Tare suggests Lazio were ‘counting the years’ until Romagnoli left Milan on a free

Sporting director Igli Tare suggested that Lazio had been ‘counting the years’ until Alessio Romagnoli’s contract expired with Milan.

The 27-year-old Italian defender left the Rossoneri after his contract expired last month, ending a six-year spell with the club. He then put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Biancocelesti, the club that he’s supported since he was a boy.

Speaking at a press conference today, Tare discussed the acquisition of Romagnoli and how long Lazio had been interested in pulling off the deal.

“Today is a very good day for me. We have the pleasure of presenting two great signings, also thanks to the intervention of the president in the last stages of negotiations. They can greatly enrich the value of this team. 

“It’s a pleasure to present, he is the dream come true for a young fan, a player whose had this dream in his locker for many years. We met in various stadiums, counting the years to his contract expiration. 

“He is a player of great experience, captain of Milan, he will be a player of depth on and off the pitch. Vecino, on the other hand, was an important request made by Sarri. 

“We needed him, we had needs in midfield. We satisfied our coach with a great graft of value, also off the pitch. He has a lot of experience even at the international level.”

Lazio have already made seven signings this summer, keen to completely overhaul the squad under Sarri, who signed a new contract earlier this year. The Biancocelesti are looking to build a strong project under the Italian coach, hoping to compete with intercity rivals Roma, who are seemingly building something special under Jose Mourinho.

During his six years with Milan, Romagnoli made 247 appearances across all competitions. In that time, he scored 10 goals and provided three assists, helping the side win a Scudetto and a Supercoppa Italiana.