Aston Villa: Nicolo Zaniolo must step up at Villa Park as ‘top club’ transfer claim emerges
Gianpaolo Castorina has tipped Aston Villa loanee Nicolo Zaniolo to join a top club despite his mixed loan spell at Villa Park, and if he wants to make that happen he will need to step up his performances.
It was explained that he should leave Villa in favour of a move to a mid-sized Italian club, with Bologna and Atalanta named, before looking to join a bigger club.
Castorina worked with Zaniolo during his spell at Virtus Entella and explained that taking the step up to Roma caused a “huge problem” before he later moved to Galatasaray and then on loan to Villa.
Speaking to TV Play in Italy [3 April], his former coach explained: “The huge problem was managing the huge success and career change. I too would have had some difficulties.
“If I were him I would make an intermediate step before a super top club. I’m referring to an experience at Bologna, a sparkling team that intrigues me. He can also hold up against Atalanta, but it wouldn’t hurt Milan.”
Nicolo Zaniolo must step up for Aston Villa
Talk of a big move is all well and good, as it becomes clear his long-term future does not lie at Villa Park, but he will have to start proving he deserves a move before his loan spell ends.
Zaniolo hasn’t started a Premier League game for Villa since the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth in December. In that game, he recorded a zero per cent dribble success rate, won just two of nine attempted duels and completed just three passes before being hooked at half-time. [Sofascore]
His recent performances have seen no considerable step up either. He was given 32 minutes to impress in the 4-0 defeat to Spurs in which he completed just one of four attempted passes, missed one big chance and lost the ball five times.
Next came a goalscoring cameo in the 1-1 draw with West Ham, but despite the goal, he recorded a sloppy 58 per cent pass accuracy, completed just one of his attempted dribbles, lost possession seven times and gave away two fouls.
Most recently, he was handed 27 minutes off the bench against Wolves where yet again his passing was sloppy with a 60 per cent success rate, and recorded another zero per cent dribble success rate, losing the ball more times (7) than he completed passes (6).
If he, like his former coach, holds hope of securing a move to a top club in the future, he has plenty of room for improvement before they would be interested, and it certainly won’t come off the back of his loan spell under Unai Emery.
In other Aston Villa news, Ollie Watkins must prove doubters wrong after what Jamie Carragher said.
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