This article is part of Football FanCast's Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba's haircuts to League Two relegation battles...

Roma have so far endured quite a bumpy ride in their 2019/20 Serie A campaign.

The Gladiators from the Italian capital are currently sitting in sixth but their last two fixtures saw them beaten by Borussia Monchengladbach and Parma in Europe and in the domestic league respectively.

Still, looking at their squad and its potential for the future, there are certainly some talents who might go on to eventually become stars.

One such player is definitely Nicolo Zaniolo, their 20-year-old prodigy who has already been linked with an exit to the likes of Manchester United, as per some recent reports coming from Il Messaggero.

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The same source states the Red Devils have already scouted the young Italian and seem to like what they see.

Needless to say, for Roma, his potential exit would be a really bad piece of business.

Zaniolo has already scored three goals in 12 Serie A appearances and while it may seem like Roma could afford to lose him, netting 20 strikes so far, the youngster is far more important than first meets the eye.

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Along with Edin Dzeko with five and Aleksandar Kolarov with four, the 20-year-old is actually the only player who has more than two strikes to his name.

And this is without actually considering the player he could become in the future if properly groomed.

Looking at it from Manchester United's point of view, it goes against their current needs.

After all, with the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Daniel James, the Red Devils have plenty of young, up and coming players who can bang in the goals and besides, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly on a hunt for a more experienced and proven goal-scorer.

This reported interest in young players is admirable from the current Manchester gaffer but even the squad with high-potential troopers needs some veteran generals to guide them.

Adding another prospect is good for the future but not as good for the right here and right now.

Roma, on the other, can't afford to part with their jewel, at least for the time being. The £36m-rated midfielder has amassed an impressive 1.9 shots per game and also 2.1 dribbles each outing on average. On that evidence, he's a serious player.

If he continues developing, maybe the gains could be that much bigger for the Italians, regardless of whether he ends up staying in the capital or not.