It was very much a mixed bag of a transfer window for Lazio. Despite adding five first-team players to the squad, there is a feeling that those brought in do not adequately replace the six players who have left. In particular, the midfield now feels much lighter, with key men from the centre of the park heading out of the Stadio Olimpico.
Frustration could be the name of the game when talking about the January window. Frustration at losing key men and frustration in attempting to replace them. The winter window is always a difficult one to navigate, as it exists very much as a seller’s market. Players will command much higher fees than they would in the summer.
That was certainly the case with one Lazio target in particular. Tim Iroegbunam, the English midfielder currently at Everton, was a top option for Maurizio Sarri, but the Merseysiders were reluctant to sell. A £15 million bid was reportedly rejected, which could be one of the biggest disappointments of the January sales.
A Ready-Made Guendouzi Replacement at a Cut Price?
Former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi was one of Sarri’s main men. His ability to slot in almost anywhere across the midfield made him often as effective as two men on the pitch. Without him in the early part of the season, the White and Blues would be much further down the table, and perhaps at shorter Serie A odds than their long +500.00 to be relegated.
Signing Kenneth Taylor from Ajax was meant to be supplementary and not a replacement. The Dutchman was supposed to play alongside the feisty Uruguayan and complement his combative style with a goalscoring threat. Finding a player to perform the workhorse duties of Guendouzi should have been made easier by the potential €30 million banked in his sale.
That’s why attention turned to Iroegbunam. The 22-year-old Englishman arrived at Goodison Park for around £10 million in 2024 from Aston Villa – a move that was largely motivated by Premier League PSR dealings – and had impressed on loan at Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship. Since then, he has struggled to secure regular game time, usually making appearances from the bench.
That inability to string together regular starts was believed to have stunted the youngster’s growth in value, hence the bid of around £15 million from Lazio chiefs. However, the Toffees rejected the offer, indicating that an improved bid would be needed, potentially eating up a significant amount of the figure recouped for Guendouzi. But should the moneymen have pushed further?
A Player to Break Up Play & Shield the Defence
Conceding goals is not Lazio’s biggest issue. After all, Ivan Provedel is second in the race for the most clean sheets with 11. However, the Eagles are certainly low-scorers. At the time of writing, just 24 goals have been scored in Serie A, and 21 have been conceded. To that end, an even stingier defence is necessary to remedy the concerns of the forward line.
The English midfielder would have helped in that regard. Despite not being a regular in the Premier League, he has established himself as something of a scrappy enforcer, putting up impressive numbers for tackles. In just 938 minutes, Iroegbunam has made 43 tackles and won 76 duels. To put this into perspective, Moises Caicedo – a similar profile of player – has 54 and 110 in more than 1,500 minutes.
That means that the former Villa midfielder is putting up similar numbers to a Chelsea player valued at more than €100 million. A player of that profile would be priceless for a Guendouzi-less Lazio, especially one with a goal difference of just +3. For that reason, it is easy to see why the club’s heads were keen on a man who has yet to establish himself as a regular starter.
Instead, Sarri has been left with a midfield that appears to be missing the bite of a player known for his
tireless hassling and harrying. With even Conference League qualification uncertain, the Everton man could have been the difference between success and nothingness.
I like it