Roma star handed 30-day break after Premier League transfer collapse

Jacque Talbot

• 3 Feb 2023 13:41 GMT
• 3 min read

Nicolo Zaniolo has been granted a 30-day leave from Roma following the fallout of his failed move to the Premier League in January.

The Italian has been included in Roma’s UEFA list for the season but the side will reassess things after his month-long absence.

Gianluca di Marzio reports that on Deadline Day Zaniolo had sent Roma a medical report of his situation and consequently, following a medical test at Trigoria today, it was advised he needs a 30-day period of rest, after which Roma will make another assessment.

READ MORE: Nkunku issues Chelsea warning ahead of summer transfer

During the window, Bournemouth had a deal agreed with Roma to sign Zaniolo, but the Italian rejected the move on two occasions. It was thought that he wanted to join Tottenham instead.

Corriere dello Sport revealed yesterday that Leeds, Southampton and Everton also tried to sign him but none of the moves materialised and he remains a player at Roma.

The attacker spoke out following his failed move to England, saying that he’ll continue to make himself available to Roma.

He wrote, via Sky Italy: “Many things have been said and written about me in recent weeks and many are not true.

“The future is in our hands: I extend mine and place myself at the complete disposal of the Roma family.”

Reports in Italy recently suggested that the forward would face an exile at Roma because he had tried to force a move away in January.

Jose Mourinho bemoans squad size

The Giallorossi were knocked out of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on Wednesday at the hands of Cremonese, with boss Jose Mourinho saying that his squad is not deep enough to rotate.

The former Manchester United manager said: “If we think they were in Serie B last season, they have even more merit. In the second half we were affected by an individual error, but I saw a good reaction and our opponents defended with many players.”

“Now we have to focus on the next game, but we should not forget that with this team it’s hard to rotate, especially when we play three matches in a week,” said Mourinho.

“It’s always the same story. Before the match, the medical staff told me that some players were at risk, so it’s something I had to consider,” explained Mourinho. “If Dybala had played and got injured, we may have qualified, but then he’d have been out.

“Unfortunately, there is always a problem. If I make changes and the team doesn’t do well, it’s a problem. If I don’t make changes and players get injured, it’s a problem. There’s always a problem.”