New Deal for Zaniolo Inching Closer

I'm always hesitant to discuss contract renewals and/or extensions simply because they always seem to be fraught with delays, and what's more a contract extension doesn't necessarily preclude a sale either; we've seen that in recent years with players like Radja Nainggolan. However, when we're talking about The Kid and our number one U23 prospect Nicolo Zaniolo, we'll bend the rules. Roma hasn't had a young player this important in ages, so nearly any update about his future is worth discussing.

According to Francesco Guerrieri of Calciomercato, Gianluca Petrachi and the rest of the Roma brass are making inroads with Zaniolo's agent Claudio Vigorelli on a contract extension for Roma's 20-year-old superstar in the making. Per the report, the two sides are currently locked in negotiations on a new deal, with the player asking for €2.5 million per season, nearly quadruple his current €700,000, while Roma are believed to be countering at a slightly less figure but one what would extend for an additional year through June 2024.

While the new season's financial figures have not been released, or indeed even finalized, based on the 2018-2019 payroll, a €2.5 million net salary would put Zaniolo among Roma's top 10 earners, on par with the likes of Federico Fazio, Patrik Schick and Diego Perotti, which seems about right given the balance between his age and potential.

The problem with contract renewals for a kid like Zaniolo is that they're not really worth the paper on which they're printed. If Zaniolo takes things up another notch this season, Roma would be wise to (if not downright forced) increase his wages even further to stave off competition from larger clubs, so we should take these updates with a grain of salt.

If, however, Zaniolo was sincere in his desire to stay at Roma forever, then this deal would be a good way for Roma to build some faith with their brightest young talent since a scrawny Daniele De Rossi was breaking the ranks a little more than 20 years ago.

In the end, when it comes to a player like Zaniolo, you do what you gotta do to keep him.