Lazio are on the cusp of finalizing their lengthy pursuit of Toma Basic. The midfielder will arrive in town later today to have the medicals. The Biancocelesti had started targeting him in late June, but it took them two months to seal the deal for a variety of reasons, Alfredo Pedullà reports.
Despite the delays, the 24-year-old had given his word to Lazio and the operation rarely appeared in jeopardy. They beat Napoli and Atalanta in the race to acquire him from Bordeaux. They will spend slightly less than €10M for him. Basic will ink a four-year contract and will earn €1.5M per season, LaLazioSiamoNoi informs.
The Croatian international will add size and dynamism to the Lazio midfield. He will be able to play in any of the three spots. Bordeaux signed him for €3.5M in 2018 after two solid seasons at Hajduk Split. He accrued 82 appearances with Les Girondins, scoring 9 goals and providing 5 assists. He has two caps with his national team.
The president of the French club confirmed last week that Basic had long decided his next destination. Lazio likely thought they would have cashed in on Joaquin Correa by now, but he is still with the team. Given the missing income, owner Claudio Lotito took matters into his own hands and poured a few million into the side’s finances last week. The move allowed them to announce all their previous summer purchases and field them in the opener. The 25-year-old midfielder will soon officially follow suit.