Ratkov’s replacement? Franjo Ivanovic ‘to join’ Lazio if Benfica approve | OneFootball

According to The Laziali, Lazio have convinced Franjo Ivanovic to join this summer, but any move depends on agreeing terms with Benfica.

Petar Ratkov could make way, with the 22-year-old said to be a serious target for Dynamo Moscow, whose bid is understood to exceed €15 million.

Ivanovic and Andrea Pinamonti have emerged as the leading options to replace Ratkov, and the Croatian is thought to be closer than the Sassuolo forward.

Lazio are reported to have re-entered the race for Ivanovic, seeking to exploit a delay from Real Betis. The Andalusian club have asked for a few more days as they need to sell before bidding, and the player is said to have already said ‘yes’ to Lazio.

Benfica’s response is expected over the weekend. Lazio are believed to have proposed a loan with an option to buy to avoid adding immediate budget commitments, and it remains to be seen whether the Portuguese club accept.

A product of Augsburg’s academy, Ivanovic featured for Rijeka and Union Saint-Gilloise before joining Benfica last summer. He struggled for minutes under Jose Mourinho, with Vangelis Pavlidis the clear first choice, and Jhon Duran has arrived this summer. Ivanovic has eight goals in 43 Benfica appearances.

Source: The Laziali

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”