Lazio Transfer Market: Sometimes They Come Back—Frattesi’s Arrival Reassures Gattuso

Inter and Lazio have reached an agreement on the transfer of Davide Frattesi. The midfielder is joining Lazio in a deal worth a total of 15 million euros, covering both the loan and the buyout option. Inter also retains a 50% share of any future resale of the player. This brings to an end the Nerazzurri adventure for the player born in 1999, who never managed to establish himself in Milan, neither under Simone Inzaghi nor later under Cristian Chivu.

For Frattesi, it’s a return to his roots. The midfielder actually began his career in Lazio’s youth academy before moving to Roma at age 15. With Roma’s Primavera team, he went on to win a Coppa Italia and a Supercoppa in that age group.

Gennaro Gattuso, the current Lazio coach, was the driving force behind the signing; he knows the Roman midfielder well, having coached him when he served as head coach of the Italian national team. The Calabrian coach was convinced that Frattesi could be a significant asset for Lazio’s midfield, and in the end, he managed to secure his services.

The negotiations were not straightforward. Inter initially sought a permanent transfer, while Lazio could not afford an immediate outlay of that magnitude. The solution reached—a loan with an option to buy—helped break the deadlock in a situation that seemed to have stalled. Another issue on the table was Frattesi’s salary, which exceeded 2.5 million euros per season: an obstacle that the parties evidently found a way to overcome.

For Inter, the sale of the midfielder will help finance other incoming transfers. Part of the proceeds will, in fact, be used to cover the purchase of Djed Spence from Tottenham, a right-back who arrived in Milan for approximately 30 million euros to take over from Denzel Dumfries, who transferred to Real Madrid last July. Before reaching an agreement with Lazio, Frattesi had also been offered to Newcastle, after interest from Nottingham Forest expressed in June had not led to any concrete developments. In recent weeks, there had also been speculation about a trade with Juventus involving Nico Gonzalez, a possibility that ultimately did not materialize.