Capital Increase or Key Sales: How Will Lazio Unblock Their Market?

Lazio patron Claudio Lotito has been handed a dilemma ahead of the summer transfer session, as he’ll have to pick between two undesirable solutions.

Lazio Set for a Complicated Summer

On Friday, it was officially announced that the club has been restricted to a net-zero market, meaning that the Biancocelesti will only be able to spend from the funds they generate in the same transfer session. The supervisory commission made the decision because Lazio failed to go below the required 70% percentage in the cost-per-revenue ratio.

The Aquile were among four Serie A clubs that couldn’t meet the required standards. But according to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, Como have already resolved the situation, as their ultra-rich owners covered the €90 million deficit with a €110 million capital injection. Sassuolo and Monza also addressed their issues, leaving Lazio as the only club that risks a zero-balance market.

Claudio Lotito Must Decide Between Two Tough Solutions

As Pedulla explains, Lotito still has two weeks to solve the issue before the June 30 deadline. He must either cover the €20 million deficit through a capital increase, or he will simply have to raise this figure through sales, which remains the most likely path.

Lazio are expected to part ways with several players, especially those running on expiring contracts, like Alessio Romagnoli, Ivan Provedel, and Matteo Canccellieri. However, these sales might prove insufficient to plug the financial gap, so the management could be forced to replicate their January business by cashing in on key players.

Which Players Could Lazio Sacrifice

Mario Gila has also been heavily linked with a departure, but Lazio will share the transfer fee with Real Madrid, who have a 50% sell-on clause. Gennaro Gattuso is keen to keep Christos Mandas, Nicolo Rovella, and Kenneth Taylor, but the club could be forced to sacrifice one of them, given their relatively high transfer values.