FC Barcelona made an attempt last January to take over Nico Zaniolo from AS Roma. At least, that’s what his agent claims. The Spanish club was looking for attacking reinforcements during the winter transfer period after Memphis Depay left for Atletico Madrid. Barcelona’s financial situation ultimately prevented a transfer.
The 23-year-old Zaniolo was set to leave Roma after he clashed with manager Jose Mourinho during the first half of the season. The Italian international did eventually leave Roma in January but not to Barcelona. He ended up signing for Turkish giants Galatasaray on a six-month loan deal with the option of making his stay permanent in July.
Zaniolo’s agent Claudio Vigorelli claims Relevo that Barcelona were interested. “In January, in Spain, it was not easy to bring him. The situation was not really created. In La Liga, the market was a bit blocked because of wages. He was on Barcelona’s list, I can confirm. They liked him, but for economic reasons, it was not a feasible operation.”
