According to Lazio fan radio station Radiosei, the Biancocelesti are set to offer Luiz Felipe a contract extension.
The Brazilian’s contract expires in the summer of 2022 and he currently makes just €500 thousand euros plus bonuses per season; the new proposal from the club is for an additional three years (until 2025), including not only an increase in his salary to a figure around €2 million, but also the insertion of a €40 million release clause.
Born in Brazil with Italian heritage, the 22-year-old central defender started his playing career in South America with Brazilian fourth division side Ituano Futebol Clube (SP). Catching the eye of Biancocelesti Sporting Director Igli Tare, he was signed by the Serie A club and brought to Italy at 19 years of age, for €750 thousand in the summer of 2016.
Directly sent on loan to Serie B side Salernitana for the 2016/17 campaign, following this, he was kept in Rome where he was given the chance to play with the Lazio first team; he has since taken that chance to transform himself into a consistent and confident starter in the back three of Simone Inzaghi’s starting lineup. As a result, he has acquired the interest of many top clubs; one of these being Barcelona.
The Blaugrana are reported to have scouted Luiz Felipe over the course of the last five Serie A matches. These matches include Hellas Verona, Parma, Inter, Genoa, and Bologna. However, the defender played in just three of the five aforementioned matches, missing the clash against the Gialloblu (due to Inzaghi’s decision to rest him) and the clash against Genoa (due to yellow card accumulation).
Impressed by his performance, it is said that the club is looking towards signing the player this summer. He has finally matured and, as was likely to predict, interest is finally arriving for him. However, Lazio realizes the player’s importance for the future of the team; Claudio Lotito and Igli Tare are working on this contract renewal to allow him to remain as a Biancocelesti player for many years to come.
