Romagnoli Considers Legal Action Against Al-Sadd Amid Potential Lazio Return | OneFootball

Lazio centre-back Alessio Romagnoli finds himself at a crossroads, as his move to Al-Sadd is on the verge of collapse.

Alessio Romagnoli to Al-Sadd in Serious Jeopardy

This is almost a déjà vu from January, when the 32-year-old bid Lazio fans farewell in Lecce, only for his transfer to Qatar to falter. At the time, Claudio Lotito was depicted as the main culprit, as he reportedly asked the defender to waive a three-month salary, which the latter refused as a matter of principle.

This time, the Lazio patron has sanctioned Romagnoli’s departure after accepting Al-Sadd’s €3 million offer. However, the Qatari champions have been delaying the signing since the start of July.

Why Al-Sadd Haven’t Closed  the Deal

Reports in Italy and the Middle East have been speculating over the reasons behind the stalling, from the death of the former Emir of Qatar, the managerial change (with Razvan Lucescu replacing Roberto Mancini), and the new restrictions on the number of foreign players in the Qatari league.

According to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, the main reason behind the delay is Al-Sadd’s inability to make a transaction at the moment. The Arab club has reportedly asked Lazio to delay the payment until January, and it remains to be seen if Lotito would succumb to this unforeseen inconvenience or pull the trigger on the whole operation.

Could Romagnoli Return to Lazio?

Il Corriere dello Sport adds that Romagnoli and his entourage are considering taking legal action against Al-Sadd for the financial and sporting damage caused by the delay and the potential transfer collapse. The Roman newspaper also expects the former AC Milan captain to report to Formello in the coming days for medical tests, after training on his own at a Roman sporting facility in recent weeks.

This could prompt a potential return to the squad, as the Biancocelesti have thus far fallen short in their attempts to sign young Dinamo Zagreb defender Sergi Dominguez. They have, nonetheless, recruited Danilho Doekhi on a free transfer to replace Mario Gila. Previous reports claimed the two parties could consider an early contract termination.