Lazio are reportedly considering a move for Valencia centre-back Eray Comert, who is currently running on an expiring contract.
Lazio Could Part Ways With Three Defenders
The Biancocelesti are preparing for a major defensive shake-up in the summer. Alessio Romagnoli and Mario Gila are both running on contract expiring in June 2027, and neither is remotely close to signing a renewal.
In fact, the Italian is still keen on finalizing his transfer to Al-Sadd following the botched January negotiations, while the Spaniard has a host of suitors lining up for his services, and chief among them AC Milan, with sporting director Igli Tare leading the charge. Moreover, Samuel Gigot is expected to depart following a miserable campaign ravaged by injuries.
Lazio Must Sign Two New Centre-Backs
The only defenders who look destined to stay at Formello beyond next summer are Oliver Provstgaard and Patric. Therefore, Lazio sporting director Angelo Fabiani will likely have to recruit at least two new centre-backs.
Eray Comert Lands on Lazio Shortlitst
According to Calciomercato.it, the Aquile have set their sights on Eray Comert, a Swiss defender of Turkish origins. The 28-year-old is a Basel youth product who has been on Valencia’s books since January 2022, and has had loan spells at Nantes and Real Valladolid.
The Rheinfelden native began the campaign as a second choice for Los Che, but he’s been ever-present in the starting lineup since January. He has thus far made 11 appearances in LaLiga, and has two goals to his name. However, his time at the Spanish club is apparently drawing to an end, as his contract will expire at the end of the season.
Lazio Working on Several Free Transfers
Lazio have been very active on the free agent market this season. They have already secured the signing of Villarreal’s left-back Alfonso Pedraza, and they’re also closely monitoring the condition of Union Berlin centre-back Diogo Leite, who’s currently out with an injury.
Could Lazio Sign Comert AND Diogo Leite?
The Biancocelesti wouldn’t necessarily have to choose between Comert and Leite, as the Swiss is right-footed, making him a potential replacement for Gila, while the Portuguese is a left-footed defender who can fill in for Romagnoli.
So sad to see such Lazio, losing the pillars and promising stars and replacing by somebody being benched, being injury proned, being untested.
Comert is relatively on a low salary at Valencia. 1million net I read. So relatively low risk if Lazio would sign him for a similar salary. That’s unlikely though, as Valencia started using him recently and also other clubs are interested.
Valencia isn’t a good La Liga squad, he isn’t an a guaranteed starter for Lazio based upon the last couple of seasons. While at 28 years old he doesn’t hold much resell value. Unless he becomes a star player. While he doesn’t speak Italian either. It could work out but is it the type of profile player Lazio should be signing?
By now I feel like a broken record. Anyway no guarantee either that Lazio is truly interested. But it’s a typical signing Igli Tare could’ve made
Lazio are just testing the free transfer market to give themselves a little bit of financial breathing room. There aren’t many choices for affordable free transfers, so they resort to a player of Comert’s calibre. Provstgaard will be the starting CB next season, so pairing him with a capable cheap veteran player isn’t an awful idea.
It’d be nice to get to a position where a transfer ban isn’t a discussion anymore.
Honestly David, I’m surprised Lazio hasn’t received it earlier. Also multiple Salernitana>Lazio transfers, I’d definitely flag as suspect. I pulled the data from Transfermarkt.
2018/19
Sprocati bought by Salernitana for 110k from Parma, sold a year later for 3.3 million to Lazio. While his market value was optimistically 1 million.
Casasola bought for 80k season before, sold for 3million. His valued worth was about 1/6th of that sum.
2019/20:
Emanuele Cicerelli sold to Lazio for 2.5million, while his worth was 1/6th.
Biagio Morrone, 530k. While being 100k in worth.
2020/2021:
Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro, 12,7mil. Age 28. 600k worth so 21x more. While I also believe he had maybe a year left on his deal at max.
Bar from Akpa Akpro none of these players played a single official minute for Lazio.
The unfortunate part is that this isn’t all. Lazio also bought players who were clearly not Serie A material, and they loaned them or let them go to Salernitana.
The Muriqi transfer was also extremely suspect.
@Fausto I’m actually really glad you brought that up as the entire Lazio/Salernitana history smelled foul from the jump, and is oddly forgotten. There’s too much for me to justifiably unpack on that era in this thread, but that was essentially Lotito skirting money laundering while using his brother as a pawn.
Although there’s no ‘official’ correlation between that era and Lazio’s current financial crisis – I always found them to be a bit too coincidental.
True David, fortunately that stuff is no longer going on with Salernitana. But dirty it for sure was. Wanting to build the stadium on his own grounds far outside of Rome was another.
It’s cheaper to keep signing players with extensive injury problems i guess .