Italy international Nicolò Zaniolo is poised for a potential return to Serie A following reports indicating that Aston Villa will not exercise their option to purchase him from Galatasaray.
Zaniolo, who will celebrate his 25th birthday in July, joined the Premier League club on loan for a fee of €5 million, with an option to make the deal permanent for an additional €22.5 million plus €15.5 million in bonuses. While certain conditions could trigger the obligation to buy, it appears unlikely that Zaniolo will have the opportunity to meet those criteria.
Despite making 26 competitive appearances for Aston Villa, Zaniolo only managed to score two goals and was included in the starting lineup on just 10 occasions.
According to reports from Calciomercato.it, Aston Villa is expected to return Zaniolo to Galatasaray, who are likely to seek another loan arrangement for the forward.
Several Serie A clubs, including Juventus, Milan, Napoli, Fiorentina, and Atalanta, are reportedly monitoring the situation, eager to capitalize on the opportunity to secure Zaniolo’s services.