In part 2 of our The Laziali potential arrivals piece, we will concentrate on players who have continually been rumored with a move to Lazio. Some players who have been mentioned in earlier articles that have seen their link to Lazio die down in recent days won’t be part of future articles, as we try our best to give the most updated, valid rumors out there on the transfer market, to ensure the best quality for our followers.
Starting with the goaltender position, it seems like Lazio may have found support for Thomas Strakosha in 35-year-old Silvio Proto from Olympiakos. The Belgian goalkeeper might be Lazio’s first official signing of the summer, filling up a need for a viable back-up to Strakosha. This will allow more rest for the starting keeper, who pretty much played in every meaningful Lazio game this past season. The 35 years old Belgian has made 13 appearances for the national team and will bring much-needed experience the club needs at the position. Hopefully, they can finalize the move in the next coming days.
In defense, Francesco Acerbi is still the most likely candidate to replace Stefan De Vrij, and it is rumored that the player already agreed to terms with the capital club on 1.8 million euros per season. The only thing standing in the way of him becoming a Lazio player is the 15 million euro transfer fee wanted by Sassuolo. Lazio are not willing to pay that amount for the player, while they are believed to be offering 8-10 million with a young player (Cataldi, Lombardi, Palombi) added to the negotiations. Talks are set for this week to try to finalize a deal for the defender. In other news, interest in Santos FC defender Lucas Verissimo is still very high for the biancocelesti, but multiple teams have started showing interest in the player. Torino seemed to be the early front-runners, but Roma, Lyon and Marseille are rumored to have shown interest as well as Lazio. It is being reported that no team has met the demand of 10 million euros that Santos FC want for the player at the moment. Also of note, Lazio would probably have to sell a non-EU player like Felipe Caicedo to free up a spot for a potential Verissimo signing. There has also been talks with Genoa regarding their defender Armando Izzo as a depth signing for Lazio’s defense, with the club holding great relations with Genoa, but no real updates on that front as of late. Kamil Glik and Fabien Balbuena have also been linked to Lazio, but it has been rather quiet when is comes to news on these defenders.
In the midfield, Diego Laxalt still remains a high possibility for Lazio, as the player’s agent has confirmed he will be moving on from Genoa and is interested in a move to Rome. The biancoceleste are trying to get a deal done before the World Cup, where Laxalt will showcase for Uruguay. Genoa want 15 million for the player, but Lazio’s offer is apparently at 10 million plus bonuses or an added player from the current squad. The next few days should be crucial in the signing of Laxalt, who seems very close to joining the team, and would be considered a great piece of business for the club. Mattia Sprocati of Salertinana has received an invitation to join Lazio’s preseason retreat in Auronzo Di Cadore, with the hope that he can crack a spot on the club for next season after a terrific campaign for the Serie B squad.
In more of an attacking role, Lazio have renewed interest from last year’s target, 23-year-old Iranian international Sardar Azmoun. He will also showcase in the upcoming World Cup and is seen to be the perfect replacement for the departing Felipe Anderson. Rubin Kazan wanted 20 million for the attacker last season, but Igli Tare is rumored to be offering around 15 million to bring the player to Lazio. The newest rumor in attack has Wesley Moraes, Club Brugge’s Brazialian Striker, being linked to Lazio as a potential back up to Ciro Immobile. The Brazilian has just come off an excellent campaign for the Belgian side, scoring 11 goals in 38 appearances. He is apparently very interested in joining Lazio as the player “loves the idea of coming to play in Rome” and is looking for a bigger club to show off his talents. The estimated cost to bring the player to the Olimpico is rumored at 10 million Euros, but Lazio might be willing to offer a bit less while adding midfielder Joseph Minala to the negotiations.
Finally there is still the possibility of adding Diego Falcinelli of Fiorentina, Andrea Petagna of Atalanta, Lucas Perez of Arsenal and Manolo Gabbiadini of Southampton, but there has not been any recent updates on all these attackers of late, so we will consider them at a lesser probability of joining Lazio than the previous players mentioned in this article.
