In anticipation of their likely UEFA Champions League campaign in the upcoming 2020/21 season, Lazio is said to be interested in former German and current Russian International Roman Neustädter on a free transfer, according to tuttomercatoweb.com.
The 31-year-old, who is currently at Russian Premier League club Dynamo Moscow, spent the majority of his career in Germany. Starting at Mainz, the Russian transferred to Borussia Mönchengladbach before becoming a defensive mainstay at Schalke 04 and later Turkish club Fenerbahce.
This season, Neustädter has been a regular at mid-table Dynamo Moscow, playing mostly as a central defensive midfielder alongside the more attack-minded Artur Yusupov. However, Neustädter’s contract is set to expire at the end of the current campaign.
Despite his strong track record in Germany and Turkey, it seems unlikely that Simone Inzaghi will use Neustädter as anything beyond a defensive rotational player. His greatest quality is his versatility, having experience as both a center-back and a defensive-minded central midfielder. However, it seems unlikely that the 31-year-old will be able to unseat Lucas Leiva in the starting lineup. Furthermore, with Acerbi and Radu continuing their strong form, alongside the emergence of Luiz Felipe and Patric as strong center-backs, it seems equally as unlikely that Neustädter will find a regular place in Inzaghi’s back three.
Regardless, Neustädter’s status as a possible free transfer, alongside his experience and positional versatility sees him as a strong option as a rotational player in what will likely be a busy 2020-21 campaign for Lazio.
Le Aquile have struggled this season in cup competitions despite their strong performance thus far in Serie A, making the need for strong bench options that much more a necessity.