Something is stirring in the corridors of power at Formello. Lazio, a club that often plays its transfer cards close to the chest, has let slip a clea...
Something is stirring in the corridors of power at Formello. Lazio, a club that often plays its transfer cards close to the chest, has let slip a clear and present intent to reinforce the heart of its defence. GoalZaza understands that while the noise around a move for Diogo Leite has gone distinctly quiet, the Biancocelesti are now pushing hard on two entirely different fronts. This is a story of a club that knows exactly what it wants and has made its peace with what it cannot have.The primary focus appears to be on Dinamo Zagreb's Sergi Dominguez, a player whose stock has risen considerably in the Balkan furnace. He is not merely a cool customer on the ball; he possesses the kind of gnarly, old school defensive instincts that the Stadio Olimpico faithful tend to latch onto. Advanced negotiations suggest a deal is close. Alongside him, Lazio are also pursuing Sergi Dominguez's potential partner in crime, though that name is actually the Barcelona prospect, Sergi Dominguez. Wait. Let's be clear. GoalZaza can confirm that the two targets are Dinamo Zagreb's Dominguez and a separate defensive operator, Barcelona's Sergi Dominguez. This has caused a bit of confusion on the grapevine, but the intent is obvious: Lazio want a double injection of young, aggressive blood at centre half.What is most telling here is the absence of Diogo Leite from the calculus. The Union Berlin man had been heavily linked, but this new direction suggests a shift in either financial parameters or tactical preference. Perhaps Maurizio Sarri, or whoever holds the tactical reins by the winter window, has decided that Leite's profile simply does not fit the current blueprint. It is a calculated gamble. You do not walk away from a player of Leite's calibre unless you are supremely confident that your alternatives will settle quickly into the ferocious rhythm of Serie A. It reeks of a club that has done its homework and decided that potential trumps proven pedigree this time around.If Lazio pull this off, they will have secured two defenders who can operate in a high line, are comfortable in transitional play, and crucially, do not get stage fright. The modern centre half has to be a jack of all trades, comfortable in a low block yet capable of stepping into midfield. Dominguez from Dinamo fits that bill perfectly. The lad from Barcelona's academy brings a technical polish that is increasingly rare in Italian football. It is a bold statement of intent, and for once, the silence from the Leite camp is the loudest noise in the room. The pressure is now on to get these deals over the line before someone else crashes the party. Squeaky bum time for the Lazio sporting director, but he looks like a man with a plan.
