Lazio should soon regain their transfer market license, but they must be more cautious in their recruitment to avoid replicating past mistakes.
The Biancocelesti are currently prevented from making any signings due to a transfer ban that wrecked their summer plans. Maurizio Sarri was promised several additions after making his return for a second managerial spell in June. However, the hierarchy wasn’t able to fulfil them due to COVISOC’s decision.
The supervisory commission noticed some irregularities in the club’s latest financial statement, as the numbers failed to fall within the required parameters. While this calamity can be attributed to several factors, some of the club’s failed investments could be one.
For instance, Lazio pulled off a squad overhaul in the summer of 2024. They parted ways with stars who defined an era, like Ciro Immobile, Luis Alberto and Felipe Anderson, and replaced them with players who weren’t able to impose themselves as Marco Baroni and Angelo Fabiani would have hoped.
The list includes the likes of Tijjani Noslin, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Samuel Gigot and Reda Belahyane, not to mention Loum Tchaouna, Arijon Ibrahimovic and Gaetano Castrovilli who have already departed. While these players didn’t all necessarily inflict financial losses on the club, the funds splashed to sign them could have been better used elsewhere.
Therefore, once the club manages to lift the ban and return to operating as normal, they must try to be wiser in their recruitment process. In this regard, resorting to the state-of-the-art technological methods and data analytics surely wouldn’t hurt.
After all, signing new players should be a carefully-crafted process based on experience, vision and a savvy eye for talent. Unlike exciting online roulette games, which can be a harmless hobby based on luck, good fortune should have very little to do with the recruitment strategy.
Hence, ahead of the January transfer window, where Lazio might finally have the opportunity to bolster Sarri’s ranks, here are some aspects that should be prioritised in the process.
Tactical Suitability
Sarri inherited a squad specifically designed to play 4-2-3-1 under Marco Baroni. Therefore, the returning manager has been struggling to find the right players to fill in certain roles in his 4-3-3 system, especially the left-sided central midfielder, where Dele-Bashiru’s experiment didn’t pan out as hoped.
Therefore, Lotito and Fabiani must tend to Sarri’s needs by pursuing the type of players specifically requested by the head coach.
Affordable Price Tag
Lazio fans have been crying out for top-notch stars, and rightly so, but the reality is that the club doesn’t have the financial means to lure big names who would command large transfer fees and high wages.
Therefore, Fabiani will have to unearth hidden gems, potentially from less glamoros European leagues, players that are eager to showcase their potential on bigger stages.
Age
Despite the aforementioned 2024 overhaul, Lazio still have one of the oldest squads in the league, with several regular starters above the age of 30 (Romagnoli, Zaccagni, Marusic, Provedel), in addition to others like Danilo Cataldi, Elseid Hysaj, and Pedro.
Therefore, injecting young blood into the roster should be an absolute priority, especially for a manager like Sarri who demands energy and intensity all over the field.
Castrovilli woulda been a great addition, if he wasn’t prone to injuries.
“Therefore, injecting young blood into the roster should be an absolute priority, especially for a manager like Sarri who demands energy and intensity all over the field.” ~ and yet, he insists on Insigne???