Jose Mourinho has dealt his former Tottenham side a huge blow in the transfer market after the Portuguese hero blocked Daniel Levy’s attempt to sign Nicolo Zaniola, who is one of his more coveted stars.
That’s according to Corriere dello Sport (as relayed by the Daily Mail), who state that the trophy-laden boss intervened at the last minute to halt the former Inter Milan youngster from swapping the Italian capital for its English equivalent.
The two clubs had apparently agreed a £44m loan-to-buy deal last week, although Mourinho annexed the deal himself in a bid to keep his star at the club.
Roma are now only prepared to part with their star asset if Tottenham offer the fee as a whole instead of in instalments, plunging the move into doubt.
Instead, Tottenham are willing to offer the Italian giants a cash-plus-player bid involving flop Tanguy Ndombele, who has failed to impress since the enigmatic gaffer signed him for a still-club-record fee of £54m from Lyon in 2019.
He could prove to be an essential tool in Spurs’ bid to sign Zaniolo with Mourinho potentially eyeing up a return between the pair, and it could also offer Ndombele a new lease of life in a league which relies on technical excellence, which he has in abundance.
MORE: “Unacceptable” – Erik ten Hag blasts Cristiano Ronaldo for recent decision
And with Zaniolo already reportedly agreeing to a £4m-per-year contract under Conte, a deal could be expedited soon if talks head down that route.
