According to Italian Football Reporter Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sports, Lazio winger Jonathan Rodríguez Menéndez – simply referred to as Jony – is set to make a return to the Spanish La Liga after just one season in the Italian Serie A.
He will join Club Atlético Osasuna, who, after first making contact with the Biancocelesti and the player’s Agent (Miguel Alfaro) in August 2020, finally found an agreement with both parties. This deal will be in the form of a loan with an option to buy, with each club paying half of his annual salary (€650 thousand).
Jony joined Lazio from Málaga CF (for €1.45 million) on a four-year deal in July 2019, following the Spanish club’s relegation to La Liga 2. However, despite making 32 appearances in all competitions in the 2019/20 season, he did not convince President Claudio Lotito, Sporting Director Igli Tare, or Manager Simone Inzaghi (in addition to the Lazio faithful). As a result, he was considered sellable and was placed on the market this summer.
Although acquired for a minimal amount, signing the Spanish winger was always going to be a risk, especially considering his age and lack of experience playing abroad. While many were hoping that he would be the successor to veteran Senad Lulic, he failed to show what he is truly capable of; possibly due to his timid personality and/or a position change from playing as a left-winger to a left wing-back.
