Done deal! Gattuso hijacks Sutalo, he won't be joining Benfica | OneFootball

Benfica suffered a major setback in the transfer market after Josip Sutalo, who had been identified by the Rui Costa-led structure, saw his future all but decided. The Eagles were looking to strengthen the heart of their defence, but the deal ended up taking a different turn.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Croatian player is set to become a Lazio player, in a deal led by the Italian club, which managed to secure the Ajax defender. The agreement includes a one-season loan, with a fee of 3 million euros, and also sets out a purchase option worth 7.5 million euros. Gennaro Gattuso will therefore have the centre-back at his disposal.

The Croatia international had been pointed out as one of the solutions most appreciated by the Eagles to strengthen the defensive axis. The situation took a decisive turn when the Italian side entered the race and began formal talks with the Dutch board. At the time of the initial approaches, the Amsterdam club wanted to negotiate the player’s transfer for a fee in the region of 12 to 13 million euros.

Before making this final decision, the player had turned down two financially tempting offers from Saudi Arabia, showing that sporting considerations carried significant weight in his future. It should be remembered that the player remains under contract with the Dutch side until 2028.

Although the Reds' hierarchy did not manage to complete this priority target, the Luz club reacted quickly in the market and has already secured the signing of Alessandro Circati. Benfica and Parma reached a full agreement for the permanent transfer for 18 million euros, plus 2 million euros in bonuses tied to objectives.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.