Petar Ratkov seals deadline-day loan switch to Levante from Lazio | OneFootball

Petar Ratkov has left Lazio to join Levante on deadline day, moving on an initial loan with an obligation to buy dependent on sporting conditions, the club said in a statement, eight months after his arrival.

The 23-year-old arrived from RB Salzburg in January after Taty Castellanos was sold to West Ham United. He struggled for minutes, as Maurizio Sarri kept him on the bench after saying he had never heard of him, and the picture did not improve under Gennaro Gattuso.

Gattuso has maintained there is nothing personal, but believes Ratkov’s profile as a classic number nine does not fit a system that prefers a more mobile striker.

Ratkov had resisted approaches from Dynamo Moscow and Southampton, then became open to a move following Andrea Pinamonti’s arrival. He considered Sevilla, yet Levante moved quickest to finalise the deal before Tuesday’s deadline.

Although structured as a temporary transfer, the arrangement points towards a permanent switch next summer. Previous reports put the figures at €1 million for the loan and €14 million for the purchase.

Ratkov was Lazio’s most prolific player in pre-season, but departs with nine competitive appearances and no official goals. He is the second striker to leave on deadline day after Boulaye Dia joined Stade Rennais on a similar formula. Lazio have brought in Albert Gudmundsson on loan with an option to buy from Fiorentina.

Source: The Laziali

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