Maurizio Sarri Urges Lazio Fan Favorite to Return to the Club | OneFootball

Maurizio Sarri has invited Danilo Cataldi to follow in his footsteps by making a return to Lazio this summer.

The Background

The Rome native is a youth product of the Biancocelesti who arguably enjoyed his best run at the club during Sarri’s time at the club. Last summer, the midfielder was snubbed in favor of Mattia Zaccagni when the club named a new captain. He was deemed surplus to requirements by Marco Baroni, which prompted a loan move to Fiorentina.

(Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

Cataldi immediately cemented himself as a key player in Raffaele Palladino’s lineup, but the manager decided to resign from his post, leaving the player’s future in Florence uncertain. The Viola have the option to buy the 30-year-old for €4 million, and the deadline is reportedly set on June 20.

Maurizio Sarri Keen to Reconnect with Danilo Cataldi

According to La Stampa (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Cataldi would like to stay at Fiorentina, where he feels comfortable and shares an excellent rapport with the management. However, Sarri called the Roman, inviting him to return to Lazio. The source believes this call had an impact on the player, but the Tuscan club still holds the cards, at least until next week’s deadline.

Would Cataldi Return to Lazio?

This new development shows that Cataldi still enjoys a good relationship with Sarri, unlike some of the other former locker-room ‘senators’ who allegedly sparked the manager’s decision to resign in March 2024. He is also a fan favorite at the Stadio Olimpico, but it remains to be seen if he’s willing to bury the hatchet with the Lazio hierarchy who pushed him out the door last year.