Coach says Aston Villa player’s early success ‘a huge problem’ – Dishes out transfer advice

Aston Villa’s Nicolò Zaniolo has been urged to take an intermediate step before making a big move in the future.

That’s according to PAOK assistant manager Gianpaolo Castorina, and he made this claim during a chat with TV Play.

Castorina knows the Aston Villa player well as he managed him when the pair were at Virtus Entella during the 2016/17 season.

As a teenager, the winger joined AS Roma in 2018 and largely impressed for the Serie A side during his time there but had problems off the pitch. He moved to Galatasaray in January 2023, months before joining Aston Villa on a loan deal last summer.

Castorina has revealed he was pleasantly surprised with the Aston Villa man’s qualities and that made it difficult to leave him out. The coach is of the belief the Italian has found it difficult to deal with his early success on the pitch.

“Any boy would have had difficulty finding himself catapulted onto an important stage like that of Rome,” he said.

“The acceleration in his career was perhaps something bigger than him. The huge problem was managing the huge success and career change. I too would have had some difficulties.”

There’s been multiple claims that Aston Villa are unlikely to retain Zaniolo beyond this season and that he has a desire to return to Serie A in the summer.

When TV Play asked where Zaniolo should move next, Castorina explained: “If I were him, I would make an intermediate step before a super top club. I’m referring to an experience at Bologna, a sparkling team that intrigues me.”