Romagnoli Returns to Lazio as Lotito Rejects Al-Sadd Request – Atalanta on Alert | OneFootball

Lazio defender Alessio Romagnoli should soon be reintegrated into Gennaro Gattuso’s squad, as his transfer to Al-Sadd has all but collapsed.

The Background

The Biancocelesti had accepted a €3 million offer from the Qatari champions more than a month ago. But after several weeks of delay, it became increasingly evident that the operation went off the rails.

While a host of reasons were speculated in the media, it was revealed earlier this week that Al-Sadd are unable to make a transaction at the moment, potentially due to the complicated situation in the Middle East and the ongoing war. Hence, they asked Lazio to delay the payment due date to January.

Lazio Refuse to Delay Al-Sadd’s Payments for Alessio Romagnoli

According to multiple reports in the Italian press, including Alfredo Pedulla and Gianluca Di Marzio, Romagnoli will rejoin his Lazio teammates at Formello in the coming days as Claudio Lotito decided to turn down the proposal. He has already conducted the first part of his pre-season medicals.

Can Lazio & Romagnoli Still Co-Exist?

This will be another awkward return for the 32-year-old, who has already bid the club’s supporters goodbye twice this year. The first was in January, following the away game against Lecce at the Via del Mare, while the second was even more damaging for his already strained relationship with the hierarchy, as his farewell message was displayed during a large anti-Lotito protest earlier this month.

A Reunion with Sarri at Atalanta?

Pedulla adds that Atalanta are ready to accommodate the former AC Milan captain, reuniting him with Maurizio Sarri. However, at this stage of his career, Romagnoli has no intention of embarking on another experience in Italy, so he will only consider foreign offers.