Frattesi to Lazio on Hold as Lega Serie A Blocks the Transfer

Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi was supposed to complete his move to Lazio on Friday, but the operation hit an unexpected snag.

After brief negotiations, the two clubs had finalized their agreement on Thursday, with the 26-year-old given the green light to return to his original club on loan, with an option to buy for €15 million. The deal also included an obligation to buy that would be triggered by a number of appearances and a Top 10 finish in the Serie A table, plus a 50% sell-on fee.

While Frattesi was expected in Rome by Friday midday, the most reliable sources in Italian football, including Alfredo Pedulla and Gianluca Di Marzio, revealed that the Lega Serie A has decided to block the deal due to the liquidity index issue.

It should be noted that Lazio were restricted to a net-zero transfer campaign after failing to meet the 70% cost ratio. Therefore, they can only make new signings through funds freshly generated through sales.

Italian journalist Damiano Er Faina adds that Inter president Giuseppe Marotta is in constant contact with Lazio officials to try to find a swift solution for this unforeseen issue. Di Marzio believes one option would be to remove the obligation to buy, as the current formula is treated like a permanent transfer for accounting purposes. However, Inter aren’t in favor of this plan.

The alternative is for Lazio to offload some of their own players to fund Frattesi’s arrival, but this would likely require the sale of an important player. Therefore, it remains to be seen how the two clubs will work their way around this untimely blow.