Lazio ended 2018/19 on a high by lifting the Coppa Italia and securing a Europa League spot in the process, but the reality of a disappointing eighth-place Serie A finish soon gave way to a period of uncertainty.
Simone Inzaghi’s future was up in the air as he weighed up his future amid reported interest from Juventus, while long-serving defender Stefan Radu was put on the transfer list and club president Claudio Lotito admitted he was open to offers for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
But fast forward a couple of months and stability is the byword for Lazio’s approach to the new campaign. Inzaghi has penned a new deal, Radu has resolved his differences with the club hierarchy and Milinkovic-Savic has joined other key players like Luis Alberto and Joaquin Correa by deciding to stay put for another crack at the elusive Champions League places.
Inzaghi has described the coming campaign as ‘Year Zero’ for his squad. They go into it on the back of nine wins out of nine in pre-season and with the sense that this could finally be the year to break the top four hoodoo as their rivals undergo major transitions.
Summer Dealings – 7/10
At €15m, Manuel Lazzari could prove to be one of the best signings Igli Tare has secured for the capital club, as the former SPAL man is approaching his peak years and possesses the blend of diligence and quality that Inzaghi has been looking for in a right wing-back.
Jony’s €2m arrival from Malaga could prove to be a superb bargain, although the Spanish club’s president continues to insist he is owed more money in what could become a complicated legal battle. The Spaniard is naturally a winger and produced 11 La Liga assists while on loan at Alaves last season, but he will challenge captain Senad Lulic for the left wing-back spot this term.
Elsewhere, 23-year-old centre-back Denis Vavro was brought in for around €12m from Copenhagen to bring much-needed reinforcement to the defence, while untested young forward Bobby Adekanye arrived on a free transfer from Liverpool.
As for departures, Pedro Neto and Bruno Jordao’s bizarre spell came to an end as they joined Wolves for a baffling €27.5m despite featuring in a combined eight senior games over two years.
Alessandro Murgia secured a permanent move to SPAL after a successful loan spell in Ferrara in the second half of last season, while Milan Badelj re-joined Fiorentina on loan with the right to buy after struggling to break into Inzaghi’s team.
While some good business has been done, the squad is still short of a much-needed backup to Ciro Immobile, while the defence lacks experience and the club has so far failed to sell out-of-favour players like Wallace, Patric, Riza Durmisi and Jordan Lukaku.
Key Man – Luis Alberto
‘Il Mago’ Luis Alberto appeared to lose his wizard’s wand last season as he struggled with injury issues and failed to replicate the form of 2017/18, when he was one of the top-performing midfielders in Europe.
But a full pre-season has helped the Spaniard rediscover his mojo and he looks set to make a real impact for Inzaghi’s side in the coming campaign.
The 26-year-old was moved back to a central midfield position midway through last season and now looks comfortable in the role, from which he can make dangerous forays forward and put bullets in the chamber for Ciro Immobile and Joaquin Correa in front of him. When he’s on form, Alberto is the man who makes Lazio tick.
One to watch – Jony
Jony’s arrival from Malaga has gone somewhat under the radar this summer, but he has already shown enough in pre-season to suggest he could turn some heads.
The 28-year-old is having to adapt to a new role as a left wing-back, having played as a winger before now, but he possesses excellent quality of delivery from the flank to go with terrific pace and dribbling.
There are still some questions about his defensive abilities but the Spaniard could well provide a much-needed challenge to skipper Lulic, who will turn 34 in the coming campaign.
The Coach – Simone Inzaghi
Inzaghi’s decision to sign a new deal with Lazio after 20 years at the club as a player and coach came as a huge relief.
The 43-year-old secured his first major trophy with the Coppa Italia last season and now has his sights firmly set on securing the Champions League spot that has so eluded him so far.
Tactically, he will continue with his favoured 3-5-2 system, with two attack-minded central midfielders supporting two strikers and the wing-backs bombing forward to provide width. Defensive organisation has always been his weak point and although new wing-backs have arrived, there is still a lot of pressure on Lucas Leiva to protect a line-up of centre-backs that is unchanged apart from the addition of Vavro.
Prediction – 4th
With key players and Inzaghi staying put and sensible additions bolstering the squad, Lazio are in a strong position to finally break their top four hoodoo as their rivals adjust to new eras.
