Lazio market, for new central defender there's one last hurdle

With Alessio Romagnoli destined for Al‑Sadd and Mario Gila’s future still in the balance (Napoli’s pressing continues on him), Lazio has identified Diego Coppola as the central player on whom to build the defense of the present and future. The Biancocelesti club is ready to move decisively for the class of 2003, who has returned to Brighton after a positive parenthesis on loan at Paris FC.

According to reports from Corriere dello Sport, Lazio is reportedly working on a loan deal with a buy-back obligation set at 12 million euros, a formula liked by both the player and the English club. A set-up that could quickly lead to the white smoke, but not without overcoming one last obstacle.

The main knot in fact concerns the salary: Coppola perceives one million net per season, a figure that Lazio would not like to tweak upwards. The defender’s entourage, however, considers the role that the player would have in the team hierarchies, being a potential starter from day one, and aims to obtain an economic adjustment.

The negotiations continue, with the parties remaining in contact to find common ground. Lazio has chosen Coppola as the ideal profile to rejuvenate and give solidity to the department, but an agreement will also be needed on the salary front to close. The coming days will be decisive to see if the operation can go through.