Throughout the entire offseason, we will be updating the potential squad Lazio will dress come the start of the new season, with departures of current Lazio players and rumored arrivals through the transfer market.
We will begin with some potential players departing the capital city this summer:
At the goalkeeper position, a Marchetti move to Genoa seems very likely as “Il Grifone” are finalizing a move with Juventus for their current goalkeeper Mattia Perin. As for Lazio’s current starting keeper Thomas Strakosha, it is almost a certainty he will remain the number one option for the Biancocelesti for the foreseeable future, despite the Liverpool rumors, which have faded as of late.
In defense, the exit of either Bastos or Wallace, if not both, still seems very likely as the Roman club keeps shopping around for 2 defenders to reinforce a defense which needs to be better come next season. Martin Caceres also might leave the club, with a rumored return to Spain being discussed. Real Betis have made inquiries and his World Cup showing might be the only way to convince Lotito and Igli Tare to keep Caceres in Rome moving forward. He was also mentioned in a swap deal with SPAL for Lazzari.
In midfield, it is, and will continue to be all about Lazio’s gem, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. With the World Cup upon us, and with club president Lotito’s continued hype around the value of his star player, all signs continue to point to an astronomical figure to lure the Serbian away from Lazio. With a great showing in this upcoming tournament, a huge offer that will meet Lotito’s demands might actually be hard for Lazio to refuse. The continued Juventus rumors don’t seem to be going away, with the “bianconeri” planning to offer the Serbian sergeant a huge pay increase, while also offering a current player or two to lower the substantial transfer fee this move would cost them. Manchester United are also still very interested in bringing Sergej to Old Trafford. On a lesser scale, Danilo Cataldi also seems on his way out of Rome with interest from Sampdoria and possibly Fiorentina, where Cataldi enjoyed some of his best spells under former coach Stefano Pioli. Cataldi can also be added to a potential deal to lessen the transfer fee for Lazio in other transactions. Davide Di Gennaro is also on his way out, after an injury-plagued disappointing first season with Lazio. Serie B’s Salernitana seems like a good option for the midfielder to find his form, as they will lose their player of the year award recipient Joseph Minala in a potential deal with Sassuolo to bring Acerbi to the “biancocelesti”. Bologna also is showing interest in the midfielder. Dusan Basta and Felipe Caicedo should also be on their way out, but there hasn’t been much talk about the two of them recently. Finally, we get the feeling Jordan Lukaku would also like a move away from Lazio, to potentially join an EPL side, where his strengths might be better suited for. He might feel he deserves more playing time and with his brother already in England, that could be his next landing spot.
In attack, it is already confirmed that Nani will not be back with Lazio. Interest from Mexican side Cruz Azul and some Chinese clubs might decide Nani’s next destination. The biggest question surrounding Felipe Anderson’s future with the club is whether he will renew with Lazio, or be sold to an English side with reports of interest from West Ham, Southampton and Leicester. If his price tag is reached there is a very high chance Lazio’s number 10 will be sold this summer, for an estimated 30 to 50 million Euros. There is also interest from Monaco where a potential swap for Kamil Glik might reduce the price tag to acquire the forward. Simone Palombi is another player who’s future with the club is uncertain, whether he is to be offered on loan again, in a swap deal for Acerbi at Sassuolo or whether he finally sticks with the capital club. There is interest from other Serie A teams for his services, so his future is a hard one to predict at the moment.
