Lazio seriously risk losing Luiz Felipe for nothing at the end of the season. The Biancocelesti management resumed the talks to extend his expiring contract after the end of the January window. However, the parties are distant from reaching an agreement, Tuttomercatoweb reports.
The defender asks for at least €2.5M per year to start the negotiation. Instead, the club stopped at €2M, including add-ons. The entourage of the player has begun to offer him around, finding significant interest in Italy and abroad.
It would take a considerable effort from Lazio to convince Luiz Felipe to stay. At this stage, Inter are the frontrunners to sign him on a Bosman move, but it is not a done deal yet. The Nerazzurri put on the table a bigger salary than the Biancocelesti. However, the center-back’s agents are looking to drum up a bidding war. Betis Sevilla are also seriously in the running, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.
Luiz Felipe has been at Lazio since 2017, collecting 130 appearances. He would reunite with his former coach Simone Inzaghi at Inter. La Beneamata poached Stefan De Vrij from the Biancocelesti with the same method a few seasons back.
The 24-year-old Italian Brazilian would be less expensive than their other free agent defensive target Matthias Ginter, whom they have been unable to come to terms with. The German wants €5M wages, and the Nerazzurri are unwilling to get to such sum. Bayern Munich are in the lead for Borussia Moenchengladbach’s mainstay at the moment, Calciomercato.com informs.