What Next For Lazio & Fisayo Dele-Bashiru? | OneFootball

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s Lazio future has been under scrutiny after suggestions he was available in January. According to The Laziali, the Nigeria midfielder remains a longer-term project rather than an immediate starter.

He initially joined on loan in 2024 from Hatayspor in Türkiye, then his stay was made permanent last summer. Since arriving, he has made 40 appearances and scored five goals.

The loan was designed to assess him closely before a decision. In Serie A he started 12 of 36 and came on eight times. He showed power, athleticism and ball-carrying, but was still raw at the top level.

This first season as a full Lazio player has stuttered. Of 10 league matches he was available for, he started four and came off the bench in the other six. He missed eight with a hamstring injury and five at AFCON with Nigeria, starting twice there.

Interest from Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest was mooted for an initial loan back to England. A loan fee plus an obligation to buy for upwards of €15 million was understood to be required to tempt Lazio.

With Kenneth Taylor arriving, competition has grown and Dele-Bashiru could be pushed further down the order. Lazio sit just under 10 points off the European places, making a top-six push a big task.

After the window closed without a move, the club are believed content for him to stay and see a long-term future for the 25-year-old. They are not under pressure to sell, so any exit would depend on terms that suit them.

Source: The Laziali