Nicolo Zaniolo has insisted he has no regrets about his spells with Aston Villa and Galatasaray after signing for Atalanta.
The 19-time Italy international completed a loan move to the Europa League champions with an obligation to buy, ending a short stay in Istanbul.
Zaniolo joined Galatasaray from Roma in February 2023 and made a fast start to life with the club, scoring five goals in 10 Super Lig matches. However, the attacking midfielder was then loaned out to Aston Villa for the 2023/24 campaign.
The 25-year-old never found his best form in England, scoring just three goals in 39 appearances across all competitions, while he was also implicated (via Goal) in the same betting scandal that saw Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Fagioli receive lengthy bans.
With his loan at Villa over, Zaniolo has now signed for 2023/24 Europa League winners Atalanta on loan for the upcoming season, with La Dea holding an obligation to buy the player as part of the deal.
Zaniolo has admitted he’s ‘happy’ to be back in Italy, but doesn’t regret his time abroad.
“When I left Roma, I wanted to have a different experience abroad, as it helps you mature as a person and a player,” said Zaniolo (via Football Italia). “I felt the need to change. There were a lot of negatives from the last two years, but some positives too.
“I am not saying I’d like to cancel the last two years. I am happy now to be back in Italy and can’t wait to get started.
“When you change country, leave home, your family, your comfort zone, it does force you to mature. I went to England, where the culture was different, the lifestyle too. The Premier League is different to Serie A, so now I have this experience as a bonus.
“Patience is fundamental, when someone makes a mistake, they immediately get thrown into the centre of controversy. Bergamo is a place where you are allowed to make mistakes and learn, and the results are there for all to see.”
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Look who's here ??#GoAtalantaGo ??? pic.twitter.com/SqQUti86yE
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Zaniolo was seen as one of the most exciting prospects in Europe when breaking through with Roma, where he notched 24 goals and 18 assists in 128 appearances across all competitions between 2018 and 2023, winning the 2021/22 UEFA Conference League along the way.
Now, he will look to re-ignite his career back in Italy after a difficult spell abroad and Zaniolo believes Atalanta is the best place for him to do that.
“As soon as I found out there was interest from this club, I did not want to even hear any other proposals, I did not hesitate to choose this project,” he said. “This is the most suitable step for my career, everyone knows how good the coach is at getting the best out of young players.
“I can play in any role, from centre-forward to trequartista. There is competition for places here, that is part of sport, and I am happy to be part of this strong team. I can’t wait to show what I can do.”
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