If there is one player that Mourinho chose to contact ahead of the season, it is Zaniolo. According to Il Tempo, Roma’s new manager has been contacting the players he considers key for the squad and motivating them, having daily conversations, frequently exchanging messages – Zaniolo being the protagonist of these frequent exchanges. In fact, the Special One has been a long time fan of the youngster – after all, he was the one trying to bring him to Tottenham just a couple of years ago before injuries halted the Italian international’s incredible rise.
Now, the manager realizes how important it is to keep Zaniolo motivated and focused on the upcoming season. Getting back on the pitch after two consecutive ACL injuries can be problematic for any player. Thus, the youngster has reduced the number of vacation days down to a minimum in order to increase the training workload ahead of pre-season. Today he will be working at Trigoria, along with El Shaarawy.
Mourinho is determined to have Zaniolo back at his very best. That’s why the two of them have been getting to know each other over these past few weeks. As far as renewals go, Zaniolo is currently not scheduled to meet with the management. As reported by Alessandro Austini of Il Tempo, the only player who will most likely sign a contract extension in the coming weeks is Pellegrini whose contract runs out in the summer of 2022.
