According to The Peninsula Qatar, Al-Gharafa SC have made a €5.5 million offer for Lazio striker Felipe Caicedo. The Qatar Stars League side are seriously interested in signing the Ecuadorian; they have offered the 31-year-old a yearly salary of €7-8 million per season in an attempt to convince him to join.
Making their return to the UEFA Champions League in the 2020/21 season after a 13-year absence, the Biancocelesti are looking to reinforce all areas of their squad. President Claudio Lotito, Sporting Director Igli Tare, and Manager Simone Inzaghi have taken note of the lack of quality and depth outside of the starting eleven, and as a result, have been very active on the market; especially with regards to their attacking department.
As it stands, David Silva, Vedat Muriqi, and Borja Mayoral are very close to signing with Lazio. While this will definitely bolster and improve the overall quality of the team, there are a few individuals that will be negatively affected; one of which being Caicedo.
Depending on the number of attackers that will be signed this summer, if the 31-year-old decides to remain in Rome for next season, he will become a bench player (ending up as the fourth or fifth option in attack). As the striker wants to continue playing consistently, he is said to have taken note of this situation. As a result, he has agreed to the terms set forth by Al-Gharafa.
Therefore, while Caicedo has been linked to several clubs in the past – including the likes of Bursaspor, Espanyol, Real Betis, Real Valladolid, Rayo Vallecano, Leeds United, Club de Fútbol América S.A. de C.V., Fenerbahçe S.K., Sevilla FC, Galatasaray S.K., and Al-Shabab FC – he may ultimately move on from Italy to Qatar this summer; the only barrier that remains is the transfer fee, as Lazio are requesting €6 million for the striker.
