The summer window is still a whisper on the wind but the vultures are already circling over the Stadion Maksimir. GoalZaza can confirm that the battle...
The summer window is still a whisper on the wind but the vultures are already circling over the Stadion Maksimir. GoalZaza can confirm that the battle for Dinamo Zagreb defender Sergi Dominguez is hotting up, with Lazio now facing stiff competition from Tottenham Hotspur. What started as a speculative glance from Serie A has turned into a full blown tug of war, and as is always the way when two cash rich clubs start sniffing around a promising centre half, the price tag has begun its inevitable climb into the stratosphere.This is a classic case of the market doing what the market does best. You have a young defender, comfortable on the ball and accustomed to the rigours of Croatian top flight football, suddenly in the spotlight. Lazio saw the potential early, a player who could offer tactical flexibility at the back, someone capable of stepping into a back three or operating in a more traditional four man line. But now Spurs have entered the fray, and you can almost hear the agents rubbing their hands together. Dominguez is not a finished article, far from it, but he has the raw ingredients that Mauricio Pochettino's successors have historically coveted: composure in possession and a willingness to step into midfield to initiate transitional play.The fee being discussed has reportedly doubled in a matter of weeks. That is the reality of modern football. One club's scouting report is another club's panic buy. Lazio will feel they have the inside track, having already established dialogue with the player's entourage, but Tottenham carry the weight of the Premier League and the promise of a significantly larger wage packet. It is a familiar dilemma. Do you go for the project in Rome, with its passionate fanbase and tactical discipline, or do you take the leap into the mud and thunder of English footballFor Dominguez, this is the kind of problem every young footballer dreams of. Two clubs, two visions, one career defining decision. But for Lazio and Spurs, it is a game of brinkmanship. The clock is ticking and the price is only going one way. Whoever blinks first will either land a genuine talent or be left wondering what might have been. Squeaky bum time for the sporting directors, that is for sure.
