Aston Villa star Nicolo Zaniolo’s involvement in a betting investigation has come as a major ‘blow’ at Villa Park, and transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT how the setback could impact boss Unai Emery’s plans for the January window.
The 24-year-old was among the fresh faces to head to the Midlands as more than £80million was spent on improving the Villans’ squad during the summer after qualifying for the Europa Conference League and showing clear signs of progress.
But having already seen Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli receive a seven-month ban from the Italian football federation for breaching gambling rules, Zaniolo is at risk of being hit with a suspension.
Zaniolo lawyer pleads innocence ahead of West Ham clash
Villa are expecting Zaniolo to be available to face West Ham United on Sunday, according to MailOnline, despite being set to undergo questioning by authorities about his involvement in an illegal betting scandal.
The report suggests the attacking midfielder, who pulled out of the Italy squad during the international break as a result of being interviewed by investigators at the team’s training base near Florence, has held talks with Villans officials and resumed training ahead of the Premier League clash.
Gianluca Tognozzi, Zaniolo’s lawyer, has insisted his client has not broken gambling guidelines – meaning he will seek acquittal – while he is not on course to be banned for a significant period.The investigation comes just two months after Villa forked out a £4.25million loan fee to lure the former Roma man away from Turkish outfit Galatasaray for the season, while his move will become permanent for £19.2million – plus a further £13.2million in potential add-ons – if certain criteria within the deal are met during his time in the Midlands.
Respected reporter Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Zaniolo has already shown that he is an upgrade on Philippe Coutinho during the early stages of his Villa Park career, while Emery is the perfect boss to get the best out of him.
The talisman has made nine appearances in his new surroundings, starting three of Villa’s last four Premier League fixtures ahead of West Ham’s visit this weekend, but is still waiting for his first goal contribution.
