Gazzetta: Roma Prepping New Deal, Raise for Zaniolo

For as much grief as we give Roma about their hanging by a thread transfer policy, we should feel lucky that the club have always managed to have a few players that fans dread losing. It's an odd bit of comfort, but Roma do tend to have some sensationally talented players, ones who tend to fetch a ton on the open market. So while we can bemoan the club's policy of selling that talent, they are undoubtedly quite skilled at developing said talent.

While we spent much of the past 10 to 15 years fretting over rumors that would have seen Francesco Totti off to Real Madrid and Daniele De Rossi off to the Premiership, a new golden child has assumed that mantle—Nicolo Zaniolo.

Zaniolo's Roma career has only been a blip on the radar when stacked up against his predecessors, but that hasn't stopped the vultures from circling, with nearly every mega club laying claim to his future.

Fortunately for us, Zaniolo seems to like life in Roma, declaring just last week that he hopes to remain with Roma for “many years to come.” As fans removed from the situation, we had no choice but to accept those words at face value, but Zaniolo is only half of the equation. The better he plays, the more coveted he becomes, so what will Roma do to keep the wolves at bay?

Well, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport, they're prepping a new contract for Zaniolo as we speak; the second in less than a year. As you may recall, Zaniolo signed a new deal late last summer, one that bumped his pay up to €1.5 million per year over five years.

This new deal, if the rumors prove true, will double that figure, paying the 20-year-old €3 million per season including bonuses. It's a tremendous sign of faith from the club; not only would this be the second extension they've offered him in less than year, it would come mere months after he tore his ACL.

If Zaniolo is indeed true to his word, then this deal will go a long way to keeping The Kid in the capital for many years to come.

Incidentally, in a separate piece, the GdS claims that Roma are installing an artificial €3 million salary cap for new signings. With over €160 million in salary commitments, it's seen as a necessary measure until the club can shed some older contracts and/or return to the Champions League.