The Basics
Age: 24
Nation: Italy
Position: Forward
Height: 6’3”
Footed: Left
The Story
A native of Tuscany, Zaniolo joined Fiorentina’s academy in 2010, but was released six years later, subsequently joining Serie B side Virtus Entella and making his professional debut aged 17 in March 2017.
He caught the attention of Inter, who signed Zaniolo in the summer of 2017 for a fee of up to £3million after just seven appearances for Entella. The attacker hit the ground running in Milan’s youth team, scoring 13 times in his first season.
Zaniolo would never make a first team appearance for the club though, and was moved on to Roma in June 2018 as a makeweight in the deal which sent Radja Nainggolan to Inter.
The transfer allowed Zaniolo’s upward trajectory to continue, as he was named the Serie A Young Player of the Year for the 2018/19 campaign, in which he appeared 27 times and tallied four goals and two assists. He also scored two goals in the Champions League.
After starting the 2019/20 season well, Zaniolo suffered his first serious knee injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in January 2020.
He returned to action in July of the same year, before being hit with the same injury to his other knee two months later, ruling him out of the entire 2020/21 season.
Zaniolo returned for the 2021/22 campaign, with the highlight being a hat-trick versus Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League quarter-final, which Roma went on to won.
In the summer of 2021, Zaniolo and Roma were at loggerheads as the forward wanted a new contract which would’ve placed him among the team’s highest earners, whilst the club were entertaining the idea of selling him.
Dealing with nagging injuries and a loss of form, Zaniolo was booed by the Roma fans in a game versus Genoa and subsequently requested a transfer. Roma fans harassed Zaniolo at his house, and he would leave in February 2023, putting an end to a bizarre series of events.
Roma had agreed to sell Zaniolo to Bournemouth, but he initially rejected the move. After a change of heart, Bournemouth then declined to reignite the transfer, and the Italian ended up moving to Turkish giants Galatasaray instead.
He scored five goals in 11 appearances for Galatasaray as they won the Süper Lig at the end of the 2022/23 season.
The Scouting Report
Strengths
Zaniolo is a physical specimen, standing at around 6’3”, he possesses a potent combination of power and pace.
Able to play off the right or left side of the forward line, as well as deeper in a more central midfield position, the Italian is at his best playing just behind an orthodox striker, coming alive in the final third.
He loves to drive at opponents and is intimidating when carrying the ball, capable of bulldozing or wriggling past defenders using his strength and speed. Against Ludogorets this past season, Zaniolo ran through nearly half the team to score out of nothing.
Zaniolo ranked in the 74th percentile for successful take-ons among Serie A attacking midfielders/wingers between 2018 and 2023.
His pace allows him to get behind defences and latch onto through balls. Due to his power, Zaniolo just needs to get level with defenders rather than outright beat them in a foot race, before muscling them out of the way. He regularly looks to make positive runs in behind.
There is a creativity to Zaniolo’s play, especially in the final third where he will be inventive to make a goal for himself or a teammate. His movement in and around the box is clever, always finding pockets of space.
Zaniolo ranks in the 72nd percentile for non-penalty xG, the 74th for total shots and the 74th for touches in the penalty area.
He has the technical ability to scoop passes over defenders or flick the ball around a corner and has nimble feet to shift the ball quickly in tight quarters and get a shot off. Zaniolo will try to catch the goalkeeper out by shooting early from unorthodox angles.
In front of goal, the forward is calm and can slot, poke, or lift the ball into the net. He also boasts a powerful shot which can threaten from distance.
Zaniolo’s physical traits help in both an attacking and a defensive sense. He is happy to engage with defenders and pin them, grappling for position. The Italian’s frame allows him to protect the ball and hold it up, and he knows how to use his body to win fouls.
Defensively, he will aggressively close down defenders or goalkeepers in possession and closes on them quickly with his speed. Playing against Zaniolo doesn’t look like fun. He has a real edge and doesn’t allow opponents to be comfortable.
Weaknesses
Despite being 24, and presumably due to his multiple serious injuries, Zaniolo is still something of an untidy player at times. He doesn’t always play under control and his performances have been inconsistent.
Case in point: his technical quality is clear, but Zaniolo ranks in just the 35th percentile for expected assists and the 37th for shot-creating actions.
Even though his total number of successful take-ons is high, he only ranks in the 34th percentile for take-on success rate.
Zaniolo will trap a pass brilliantly, then miscontrol one, ranking in the 5th percentile for miscontrols. The “YOLO” style he plays with means he will try a lot of things out, and not all of them are going to work.
To an extent, this is fine in the final third, but he is a real risk to give the ball away when dropping deeper, attempting first-time, no-look passes across the pitch.
He will drop deep or drift wide to offer to receive the ball at times, but generally Zaniolo doesn’t get involved in build-up, and he’s not especially good at it either. He ranks in the 8th percentile for pass attempts, the 36th for pass accuracy and the 17th for progressive passes.
While he can be weaponised as a presser, the rest of his defensive work is uneven. The Italian will commit clumsy fouls when tracking back and he doesn’t rank above average in any main defensive statistic.
The size is there but Zaniolo isn’t always extremely willing to challenge for the ball in the air, ranking in the 48thpercentile for aerial duel win rate.
The injuries are a big concern. Besides the two knee injuries, Zaniolo has missed another 41 games during his career through groin, shoulder, hip, and calf issues. It’s worth wondering whether his physical playstyle is counterproductive in a way.
Fit With Villa
The signing of Zaniolo may be a reaction to Emi Buendia’s injury, but they are quite different players.
Zaniolo will ideally operate as a second striker just behind Ollie Watkins, rather than off the left like Buendia, with Moussa Diaby perhaps moving out wide as a result, although Zaniolo can move around if required.
There could be an adaptation period as he moves to England, but Zaniolo should have no problem with the physicality of the Premier League.
At this point in his career, a coach like Unai Emery could really refine and improve Zaniolo’s game. Villa’s president of football operations, Monchi, knows both Zaniolo and Emery well, and clearly feels it is a match.
Given he’s replacing an injured player, it’s fair to be concerned about Zaniolo’s history in that regard, but a loan deal with an option to buy is low risk for Villa. His experience in European competitions will also be welcome.
The potential upside here is a dynamic attacker who will create and score goals in the final third as well as setting an aggressive and physical tone which will hopefully permeate through the rest of the team.
The worst-case scenario is another uneven forward player who is oft injured and can’t be relied upon to perform consistently from game to game (cough, Leon Bailey).
The Villa Ramble 
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