According to sources who spoke to 90min, Bournemouth is in negotiations with Italian star Nicolo Zaniolo in an effort to convince him to transfer to the South Coast.
Roma has been negotiating a loan agreement for the 23-year-old midfielder with AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur, but as in the summer, those negotiations have stagnated.
After learning of his potential availability during talks with Roma over Uruguayan international Matias Vina, Bournemouth made a €35 million offer on Monday. However, while the Serie A club was happy to accept the offer, Zaniolo wasn’t initially sold on the idea of joining a team that didn’t play in Europe.
In the hopes that the player would consider an offer, the Cherries left their offer on the table. Now, 90min claim that Zaniolo gave instructions to his agents on Friday morning to contact Bournemouth.
In an effort to finalise a deal that, if successful, would rank among the greatest transfer coups in recent memory, Bournemouth is now speaking with Zaniolo’s agents.
Bill Foley, the new Cherries owner, is making a strong effort to support the team during this transfer window and has already spent £20 million on Dango Ouattara. He has also agreed to a similar-sized deal for Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal.
Jackson’s fitness is being monitored by doctors amid worries over what is thought to be a hamstring problem, although it is unclear whether this would prevent the deal from closing.
In a £10 million transfer, Antoine Semenyo has also come from Bristol City.
