Sarri-Lazio, market summit with Lotito: all the names and the negotiations

Sarri-Lotito, forward slowly. After the contacts of recent days, yesterday in Formello the first meeting between the coach and the president of Lazio was broadcast to set up the next season. A meeting that Lotito had announced in Sarri the day before, since he would go to Formello to accompany the Undersecretary of Education Sasso on a visit to the Biancoceleste sports center. The meeting between the coach and the owner took place in two acts, the first in the late afternoon at the end of the afternoon session held by the team and the second, longer, at dinner, in the restaurant of the Lazio training center. Meeting, the latter, which was also attended by the sports director Igli Tare.

The market node

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We spoke above all, indeed exclusively, of the market. How to set up work for the next shopping campaign. Which for Lazio is particularly complex. A real refoundation will in fact be necessary. And not only to give the coach players more suited to Sarri’s type of football, but also to fill the gaps in the staff that will be created. Many players (even seven) are in fact expiring their contract. And of these, at the moment, only one has renewed, Marusic (moreover for only two years, until 2024). The other six have their suitcases ready and are unlikely to retrace their steps. These are the goalkeepers Strakosha and Reina, the central defenders Luiz Felipe and Patric, the winger Radu, the midfield player Leiva. The club and also Sarri would have gladly detained Luiz Felipe and Patric, but the two have taken different paths (the first will go to Betis Sevilla, the second to Valencia), while for the others it will be a consensual separation (the only exception could be the loyal Radu, ready to sign for another year). All these players will need to be replaced and it will not be easy to find substitutes who are up to the situation. The president and the coach started talking about the possible targets last night.

The hot names

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A first agreement seems to have been found on the goalkeeper with whom to replace Strakosha. Sarri had suggested the name of Kepa, which Chelsea are willing to lend, but has a prohibitive salary. The club pushes instead for the Spaniard Sergio Rico (now on loan to Mallorca, the card is from PSG). Rico’s name is also appreciated by the coach, so there is a good chance that he will be the next Biancoceleste goalkeeper. And his deputy could be Provedel, out of Spezia. For the other roles to be filled, however, for the moment there are only ideas. Some a little more concrete, but still all to be realized. Like the one relating to Romagnoli. For the central, due to expire with Milan, negotiations are underway, but the agreement is not easy to reach. As for Casale, pursued (with little conviction) in January and now to be negotiated again with Verona. Even for the left-back (Sarri pushes for Emerson, the club would prefer Parisi) and for the midfield player (the names indicated by the coach are Vitinha and Maxime Lopez) there is still a lot to do.

Future to write

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And this net of the excellent sale that will almost certainly be achieved (Milinkovic the main candidate): another void that will then have to be filled (the Belgian De Ketelaere, who also likes Milan, is the dream). For this reason, others will have to follow yesterday’s summit before talking about the contract renewal of the coach (the current agreement expires in 2023, even if there is a termination clause valid for abroad that the coach can exercise by May) . Before addressing this topic, the various issues relating to the market must be resolved. And a championship in which it is essential for Lazio to qualify for the Europa League must also be closed. Go on slowly, then.