Lazio Management Disagrees With Maurizio Sarri on Nigeria Star

Originally posted on The Laziali | By Michel Sakr | Last updated Dec 1, 2025 9:32 AM ET

Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri and sporting director Angelo Fabiani have contrasting plans for Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

The club director poached the 24-year-old’s services in the summer of 2024, paying circa €6 million to buy him from Hatayspor. Although he showed occasional flashes of brilliance, the Nigerian couldn’t cement himself as a regular starter in Marco Baroni’s lineup last season, and it’s been more of the same this term with Sarri.

With the club desperate to sell players to fund new arrivals, Il Messaggero reveals that Sarri would like to place Dele-Bashiru on the transfer list. However, Fabiani is refusing to give up on his signing just yet. Hence, this could prompt a tug-of-war between the two men, who also had different opinions on Lorenzo Insigne.

Moreover, Fabiani had reportedly pushed back against the proposal to remove the Lagos-born midfielder from the Serie A squad list after his injury in September, but Sarri eventually had his way, replacing him with Toma Basic, before recently reinstating him at Elseid Hysaj’s expense.

However, Dele-Bashiru’s return will be short-lived, as he’s expected to receive a call-up from the Nigerian national team for the African Cup of Nations. Hence, the midfielder should feature in the Coppa Italia tie against AC Milan on Thursday, and potentially in the weekend clash against Bologna, before leaving the Italian capital.

The same report adds that the head coach is requesting the signing of at least three of four new players in January, but this largely hinges on the departures, as the supervisory committee is expected to only partially lift the transfer ban, forcing the club to conduct a zero-cost market.

This article first appeared on The Laziali and was syndicated with permission.

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