Gianfranco Zola believes Manchester United made a big
mistake the day they allowed Giuseppe Rossi to join
Villarreal.
United currently find themselves in a tug-o-war to keep one
world class star in Cristiano Ronaldo, but Zola insists they could
already have had another, had Rossi have stayed.
The 21-year-old Italian is preparing to go to the Olympics with
Italy after scoring 11 goals in 27 league appearances for
Villarreal last season.
Rossi’s raw talent was there for all to see during his short
spell in United’s first team, and he even showed it during a loan
spell at Parma that yielded nine goals in 19 Serie A
appearances.
Despite being the stand-out player in United’s youth setup, Sir
Alex Ferguson allowed the Italian to join Villarreal for around £7
million last summer.
It is believed United do have a buy-back clause in Rossi’s
contract, but Zola believes that could prove costly for The Red
Devils.
Zola has worked with Rossi while coaching the Italy Under-21s,
and he believes he will one day become the best player in Italian
football.
“He has class, knows where the goal is and makes a difference.
Plus he's still young,” Zola told La Gazzetta Sportiva.
"Giuseppe Rossi is a phenomenon and our (Lionel) Messi.”
