Lazio are in turmoil, as amid reports Igor Tudor could join Bologna, director Angelo Fabiani warns the club will not be ‘blackmailed’ by Daichi Kamada and confirms Luis Alberto is heading to Al Duhail.
The Aquile ended the campaign in seventh place and qualified for the Europa League, having seemingly found some stability with Tudor after Maurizio Sarri walked away in March.
However, all that is now back up in the air with reports that Bologna are targeting Tudor to lead them into the Champions League after Thiago Motta’s departure.
DAZN and Sportitalia are confident that Luis Alberto is on the verge of a transfer to Al Duhail for €10m plus €2m in bonuses.
“We are evaluating that at the moment, and the odds of Luis Alberto leaving Lazio are very good,” director of sport Fabiani told Lazio Style Channel.
“This is what the player wants, we will try to make him happy. Whoever stays at Lazio must do it with faith and passion.”
Lazio tension around Tudor and Kamada
Kamada is now in negotiations with Crystal Palace after the option to extend his contract with the Biancocelesti expired.
“When the winds of change are blowing, you either have solid foundations or you are blown away,” added Fabiani.
“The players are at the service of the club and not the other way around. Last season we picked Kamada because we needed a player with Luis Alberto’s characteristics and the Spaniard had not turned up to training. Sarri gave the all-clear and Kamada’s entourage set the conditions, a one-year contract to be renegotiated on May 30.
“The deadline passed yesterday and they asked us to impose the same conditions. Lazio will not be blackmailed by anyone, we will not accept any extortion.
“I told them, that is the door, you can leave that way. If I had accepted, he could’ve left for €100 and removed our ability to sell him to another club. This is unacceptable, so players and agents must realise that anyone who comes to Lazio needs to love Lazio. Everyone is useful, nobody is indispensable.”
When it comes to Tudor, even Fabiani admits the situation is not entirely clear-cut.
“As of today, Tudor is our coach. We must not take words and twist them out of context. If I put a bonus to achieve an objective, it’s because I want to achieve it.”
Matteo Guendouzi is also looking for a way out, but in this case the director insists the midfielder “is a Lazio player and he is staying at Lazio.”