Lazio moved up the meeting with the entourage of Alessio Romagnoli, which has already taken place, but they were unable to seal the deal. President Claudio Lotito submitted a relatively low offer to put him under contract on a free. His agent Mino Raiola countered, and there have been no contacts afterward, Alfredo Pedullà informs.
The parties are pretty distant on the wages. The Biancocelesti tendered €2.2M plus add-ons. Instead, the representative of the center-back demanded €3.5M. They have not scheduled further summits to negotiate face-to-face.
Despite that, Lazio remain the most likely landing spot for Romagnoli, but they need to up their proposal. It was the same they presented to Luiz Felipe, who is set to depart. Milan put a similar sum on the table to keep their captain. Other suitors have yet to make tangible moves. Raiola has strong ties with Juventus, and they would be in the market for another defender if Giorgio Chiellini retired or moved to the MLS.
The 27-year-old is a lifelong fan of the Biancocelesti. According to Il Messaggero, he is already looking for a new house near Formello, where their training center is located. Therefore, Lazio are still firmly in the lead, but they will have to make a bigger financial effort to land Romagnoli.
Patric is also on an expiring contract and has drawn interest from Valencia. However, coach Maurizio Sarri is campaigning to keep him since he has fared well while filling in for either Luiz Felipe or Francesco Acerbi.