One of the main talking points in the Italian media these days when it comes to Aston Villa has been Nicolo Zaniolo.
The player has been on loan at Villa Park from Galatasaray since last summer, but he has failed to impress under Unai Emery, with the general belief being he will be heading back to Turkey in the next transfer window.
In the meantime, his lacklustre performances with Aston Villa didn’t affect his spot in Luciano Spalletti’s plans, as Zaniolo came off the bench against Venezuela and started the recent friendly against Ecuador, where Corriere della Sera rate him, giving him a 7/10.
The 24-year-old may not have contributed directly to a goal for his country, but they make it clear he did his role behind the striker ‘in the right way’, always ensure to ‘keep the ball alive’ and making the required runs into spaces.
While he ‘doesn’t impress’ at Aston Villa these days, ‘he gives more’ when he is wearing Italy’s blue shirt, which is something Emery and Monchi might want to have a think about.
Since arriving at Villa Park, Zaniolo has made 31 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals.