'He would have reduced his salary for Milan or Tottenham' - Zaniolo's mother

The protracted transfer saga between Zaniolo and AS Roma ended with the player joining Turkish side Galatasaray for a reported €20 million fee, which is a record for the club.

Zaniolo was subject to interest from clubs in the European top five leagues, including AC Milan and Tottenham; however, neither side could manage to reach an agreement with Zaniolo's employers. The 23-year-old's mother has now revealed that he would have taken a pay cut to join either side.

Zaniolo pushed for a move to leave Roma during the January transfer window, he did not leave in the month, but it was not for lack of suitors.

Tottenham from the Premier League and AC Milan in Seria A were the two biggest clubs interested; however, they did not manage to reach an agreement with the Gillarossi for the signing of Zaniolo.

The Italy international's mother, speaking to Corriere dello Sport, revealed that her son was keen for a move to either side and would have taken as much as he earned at Roma or even accepted a reduced pay to join either club, hinting it was not about money. Still, the deal did not happen because an agreement could not be had with Roma.

“I want to clarify one aspect: Nicolò would have reduced his salary, or would have asked for the same money as Roma, for a move to  Milan or the Tottenham.

“But those clubs didn’t find an agreement with the Giallorossi."

One club, other than Galatasaray, did manage to reach Roma's valuation: Bournemouth. However, upon reaching an agreement with the player, the Cherries could not get Zaniolo to agree, as the player turned down the move.

The player's mother has now revealed that they made an attempt to recontact Bournemouth to accept their offer, however, they had gone for another player at the time, Hamad Traore.

“At that point there was Bournemouth. It’s not true that they offered us five million a season. Subsequently, he accepted Bournemouth’s offer, but when we called them back they had already taken another player (Hamed Traore).”

Zaniolo is said to have a €35 million release clause in his contract with Galatasaray, and a move back to Europe's top five leagues could be on the cards in the not-so-distant future.