Italy international completely frozen out at his former club. Roma announced in a statement that Zaniolo had joined the Istanbul giants “on a permanent basis.” Italian media report that Galatasaray offered Roma €16.5 million (about $17.7 million) with add‑ons of up to €13 million to take the 23‑year‑old off their hands. Zaniolo, who has a €35 million release clause in his four‑year contract, moved to Turkey to avoid spending the rest of the season on the sidelines at Roma.
He was reportedly pushed aside at the request of Roma’s American owners after submitting a transfer request, refusing to be selected for matches, and turning down a €30‑million move to Bournemouth. Coach José Mourinho said Zaniolo—who fled Rome after claiming he was threatened by fans outside his home—told him and his teammates that he never wanted to play for Roma again.
At a press conference marking the end of Roma’s transfer activities, General Manager Tiago Pinto delivered a final barb at Zaniolo: “Even I can decide that I’m worth ‘X’ amount of money. But if I leave Roma and the only clubs that come in for me are Bournemouth and Galatasaray, then either I’m rubbish or something’s not right.”
Zaniolo’s exit is an ignominious end to his time at Roma. Once hailed as one of Italy’s brightest young talents, he burst onto the scene with the capital club as a teenager. Severe injuries to both knees severely hampered his early career, but he fought back last season. Under Mourinho, he was key to Roma’s Europa Conference League triumph, scoring the winning goal in the final against Feyenoord to secure the club’s first ever major European trophy.
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