There is a constraint that is blocking the second part of the market Lazio. After the five signings made in the first 15 days of July, the Biancoceleste club has slowed down the pace of purchases and the reason is linked to the number of over 22s in the squad. For several years in Serie A, squads have been limited to 25 players over 22; four from the youth sector, four from the national youth system and 17 over 22 “free”. Lazio cannot register 25 given the absence of four players from the youth sector (currently on the list there are only Cataldi and the third goalkeeper Furlanetto), so the squad will be reduced to 23 over, while waiting to understand what the future of Cataldi will be. To fill the four slots of the national youth system there is an embarrassment of riches, but the problem is linked to the 17 over 22 “free”. In fact, Lazio has much more than 17 over 22s in the squad and for this reason it needs to sell to reduce the surplus and understand if it can make another move like the suggestion of James Rodriguez. Given the difficulty in selling the surplus, however, Lazio is evaluating an alternative option, that is, avoiding the over and aiming for an under 22 to give Baroni that quality player in the attacking midfield.
Young solutions for the three-quarter line
From Jobe Bellingham to Pardo passing through Cherki, all quality players and all under 22 who are not included in the over 22 list. All also united by a decidedly important price, not less than fifteen million. They are players with different experiences and curriculum, for this reason Lazio is studying the various hypotheses. Bellingham is perhaps the main suggestion. It may be the heavy surname, it may be the charm of the English number ten that harks back to the Gascoigne era, but since the name of Jobe came out, Bellingham-mania has started. Sunderland is considering offers close to 15 million, Jobe does not yet feel ready for the Premier League and would like an “interlocutory” stage before the big leap. Lazio could become what Borussia Dortmund was for Jude. Pardo on the other hand is a young man on the launch pad at Gent, born in 2005 like Bellingham jr. Lazio has often operated in Belgium in the past, above all the Milinkovic signing from Genk has made Lazio fans happy for many years. And then there is Rayan Cherki, two years “older” than the previous targets and with a very different experience. Almost 150 appearances with a heavy jersey like that of Lyon and a contract expiring in 2025 that pushes Lazio to temporize. Many solutions and a wait that could be rewarded. Lazio is hunting for talent and looking for young people to relaunch the new project led by Baroni.