Lazio market, total break with Alessio Romagnoli: new name for defense
The path of Lazioand that of Alessio Romagnoli are abruptly about to part, and the club is working to run for cover and give Maurizio Sarri an immediate alternative for the center of defense. With the class of 1991 the break is now total: the rift, as reported by Il Il‘Messaggero’, would have become irremediable during the discussions for the contract renewal, so much so that the player would say he was ready to pack his bags immediately. Al’Al-Sadd, the Qatari club coached by Roberto Mancini, is ready to take advantage of the opportunity.
For this reason, the management has reportedly started moving to find a new name and not leave the defensive sector uncovered. ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’ reports direct contact between Lazio and Fiorentina for Luca Ranieri, with the lily club reportedly opening the door to a possible transfer even on an outright basis as early as this winter market, in exchange for a figure (including bonuses) of 5 million euros. Ranieri in the Viola’s last two games has accumulated just nine minutes on the field, with Paolo Vanoli preferring to deploy Pongracic and Comuzzo in the center of defense.
Romagnoli’s departure fits into an already delicate context for Lazio, which this January has already disposed of several elements on the roster in the first part of the season. The central player’s farewell would also open a kind of symbolic void, considering his never-hidden affection for the Biancocelesti colors and his role in the locker room. The club, aware that it cannot leave Sarri without alternatives, is therefore accelerating for the’alternative, with Ranieri’s name at the top of the list.
The non-renewal, by the way, has split the Lazio fans themselves, who are divided between those who accuse Romagnoli of wanting to give in to the economic temptation of the Middle East and those who point the finger at the ownership for not promising renewal. The debate has exploded particularly on social media, becoming one of the most talked about topics of the day.
All that remains, then, is to wait for the next developments in an internal case that may further weigh on a championship so far without any particular highlights, which sees Lazio ninth after twenty-one days with a nine-point gap from the Europa zone. Before the market closes, the biancocelesti still have to face the away match in Lecce on Saturday 24 at 8:45 p.m. and the home match against Genoa on Friday 30.
