Unai Emery’s side managed to snap up the Italian on a season-long loan from Turkish side Galatasaray in August while inserting a conditional purchase option in the deal.
Zaniolo, while giving an insight into his move away from Turkey, revealed that it came as a surprise as Galatasaray had already started their project with him in their plans and promised him Champions League football.
However, that quickly changed when Aston Villa’s director of football called and Zaniolo realised he had a big opportunity in front of him.
“It was a summer I did not expect, at Galatasaray they told me that I was part of the project, that I would play in the Champions League”, Zaniolo told Sky Italia.
“But then Monchi called me and told me there would be this chance. I took it because it was too big an opportunity for me to play in the Premier League.
“As soon as he called me, both Galatasaray and I realised it was too big an opportunity and I came here.”
Zaniolo has since featured in six games for the Villans, four of which have been in the Premier League.
At the Premier League club though, he is missing out on the Champions League, with Emery’s side currently plying their trade in the Europa Conference League.
