Inter could look to sign Lazio wing-back Manuel Lazzari this summer as the player does not look to be in the plans of new Biancocelesti coach Maurizio Sarri and the club could look to sell him.
However, the deal to bring the player to the Giuseppe Meazza could prove complicated given the relationship between Lazio President Claudio Lotito and Inter, according to Italian news outlet Calciomercato.com.
Lazio signed the 27-year-old in 2019 from SPAL for a fee of €13.7 million in a deal which also saw midfielder Alessandro Murgia go the other way.
The wing-back flourished for two seasons as he was a virtual ever-present under Simone Inzaghi, meeting the requirements for the right-sided role in the Italian tactician’s tactical system well.
With Inzaghi now the head coach of Inter, and the Nerazzurri set to lose Achraf Hakimi in the coming days, the club could look to bring in Lazzari as a replacement for the Moroccan, as he has a similar profile and his suitability to the manager’s tactical setup is well-established.
Moreover, it is thought that new Biancocelesi boss Maurizio Sarri has informed the club that Lazzari is not in his plans, as he does not believe that the player has the suitability to play in a back four, a formation which he prefers.
Lazio sporting director Igli Tare will try to carry out the operation of finding a new club for Lazzari, hoping that Sarri’s request to shift the player on does not lower his value too much, while Inter’s hope will be that the Roman club will be willing to accept a lower offer due to the player’s unsuitability for their new manager.
Further complications could be posed by the difficult relationship between Lazio president Lotito and Inter in the transfer market.
Lotito and Inter CEO Beppe Marotta are known to have had difficulties negotiating in the past, and the relationship between the clubs could be further soured by the acrimonious departure of Simone Inzaghi to join Inter in the summer, with Lotito thought to be reluctant to strengthen the former Lazio coach’s burgeoning Inter project.