Claudio Lotito provided an update on Lazio’s talks for Mason Greenwood and explained why Ciro Immobile quickly left to Besiktas.
The Biancocelesti are in a state of change this summer and that continued in recent days when club captain Immobile left for Turkey, completing the transfer soon after the news first broke, ending a memorable eight-year spell in the Italian capital.
Over the last 12 months, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Luis Alberto, Felipe Anderson and now Immobile have all left Lazio, who are starting a new project under Marco Baroni. A number of reinforcements have already arrived, including Nuno Tavares and Tijjani Noslin.
Speaking to Il Messaggero (via TMW), Lotito first discussed Lazio’s work for controversial Manchester United winger Greenwood.
I offered €25 million plus 50% on future resale, plus bonuses and commissions. Yet several teams have emerged to disturb us.
After Juventus and Napoli, it seems that everyone is turning up. Maybe they are terrified that we can get him and they want to blow everything up.
He sent a message to the concerned fans.
They must trust us, it was time to start again with a new project, patience is needed. Including Tavares I spent almost €50 million to strengthen Lazio.
Lotito explained why Immobile left for Besiktas.
He asked to be sold, like Milinkovic-Savic and Luis Alberto. They understood that their cycle was over and they had to accept it.
Even the club, despite the affection demonstrated several times, understood that the time had come to start again with a new, broader project. I repeat, it is not a question of downsizing.
He was asked if Valentin Castellanos could be the future of Lazio.
They offered us a lot for Taty, but we won’t give him up because we believe in him. And we think that he can finally unlock himself and demonstrate all his value, without the natural weight of having someone who made the history of Lazio ahead of him.
Finally, Lotito discussed Lazio’s position on Pedro.
I’m not kicking anyone out, he still has one year left on his contract, and he hasn’t taken a step back. We have many leaders in the locker room, you heard how Gila spoke like a mature man.
We need patience, obviously time, but I’d like to feel more confidence in what we are rebuilding. At least wait before making a definitive judgment. I don’t like preventive criticism.
