According to reports, Alex Neil is interested in bringing Juventus bit-part player Simone Zaza to Carrow Road, most likely on loan, with the reigning Serie A champions being supposedly willing to allow the striker to leave Turin for good, after before being unwilling to let him go.
Any permanent transfer would reportedly surpass the fee required to bring Ricky van Wolfswinkel to Norwich, now on loan at Real Betis. Despite Juventus’ previous refusal to do business with the Premier League new boys, it is alleged that the Bianconeri are now considering letting Zaza leave, either on loan to gain more first-team opportunities or, as mentioned, on a permanent transfer, believed to be worth around £12 million.
In spite of his age, 24, Zaza brings experience. He has been at 4 different clubs in Italy, including 3 loan spells. The Italian International, who has been capped seven times by Antonio Conte, also brings great physical power and an eye for goal, along with a supposedly similar style of play to Christian Vieri. Last season, Zaza made 31 appearances and scored 11 goals in Serie A, helping Sassuolo finish in 12th place, 15 points above the bottom three.
If the forward was to come to Norwich, he would find a relatively similar situation harking back to the beginning of his two-year stint with Sassuolo, a newly promoted team whose aim is simply to maintain its status, and hopefully thrive in the coming years (the Niroverdi currently occupy sixth in Serie A).
Overall, Zaza would appear to be a logical choice for Alex Neil, offering a chance to bolster his striking options with Kyle Lafferty potentially walking away from the club in January to boost the chances of a successful Euro 2016 campaign, as well as boasting a one-in-three goal/game ratio which would surely help alleviate the pressure on Dieumerci Mbokani, who many onlookers believe to be City’s only ‘Premier League quality’ striker. Whether the deal actually goes through or not, though, is perhaps a completely different kettle of fish, given the Yellows’ consistent failure to deliver in the summer window.
