Lazio were one of the clubs seriously linked with Leonardo Bonucci in the summer but three reasons in particular stopped a move for the veteran defender.
The 36-year-old Italian centre back was shown the door in Turin this summer after falling out of favour with coach Massimiliano Allegri, who left him sidelined during the pre-season preparations.
Bonucci wanted to stay in Italy and was linked with both Lazio and Fiorentina, but a move never materialised, and he ultimately penned a one-year deal with Union Berlin. He’s seen 504 minutes of action across six games for the club since his arrival on transfer deadline day.
As reported by Corriere dello Sport (via LazioNews24), Bonucci offered himself in an incredibly low-cost deal to Lazio in the summer but Maurizio Sarri and Angelo Fabiani ruled out a move for the veteran for three reasons.
The first was his age, with the club instead looking to rejuvenate their squad with younger options. The second reason was locker room balance, with Sarri concerned that Bonucci’s arrival could upset things with Patric and Nicolo Casale.
The third reason was concerns regarding the 36-year-old’s ability to adapt to Sarri’s four-man defensive system in the Italian capital, wanting his backline to play more advanced and involved in build-up play.
Lotito also did not sign any additional defender and it’s showing in Championship