The footballing journey of Nicolo Zaniolo, an Italian born on July 7, 1999, is as intriguing as it is impressive. Currently aged 25, Zaniolo is a commanding presence in the field, standing 6ft tall (1.85m) and weighing 12st 6lb (79kg). His role as a central midfielder for Atalanta in the Serie A, coupled with his stints at the Italian national team, has allowed for an extensive career trajectory.
Amongst his achievements, his market value stands out. According to Transfermarkt, Zaniolo's current worth is around €20.00m, roughly translating to £17m. He is contractual to Atalanta until June 2025, with only nine months in hand.
Zaniolo began his professional career at Fiorentina, a Serie A club in Italy. He was transferred to Entella, a Serie C team, for approximately £340k in August 2016. His debut season at Entella recorded a modest seven first-team league appearances. Shortly after, Inter Milan, another Serie A titan, acquired him for a sum of £1.5m in July 2017. A further move saw him don the Roma jersey in July 2018.
While at Roma, Zaniolo had a notable spell. He logged 27 first-team appearances with four goals in 2018-2019, 26 appearances with six goals in 2019-2020, a respectable 28 appearances with two goals in 2021-2022, and 13 appearances with one goal in the 2022-2023 season.
In February 2023, there came a shift from Italy's Serie A to Turkey's Süper Lig when Zaniolo signed with Galatasaray. His record there was short-lived, albeit impactful; he scored five goals in ten first-team league appearances. Yet another career development eventuated in August 2023, when he was loaned to Aston Villa, a Premier League side in England, where he contributed two goals in 25 league appearances.
His spell at Aston Villa ended in June 2024, and he returned to Galatasaray, clocking ten first-team appearances and five goals. However, he soon moved on loan to Atalanta, another Serie A team, in July 2024. During the 2024-2025 season, he has made four first-team league appearances so far.
Notably, Zaniolo has international experience under his belt; he participated in Euro Qualifiers 2022-2024 for Italy, with both starts and substitute appearances. Additionally, he has had a taste of the Champions League 2024-2025 for Atalanta, albeit as a substitute.
