Shock West Ham move for Aston Villa star aided by ‘excellent’ agent relationship, as Euro giant prowls

West Ham United could spring a surprise in the transfer market this summer by signing Aston Villa loanee Nicolo Zaniolo, a report has claimed.

Zaniolo has been named as a target for Tottenham Hotspur on several occasions, while Bournemouth failed to sign him in January last year. The central attacking midfielder, who can also play as a right winger, eventually arrived in England last summer by signing for Aston Villa.

Unai Emery’s side paid Zaniolo’s parent club, Galatasaray, an initial £4.25million to sign the Italy international. Should certain criteria be met, then Villa will trigger a clause that will see them pay an extra £19.2m – plus £13.2m in add-ons – to sign Zaniolo permanently.

However, it remains to be seen whether a permanent switch to Villa Park will actually happen. Zaniolo has failed to establish himself as a regular starter under Emery and has only managed three goals in 31 games for Villa so far.

It is likely Zaniolo will return to Galatasaray in the summer and weigh up his options, as he will want to ensure his next transfer is a success. While Zaniolo has not had a massive impact for Villa, he should still receive a number of offers as he is a talented 24-year-old with very good potential.

Recent reports in Italy have tipped AC Milan to bid for him, while Fiorentina are also in the mix. But according to the latest from Calciomercato, West Ham are considering a shock approach.

Milan and Fiorentina have been told to watch out for West Ham, as the Irons have ‘excellent relations’ with Zaniolo’s representatives. This should help West Ham strike a contract agreement with the player quickly.

In a boost for West Ham, the report adds that Galatasaray are eager to offload the attacker and are happy to accept a permanent bid or a loan with an obligation to buy in 2025.

West Ham planning shock Nicolo Zaniolo raid

Should West Ham win the race for Zaniolo, then his compatriot Emerson Palmieri could help him get used to life at the London Stadium. Angelo Ogbonna is another Italian on West Ham’s books, though his future is unclear as his contract expires at the end of the season.

Earlier this week, Zaniolo spoke openly about several aspects of his career, including Villa, Galatasaray and a possible return to Italy.

On the subject of a summer move, he said: “I’m focused on Aston Villa, then Galatasaray will decide my future.

“I miss Italy, of course… but my agent will inform me in case of concrete proposals.

“But now it’s up to the clubs to define my future: the card is owned by Galatasaray.

“In the meantime let me say that I am grateful to [Aston Villa’s president of football operations] Monchi for still having bet on me after taking me at Roma when I was 19 years old.”

Zaniolo continued: “He [Emery] is one of the best [managers] around, he is improving me in all aspects. I put him on the same level as [Pep] Guardiola, [Jurgen] Klopp and [Jose] Mourinho.

“It’s true, I’m not having a lot of game time and I was expecting more. But I’m honest enough to say that Emery is world-class coach.”

Zaniolo added that he would not consider joining Lazio due to his loyalty to their rivals Roma, while also admitting it was tough when he first arrived in Turkey.