Rating Lazio 2026 Summer Transfer Campaign: The Zero-Cost Masterclass
When a club begins its summer transfer campaign with a net-zero restriction, it is seldom a positive sign. But for Lazio, this was at least an improvement on last year’s transfer.
With a disgruntled fanbase and an unpleasant general situation deterring players from the club, Lazio sporting director Angelo Fabiani was set up to fail.
And yet, despite having so little room to manoeuvre, the 65-year-old pulled off what may have been one of the club’s finest transfer campaigns in recent memory, at least if the results are to back it up.
So let’s take a thorough look at Lazio’s summer business department by department before reaching a general conclusion.
Goalkeepers
In: Christos Mandas (return from loan, Bournemouth), Davide Renzetti (return from loan, Bra).
Out: Ivan Provedel (permanent, Inter Milan).
Provedel may have had his highs and lows over the years, but Lazio lost a goalkeeper that many consider among the best in the country.
That being said, the new Inter Milan signing is 32, while Mandas, who returned from an unmemorable loan spell at Bournemouth, is only 24 and had already usurped Provedel in the pecking order at one point during Marco Baroni’s reign.
Gennaro Gattuso will also be able to count on Edoardo Motta, who showed immense potential in the final months of the previous campaign, while the young Davide Renzetti will be the third choice, replacing Alessio Furlanetto, who is out with a serious knee injury.
Centre-Backs
In: Danilho Doekhi (free transfer, Union Berlin), Josip Sutalo (loan with option to buy, Ajax).
Out: Mario Gila (permanent, AC Milan), Samuel Gigot (contract termination).
After selling Gila to AC Milan, Lazio lost one of the best defenders in the Italian top flight. However, the Spaniard’s departure was almost inevitable with his contract expiring in 2027. At least his transfer fee almost funded the majority of the club’s transfer campaign.
While Doekhi and Sutalo might be considered downgrades compared with Gila, they appear to be solid options who were brought in on favourable terms. The Dutchman has also helped the Biancocelesti preserve two Serie A clean sheets alongside Oliver Provstgaard, while the Croatian has the character to succeed Alessio Romagnoli as the club’s de facto defensive leader, at least if he can stay fit.
Speaking of Romagnoli, his seemingly never-ending Al-Sadd soap opera remains on, as the Qatari transfer market won’t close before Thursday evening. Thus, the 32-year-old’s fate has yet to be decided.
Finally, Lazio thankfully parted ways with Gigot, who agreed to rescind his contract after failing to make an appearance in over a year due to his constant physical struggles. It remains to be seen if Patric can recover from his own injury ordeal and become a Lazio protagonist once again.
Full-Backs
In: Alfonso Pedraza (free transfer, Villarreal), Romano Floriani Mussolini (return from loan, Cremonese)
Out: Elseid Hysaj (contract expired)
Despite his early struggles, it would be premature to write off Pedraza. After all, the 30-year-old was a highly respected left-back in LaLiga thanks to his valiant services at Villarreal.
Nuno Tavares, who himself is familiar with struggles, ended up staying despite being linked with various destinations, and for now, he appears to be Gattuso’s first choice. Luca Pellegrini has become the odd man out, but hasn’t been able to seal a move just yet, although a departure remains possible, as he reportedly has Turkish suitors who can remain active in the market until Friday’s deadline.
On the opposite side of the pitch, Cremonese’s decision to snub Floriani Mussolini played into Lazio’s hands, as Gattuso may have found the perfect fit for his tactical system, and he might end up keeping his spot even when Adam Marusic returns from injury. Similar to the left-back slot, the Biancocelesti have one too many options for this role, so Manuel Lazzari was supposed to make way.
Midfielders
In: Davide Frattesi (loan with option to buy, Inter Milan), Bruno Galassi (free transfer, Real Madrid)
Out: Toma Basic (free transfer, Venezia)
Fabiani and Co. didn’t focus too much on the middle of the park. With the exception of Basic, the entire department was confirmed. And yet, Frattesi’s arrival was hailed as one of the best coups of the summer, not only for the capital club, but for the entire league. The Inter Milan loanee has already proved his worth by scoring back-to-back winners against Bologna and Genoa.
19-year-old Bruno Galassi is an exciting deep-lying midfielder who was poached from Real Madrid’s academy. The Spanish teenager impressed in pre-season, but it remains to be seen if he’ll find space with the first team in his maiden season in Rome.
Forwards
In: Andrea Pinamonti (permanent, Sassuolo), Albert Gudmundsson (loan with option to buy, Fiorentina)
Out: Pedro (contract expired), Daniele Maldini (loan expired, Atalanta), Boulaye Dia (loan with obligation to buy, Stade Rennais), Petar Ratkov (loan with obligation to buy, Levante)
Although they left it late, Lazio eventually managed to reinforce their attack by bringing in two fowards with important Serie A experience under their belt. Pinamonti will be charged with leading the line, while it remains unclear how Gudmundsson will fit into Gattuso’s current 4-3-3 formation, but his exciting skill set makes him a valuable addition to the department, regardless of his role.
Moreover, the Aquile were able to offload Ratkov, whose profile didn’t convince Gattuso, plus the misfiring Dia. A new winger was expected at Formello, but the manager was happy to keep Matteo Cancellieri, perhaps against popular opinion.
Rating
First of all, let us begin by addressing the elephant in the room: Lazio are forced to operate in difficult conditions on the market because of their own blunders. However, sporting director Fabiani shouldn’t be held culpable for Claudio Lotito’s business model and some of the ill-advised decisions that culminated in this dire situation.
So when it comes to rating Lazio’s transfer market, we are specifically assessing the work conducted by Fabiani and the rest of the recruitment team, while taking into account the resources (or rather lack of) placed in their hands.
At the start of the summer, few among us had imagined Lazio exiting the market with an arguably stronger squad than last season’s.
Losing Provedel and Gila (and possibly Romagnoli) may be a big blow to the backline, but the club did well to mitigate it, either by entrusting internal solutions or by making the necessary recruiting.
In midfield, Frattesi can certainly be considered a big upgrade on Basic, while Pinamonti and Gudmunsson should bring elements that were lacking in the final third, namely precision inside the box and flair between the lines.
On the other hand, the squad still has a few noticeable weaknesses, and many fans had hoped for an additional winger, centre-forward and a midfielder. That being said, Fabiani and company deserve plaudits for pulling off a solid transfer campaign amid these challenging circumstances, even though the team’s results will provide the ultimate judgement for their work.
Grade: 8/10
