Bamba Dieng Lands in Rome – Why Lazio Turned to the Senegalese Striker
Senegalese international Bamba Dieng will undergo his Lazio medical on Thursday to become the club’s third free-agent signing after Alfonso Pedraza and Danilho Doekhi.
Lazio Reach Agreement with Bamba Dieng
At a time when the Biancocelesti were said to be working on signing Andrea Pinamonti from Sassuolo, almost every reliable source in the Italian media revealed that the club reached an agreement with Dieng, who is set to join on a free transfer after seeing out his contract with Lorient at the end of the previous campaign. The news broke out on Wednesday afternoon.
Dieng Arrives in Roma for Lazio Medical
As confirmed by Italian journalists Alfredo Pedulla and Gianluca Di Marzio, the 26-year-old landed in Rome on Wednesday night.
Interestingly, Il Corriere dello Sport notes that Dieng was on the verge of signing for newly promoted Turkish Super Lig club Amed FK at the end of July, but the deal collapsed due to an alleged knee problem in the medical. Therefore, it remains to be seen if any issues will be detected in his Lazio medical.
Why Lazio Turned to Dieng
Dieng is coming off the most prolific campaign of his career, bagging 15 goals in 25 appearances for Lorient across all competitions. His previous stats were far less impressive. But as the CdS explains, the main reasons behind this choice are economic.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito planned an ambitious onslaught for Mauro Icardi, who is also a free agent. However, the 33-year-old Argentine didn’t fancy joining the club in its current dire state, knowing he would have to play in front of empty seats at the Stadio Olimpico.
As for Pinamonti, Sassuolo were only willing to release him on loan for €4.5 million, a figure that Lazio could not afford, as they only have limited funds remaining in the coffers from Mario Gila’s sale, and after spending €5 million on Davide Frattesi’s loan, they’re planning to allocate €3 million to sign Ajax defender Josip Sutalo on a similar formula. Therefore, Dieng was simply the most affordable option.
