Roma are rapidly emerging as the winners of the transfer deal which involved Belgian veteran Radja Nainggolan joining Inter and Italian starlet Nicolo Zaniolo becoming a Giallorossi player.
In the summer of 2018, Nainggolan signed with the Nerazzurri for €38 million while Zaniolo and full-back Davide Santon went in the other direction for €14m, and so far, Serie A fans have seen the Italian prodigy rise while the Belgian international has shown further signs of decline.
Zaniolo is growing with confidence under Lupi coach Eusebio Di Francesco. With Javier Pastore failing to settle in, Bryan Cristante playing deeper in midfield, and Lorenzo Pellegrini having experienced a spell on the sidelines due to injury, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder has made the most of his opportunities.
Italy coach Roberto Mancini selected him for the national team before he made his Serie A debut for Roma, which certainly raised eyebrows, and Di Francesco gave the former Inter starlet his competitive debut with the Giallorossi in a 3-0 defeat away to Real Madrid in the Champions League in September.
Although he played just once in the opening 10 rounds in the league campaign, Zaniolo has played in every match since the 1-1 draw away to Fiorentina in Week 11, and he has gradually become a mainstay of the team.
The youngster from Massa in Tuscany stands at 189 cm tall but he has excellent ball control for someone of his height and frame, has good balance, he is graceful in his movement, and he displays maturity beyond his years.
Statistically, the numbers do not look overly impressive with two goals in 17 competitive games, but his overall influence evident to those who have watched him play. Zaniolo is not afraid to dribble past opponents, he will perform some trickery on the ball, and he is incredibly calm for a teenager.
His two goals illustrate his ability despite his young years. He scored the third goal in Roma’s 3-1 victory against Sassuolo in Serie A with a solo run that started on the right-wing before feinting a shot and then chipping the ball over Neroverdi goalkeeper Andrea Consigli while his goal in the 3-2 win against Torino on Saturday involved him stretching his left leg and then flicking the ball into the net while he was on the ground.
While Zaniolo has gone from strength to strength, Nainggolan has struggled for form and off-field problems such as a car accident in July and arriving late to training in December have not helped his situation.
The Belgian midfielder has scored three goals in 17 competitive matches for the Biscione but he is not influencing matches like he did at Roma. He does not tirelessly cover ground as he used to and he is not making those late runs into the penalty area, scoring goals with his thunderous shooting.
Although it is extremely easy to say in hindsight, Inter coach Luciano Spalletti could have made use of the Tuscan youngster. The dream transfer of Real Madrid star Luka Modric failed to materialise and Nainggolan is also 30 years old so Zaniolo would have been an option for the present and the future.
The 19-year-old would have provided the Biscione midfield with extra creativity and youthful exuberance. Joao Mario is a strong and effective player but lacks the Italian’s guile and tidy ball control while Borja Valero plays at a very pedestrian tempo and hardly provides any form of acceleration.
Radja Nainggolan has been one of the best midfielders in Italian football throughout the 2010s but it seems that Spalletti is not able to help him rediscover the form that he had while they were at Roma.
Meanwhile, the Giallorossi can be glad that they had the opportunity to acquire a unique talent like Zaniolo, who represents their present as well as their future, and might prove to be a great bargain.
