In a significant development for the Premier League, Aston Villa has successfully signed Italian midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo on a season-long loan from Turkish Super Lig champions Galatasaray. The agreement comes with a “conditional compulsory purchase option,” which could see the English club making the move permanent in the near future.
Zaniolo, 24, moved to Galatasaray from AS Roma in February, where he played a pivotal role in helping the Turkish club clinch the 2022-23 Super Lig title. His impressive performances at Roma had already highlighted his potential, where he played a key role in winning the 2022 Europa Conference League.
Aston Villa’s decision to bring in Zaniolo seems to be a strategic move to fill the void left by their Argentine midfielder, Emiliano Buendia, who recently suffered a significant knee ligament injury, sidelining him for an extended period.
As per the agreement details, Villa will pay a loan fee of €5 million ($5.43 million) upfront. Should certain criteria be met during the loan period, Villa can make Zaniolo’s move permanent by paying an additional fee of €22.5 million and potential add-ons that could amount to €15.5 million. In the event of a future transfer to another club, Galatasaray gains 10% of the sales profit.
Aston Villa’s summer transfer activities have been notable, with signings including defender Pau Torres from Villarreal, midfielder Youri Tielemans from Leicester, and a club-record signing of forward Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen.
