Lazio, Romero seeks the acute to convince Lotito and Tare

Waiting for the acute. Technical, or emotional. Luka Romero, the 18-year-old Argentine from Lazio, has his contract expiring. The Biancoceleste club believes in him, but wants to keep within certain limits. The boy’s agent, Ramadani, would have asked President Lotito for a commission of around 5 million for the renewal. A figure considered too high by the club, which, by paying it out, would in fact regain its price tag. For this reason, in recent months, the negotiation has gone slowly. But soon, inevitably, there will be news.

History

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Last November 10, in the championship match against Monza, Romero scored the decisive goal (match ended 1-0), which allowed Lazio to take second place in the standings. That evening the parties actually seemed very close and the goal seemed to be just a romantic way to seal the relationship. Romero, still 17 at the time, became the second youngest player ever to score in the top flight for the Biancocelesti. Only Alessandro Capponi did it before him (scoring at 17 years, 4 months and 7 days) in 1936. Curiously, the goal in question was also decisive that day (Capponi scored the 2-1 against Lucchese). Furthermore, in that season, the biancocelesti finished the tournament in second place (position occupied by Sarri’s team still today), precisely the position reached with Romero’s goal. It wasn’t Juve, Inter or Milan who won the Scudetto that year, but Bologna, statistically an exception for our championship, a bit like the title of Napoli, currently first by gap. In short, Romero’s goal seemed to be a signal sent by fate. “It’s an enormous emotion to score goals in front of these people – said Romero at the end of the game, after going around the field carrying the Olimpia eagle resting on his forearm -. I’m happy with the three points. Everyone here gives me advice, they support me a lot, I feel good here. Luis Alberto is a special friend, but Pedro and the others also help me.”

Record

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In reality Romero is used to records: having made his debut in La Liga, with Mallorca, against Real Madrid, at the age of just 15, he is the youngest player to ever play in the Spanish top division. In 123 years of history no foreigner has ever scored as a minor wearing the Lazio shirt. Yet since that goal at Monza, things have not gone very well for him: he was deployed as a starter in the last league match of 2022 (against Juventus), but in the following 12 Serie A matches he scored just 30 minutes, to which must be added other clips in the cups: 10 minutes with Bologna in the round of 16 of the Italian Cup, 78 between Cluj and Az in the Conference League. Little, too little, to be satisfied. This is why Lazio, who would like to keep him, would like to keep costs down. The negotiation between the club and Ramadani is still standing and the Argentine’s attorney is ready to lower the requests. He will talk about it. In the meantime, however, on Sunday, precisely against Monza, Romero hopes to be able to carve out a space for himself and maybe return to scoring. Because Luka is waiting for the acute. Technical and, consequently, emotional. With the renewal with Lazio which however will depend on what he will demonstrate between now and the end of the season.