Hindsight is always 20/20, especially in the transfer market and whether a purchase was the right one for a club.
Last summer, two significant arrivals for Lazio were Vedat Muriqi, who they purchased for €20-million from Fenerbahçe. Meanwhile, the Biancocelesti grabbed Andreas Pereira from Manchester United FC on a loan deal. As of right now, both transactions have not worked out as Lazio might have hoped.
Italian football pundit Paolo Condò stated on Sky Sport (via La Lazio Siamo Noi) that Lazio’s money to bring these players to Rome seems like a waste. Condò adds that the money should’ve been spent better now that months have gone by and the two players offer little to no impact on the squad.
When you pass up on the possibility of taking the lead (missed penalty by Immobile) and then concede 80 seconds later, the game change completely. Bologna played very defensively afterwards.
Lack of alternatives for Lazio? It cannot be said that Lotito was short-armed. Pereira and Muriqi were paid enough, but this money should’ve been better spent.
Muriqi has made 21 appearances for the Rome-based club, where he’s scored two goals and registered one assist. Furthermore, most of the 26-year-old’s playing has come off the bench since he’s only started two fixtures in league competition and one in the UEFA Champions League.
Also, the striker is averaging 25 minutes per game in Serie A, SofaScore states. For €20-million purchase, Lazio should be getting more bang for its buck. Nonetheless, perhaps the transition to Serie A is a slow process for Muriqi; we’ll see if the striker can figure it out.
Pereira has appeared in 21 fixtures and has only registered one goal and one assist; in the creative department, Pereira is only averaging 0.4 key passes per game. Also, like Muriqi, the 25-year-old has mostly come off the bench. The Brazil international has only started two Serie A fixtures and is only averaging 21 minutes per game, SofaScore states.
For a team needing an offensive spark, Lazio has only scored 38 goals this season, which is the worst in terms of the clubs fighting for Serie A’s top four spots. AC Milan and Juventus FC have scored 45 goals this season, the second-worst for clubs in the top six positions in Serie A.
Whether it’s off the bench or in their rare start, Muriqi and Pereira aren’t providing much offensively.
