The January transfer window didn’t come with the best news for some of the notable clubs in Serie A, including Roma. It seems that their transfer plans went up in smoke, at least until the end of the season, and they are stuck with players that don’t really want to be a part of their teams.
The Zaniolo saga
Nicolò Zaniolo requested to leave Roma last month amidst interest from fellow Serie A side Milan. In addition, Premier League side Bournemouth emerged in the final days as a potential landing spot for the attacker.
The Rossoneri couldn’t meet the Giallorossi’s asking price but the Cherries had no problem meeting their demands. The two clubs reached an agreement for the transfer of the 23 year-old but the player initially wasn’t convinced and asked for time to reflect on the deal.
Despite ultimately accepting the transfer, it was too late. Bournemouth had already moved on and finalised a deal for Sassuolo’s Hamed Traoré—leaving Roma seething at Zaniolo’s behavior.
The transfer market is part luck, part strategy
For an outsider, it may seem that the football transfer market is like any other marketplace: the clubs buy and sell players as they would do with any other merchandise. But this is not true: there are many things that have to go right for a transfer to be completed. And for that, you need luck.
It’s like a game of blackjack. If you sit down at the blackjack table with $10 chips in your hand, you get your cards, you see the dealer’s cards, and you need to make a decision. But the dealer still has a card hidden from your view – revealing that can change things in an instant. By the way, you can find out more about $10 minimum deposits casinos at GambleOnlineAustralia, all of which will give you the opportunity to try your luck at blackjack.
In the transfer market, there are even more things that can go sideways than in a game of blackjack. First of all, a player has to be good enough to arouse the interest of another – hopefully higher-ranking – team. Then, the player needs to be interested in moving to said team. Then, the two clubs need to agree on the price and the conditions of the transfer. This involves buyout clauses, sometimes swapped players. And the receiving club has to cut a deal with the player about salaries and other benefits. So there are quite a few things that can go wrong, just like in the case of the Zaniolo saga above.
What will the next few months be like for Zaniolo?
So with the transfer window closed, it means that Roma and Zaniolo are stuck with each other at least for the remainder of the season. This has created an awkward situation for both the club and player given that both are keen to move on from each other.
Jose Mourinho already made it clear to the media that Zaniolo staunchly expressed his desire to leave and didn’t want to wear the Roma shirt any longer. He’s prepared to freeze the attacker out for the remainder of the season—meaning Zaniolo has likely played his final match with the club.
