After 15 months on the shelf, Maurizio Sarri returned to the same office he held for almost three seasons, and he’s being forced to work with almost the exact same squad that operated under Marco Baroni last term.
The transfer ban has prevented Claudio Lotito and Angelo Fabiani from signing the type of players that were deemed mandatory for Sarri’s system, especially a creative midfielder.
Therefore, the majority of top betting platforms, including the most reliable asian bookies, don’t expect Lazio to finish in the Top Four this season. However, Sarri’s return has seemingly fueled a fire within his old allies in the locker-room, the likes of Pedro, Matias Vecino and Elseid Hysaj.
As for those who never worked under the 66-year-old before, they will be hoping that the experienced tactician can help take their careers to the next level.
Hence, it’s time to take a closer look at the seven Lazio players who arrived during Baroni’s time at the club, and predict how they will fare under Sarri.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru
The Nigerian might be the most interesting case. Sadly for Sarri, the club is unable to provide him with a playmaker in the middle of the park, so he’s now forced to make some compulsory tweaks and entrust Dele-Bashiru with a regular spot alongside Nicolo Rovella and Matteo Guendouzi.
The 24-year-old only showed flashes of brilliance under Baroni, but perhaps we’ll see a truly refined version of the Super Eagle, one that combines brawn and pace with technical skills and tactical intelligence.
Tijjani Noslin
Unfortunately for Noslin, he finds himself the odd man out in Sarri’s attacking plans. The Dutchman can play almost anywhere in attack, but Sarri doesn’t seem to require his services anywhere, as he already has six forwards vying for three roles, especially following Matteo Cancellieri’s resurgence.
Lazio might be willing to sell Baroni’s old pupil for the right figures.
Nuno Tavares
Nuno Tavares has been described as too wild and tactically untamed for Sarri’s liking, but he remains one of the club’s biggest attractions, and dropping him from the lineup would be foolish, especially considering the uninspiring alternative choices. With a little bit of tactical discipline and better luck with injuries, the Portuguese could emerge as one of the finest full-backs in Europe.
This is certainly the sort of challenge that Sarri relishes.
Boulaye Dia
Last season, Baroni was so happy with Boulaye Dia and Taty Castellanos that he found a formation that accommodated both strikers. However, the two will be vying with one another for one spot in Sarri’s squad, and it appears that the Argentinian has the upper hand, even though neither stole the limelight in pre-season.
This could be a long season for the Senegalese.
Samuel Gigot
When you start your campaign as a fifth-choice centre-back for a club that won’t play in Europe, perhaps you should cling to any escape rope you can find before the end of the summer transfer window.
Oliver Provstgaard
If Gigot has fallen down the pecking order, it’s partially because Oliver Provstgaard is on his way up. The Danish defender hardly featured under Baroni following his January transfer, but we can expect to see much more of him this season. He’s already expected to fill in for the suspended Alessio Romagnoli on the opening Serie A round against Como.
Reda Belahyane
The Moroccan is supposedly a Regista, but Sarri has made it clear that Rovella and Danilo Cataldi will compete for the deep-lying playmaker slot. Therefore, the young midfielder will have to adjust to the box-to-box role, but he has Guendouzi, Dele-Bashiru and possibly Matias Vecino ahead of him in the pecking order, so he might struggle for playing time this season.
